Introduction
From 2006.igem.org
Interaction of UV Photon-Iron Porphyrins Genes: A Microbial Biosensor.
BACKGROUND
Biosensor is an analytical device that couples microorganisms with a transducer to enable rapid, accurate and sensitive detection of target analytes in fields as diverse as environmental monitoring, medicine, defense, food processing and safety (Yu Lei, et al 2006).
Biosensor designed by Latin America team is based in the photon (UV) - phenton (FE) reaction in different conditions of Ferric Iron, UV, and oxygen. Redox potentials, concentration, ratio of metal ions, and ferromagnetism can be good inductors of gene expression and/or microbial growth. Thus, they can determine biosensorbility (Cuero, 2005). Cationic porphyrins such as iron bind to the DNA through an oxidation-reduction mechanism . Electric current and/or UV light can activate acceptors for microbial growth, depending on the concentration of the metal ions (Cuero 2003, Cuero et al 2005). The level of electric current (A) used induces formation of oxidants (electron acceptors). Thus stimulating the bacterial growth through enhancement of genes expression, but depending of the ratio of the metals and/or different state of valence (Cuero et. al 2005)
High iron concentrations are associated to some extreme environments found on earth where only few microorganisms can survive. By creating a biological system able to grow up under this extreme conditions and additionally under UV presence that resemble conditions similar to Mars, help us to understand better the origin of life on earth and what life really is as a physical-chemical and biological system (Cuero 2003)
