Microbially-based sensors for environmental monitoring
Inventors
Buck, Justin • Silver, Matthew
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-9551685-B2
Publication Date
2017-01-24
Expiration Date
Abstract
The present invention relates to the field of surface water monitoring. More specifically, the present invention provides low-cost, real-time bio-electrochemical sensors for surface water monitoring based on the metabolism of one or more electrogenic microbes.
Core Innovation
The invention provides a bio-electrochemical system for detecting the presence or absence of at least one target chemical in a medium. The system includes a working electrode comprising a cathode or an anode, and at least a first electrogenic microbe disposed in proximity to the working electrode that interacts with the working electrode to produce an electric current that decreases in the presence of an increasing concentration of the target compound while maintaining metabolic activity in the presence of the target compound.
Selective detection is supported by selectively permeable barriers that permit passage of the target compound to the working electrode while blocking passage of the at least first electrogenic microbe. A multi-region sensor is also described with first and second sensor regions separated by a selectively permeable membrane that permits passage of the target compound while preventing passage of the first and second electrogenic microbes.
The disclosure further specifies target compounds and contexts for use, including oxygen and multiple chemical species, and monitoring agricultural process water. The method aspect includes monitoring agricultural process water with at least one working electrode and at least one first electrogenic microbe in proximity to the working electrode to determine the presence or absence of the target compound using the decreasing-current behavior.
Claims Coverage
The partial claims include two independent claims, covering a bio-electrochemical system with an inverse current response and maintained metabolic activity, and a method for measuring presence or absence of a target compound in agricultural process water using that system. The dependent claims supplied for the first independent claim add five main inventive features related to microbe selection, selectively permeable barriers or membranes, additional sensing regions, explicit target-compound coverage, and fluid contact control.
Inverse current response with maintained metabolic activity
A bio-electrochemical system including a working electrode comprising a cathode or an anode and at least a first electrogenic microbe disposed in proximity to the working electrode, wherein the electrogenic microbe interacts with the working electrode to produce an electric current which decreases in the presence of an increasing concentration of the target compound, and the first electrogenic microbe maintains metabolic activity in the presence of the target compound.
Microbe selection for the electrogenic microbe
The bio-electrochemical system where the at least first electrogenic microbe is a strain selected from Shewanella, Psuedemonas, Geobacter, Cyanobacteria, or mutants thereof.
Selectively permeable barrier excluding microbes while permitting target passage
The bio-electrochemical system including a selectively permeable barrier to permit passage of the target compound to a working electrode while blocking passage of the at least first electrogenic microbe.
Multi-region sensor architecture separated by a selectively permeable membrane
A bio-electrochemical system including first and second sensor regions separated by a selectively permeable membrane that permits passage of a target compound while preventing passage of the first and second electrogenic microbes.
Target compound selection by an explicit list of chemicals and species
The bio-electrochemical system wherein the target compound is selected from oxygen, nitrogen oxides/nitrogen species, various sulfur species, metals and metal oxo-species, carbon and hydrogen-containing compounds, phosphorus species, carbohydrates/sugars including glucose, selenium species, phosphates/phosphites, and combinations thereof.
Fluid contact modulation with a flow controller
The bio-electrochemical system further includes a flow controller to modulate the volume and rate at which the medium contacts the system.
Monitoring agricultural process water with an inverse current system
A method of measuring the presence or absence of a target compound in agricultural process water comprising monitoring the water with a bio-electrochemical system comprising at least one working electrode comprising a cathode or an anode and at least one first electrogenic microbe in proximity to the working electrode, wherein the first electrogenic microbe interacts with the working electrode to produce an electrical current which decreases in the presence of an increasing concentration of the target compound, and the first electrogenic microbe maintains metabolic activity in the presence of the target compound.
Across the independent claims, the core claim coverage is an inverse current response produced by electrogenic microbes interacting with a cathode or anode working electrode, together with maintained metabolic activity in the presence of the target compound. The dependent claim features further constrain microbe selection, add selectively permeable barriers or membranes to permit target passage while preventing microbe passage, broaden target-compound coverage via an explicit list of chemicals and species, and include a flow controller to modulate medium contact. The second independent claim applies the same system concept to measuring presence or absence in agricultural process water by monitoring that water.
Stated Advantages
Not explicitly described in patent.
Documented Applications
Monitoring agricultural process water.
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