Sensing the future of molecule detection and bioproduction

Synthetically engineered biosensors, which can be designed to detect and signal the presence of specific small molecule compounds, have already unlocked many potential applications by harnessing bacterial cells such as E. coli to sense toxins or enable bioproduction of valuable commodities including fuel, plastics, and pharmaceuticals. As of yet, however, scientists have been challenged to leverage biosensors for use in eukaryotic cells—which comprise yeast, plants and animals—becaus