Sensors for All

A versatile modular strategy for detecting small molecules in eukaryotes

ruth williams
| 3 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
3:00
Share

SENSOR SET-UP: To detect a small molecule of interest (the ligand), a conditionally stable ligand-binding domain (LBD) is fused to a reporter, such as green fluorescent protein (GFP). The complex degrades if the ligand is not present (1), and activates the reporter when it is (2). In another demonstration of this sensor, researchers connected the LBD to a DNA-binding domain (DBD) (3). When the ligand is present, the DBD hooks onto to a site in the genome (red), which results in the expression of a specified reporter gene (yellow) (4).© GEORGE RETSECK; ELIFE, 4:E10606, 2015

The ability to detect small molecules of interest has wide applicability in biological research, biotechnology, and especially synthetic biology. For example, turning cells into factories that produce small molecules—for use as drugs, biofuels, and more—is the goal of many synthetic biology endeavors. Just like regular factories, cellular ones require optimization. “In many cases we can create a valuable compound, but at a very low yield,” says Dan Mandell, a postdoctoral researcher in George Church’s Harvard University lab.

Scientists can attempt to improve production, but there is often no fast way to know whether they’ve succeeded. Mass spectrometry, for example, is a very sensitive and reliable way to detect small molecule production, says Mandell, but it’s “somewhat cumbersome, expensive, and slow.”

Specific sensors exist for only ...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to digital editions of The Scientist, as well as TS Digest, feature stories, more than 35 years of archives, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Keywords

Meet the Author

  • ruth williams

    Ruth Williams

    Ruth is a freelance journalist.

Published In

Share
3D illustration of a gold lipid nanoparticle with pink nucleic acid inside of it. Purple and teal spikes stick out from the lipid bilayer representing polyethylene glycol.
February 2025, Issue 1

A Nanoparticle Delivery System for Gene Therapy

A reimagined lipid vehicle for nucleic acids could overcome the limitations of current vectors.

View this Issue
Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Lonza
An illustration of animal and tree silhouettes.

From Water Bears to Grizzly Bears: Unusual Animal Models

Taconic Biosciences
Sex Differences in Neurological Research

Sex Differences in Neurological Research

bit.bio logo
New Frontiers in Vaccine Development

New Frontiers in Vaccine Development

Sino

Products

Tecan Logo

Tecan introduces Veya: bringing digital, scalable automation to labs worldwide

Inventia Life Science

Inventia Life Science Launches RASTRUM™ Allegro to Revolutionize High-Throughput 3D Cell Culture for Drug Discovery and Disease Research

An illustration of differently shaped viruses.

Detecting Novel Viruses Using a Comprehensive Enrichment Panel

Twist Bio 
Zymo Research

Zymo Research Launches Microbiome Grant to Support Innovation in Microbial Sciences