ABSTRACT
If intact, living cells are used in a biosensor setup as the biological entity (whole cell biosensors) instead of isolated biomolecules, a completely different analytical approach is possible that is most valuable in environmental science and environmental health. By monitoring the activity of a living cell that is exposed to an environmental sample it is possible to detect biological (toxic) effects that might be caused by contaminants in the sample. Therefore, whole cell biosensors generate complementary information to chemical analysis and can help to bridge the gap between chemistry and (eco)toxicology. In addition, whole cell biosensors measure the toxicity of a sample in an integral manner because the living cells respond to all contaminants in a mixture that cause same effects even if some constituents are not yet identifi ed by chemical analysis.
