Designing a Biosensor to Detect Endocrine-Disrupting Compounds

The ubiquity of endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs), especially xenoestrogens, in consumer products and in the environment make them an emerging public health concern.  Current assays to test hormone disruption effects are conducted using animal models or breast cancer cell lines.  In an effort to design a more accessible detection assay, we are creating a biosensor using Escherichia coli bacteria.  E. coli require less laboratory equipment to maintain than cancer cell lines, allowing for facilitated high throughput screening of potential estrogen-mimicking compounds.  The biosensor couples cloned human estrogen receptor machinery to red fluorescent protein, so that bacteria will turn from white to red upon xenoestrogen binding.  These genetic constructs have been made and confirmed by various techniques, including sequence analysis and colony PCR.  We will begin the biosensor testing phase shortly to determine the limits of detection for both endogenous and xenoestrogens.