ABSTRACT
Bacterial metal-resistance and metal regulatory proteins provide a good basis for the use of bacteria as biosensors for heavy metals allowing the detection of trace amounts in soil and water samples (Bontidean et al. 2000, 2001, Mattiasson 1997, Tibazarwa et al. 2001, Tada et al. 2001, van der Lelie et al. 1994, 1997a, reviewed in Ramanathan et al. 1997). Protein engineering seems to be an optimal approach to a development of biosensors (Hellinga and Marvin 1998, Kohler et al. 2000). Biosensor constructs that responded to mercury by producing light, betagalactosidase or green fluorescent protein were used to quantify bioavailable mercury in different environments (Hansen and Sorensen
2000). E. coli and P. fluorescens were genetically modified for detection of mercury and arsenic based on a decrease of luminescence of D-luciferin substrate (Petanen et al. 2001).
