Russian scientists create bacteria that glow in polluted water

The innovators point out that pollution of the natural environment, including water, is one of the most serious environmental problems. To detect pollution, chemical analysis methods and biological tests that rely on the interaction of living organisms are used, as sensitive species react quickly to dangerous pollutants, which allows them to be detected at no cost.

Scientists from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology propose to use E. coli, which they made luminous by introducing genes from the insect-parasitic bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens, for this purpose. This is because they have become sensitive to the influence of alkylating agents – substances that bind to DNA and damage the genome, causing mutations that can lead to cancer.

The researchers measured the content of methylsulfonylmethane (a mutagen used in the study) in small amphipod crustaceans using new luminescent biosensors. The crustaceans were divided into three groups, each containing a different concentration of the toxin. They found that as the dose of the toxin increased, the bacteria glowed inversely, indicating greater damage to the genome.

According to researcher Ulyana Novoyatova of the Institute’s Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, the researchers concluded two things from this work: firstly, the analysis of the toxicity of tissues of aquatic organisms (amphipods) allows detecting contamination of a water reservoir before the level of pollution rises to a dangerous level. Secondly, even low, undetectable concentrations of alkylating substances can accumulate in the tissues of crustaceans, which can lead to mutations in them and in other participants in the food chain of aquatic ecosystems.

Source: gazeta.ru