• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.101-105
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• 2003

Recombinant bioluminescent bacteria were used to monitor and classify the to xicity of azo dyes. Two constitutive bioluminescent bacteria, Photobacterium phosphoreum and Es-Cherichia coli, E, coli GC2 (lac::luxCOABE), were used to detect the cellular toxicity of the azo dyes. In addition, four stress-inducible bioluminestent E. coli, DPD2794 (recA::luxCDABE), a DNA damage Sensitive strain; DPD2540 (fabA::luxCDABE), a membrane damage sensitive strain; DPD2511 (katG::luxCDABE), an oxidative damage sensitive strain; and TV1061 (grpE::luxCDABE), a protein damage sensitive strain, were used to provide information about the type of toxicity caused by crystal violet, the most toxic dye of the 16 azo dyes tested. These results suggest that azo dyes result in serious cellular toxicity in bacteria, and that toxicity monitoring and classific ation of some azo dyes, In the field, may be possible using these recombinant bioluminescent bacteria.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.103-106
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• 2001

Bioluminescent bacteria fusing the stress promoter and lux gene have been developed as a toxicity biosensor. The light emitting bioluminescent bacteria have been used to measure the toxicity of many different chemicals. In this study, specially, DPD2540 (fabA::luxCDABE) was used to detect and classify phenolic toxicity to the cells membrane fatty acids, and then the relationship between phenolic toxicity and the distribution of various phenols in the cell was determined, with a model and equations provided. In addition, to show the possibility of detecting and classifying the toxicity of a chemical mixture, which may be present in wastewater, various bioluminescent bacteria having different stress promoters were used and their distinct response to the sample mixture was measured. To extend the applicable area of these bioluminescent bacteria to field, the portable biosensor using freeze-drying methods was developed and confirmed successfully.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.5 no.6
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• pp.395-399
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• 2000

Five different freeze-dried recombinant bioluminescent bacteria were used for the detection of cellular stresses caused by endocrine disrupting chemicals. These strains were DPD2794 (recA::luxCDABE), which is sensitive to DNA damage, DPD2540 (fabA::luxCDABE), sensitive to cellular membrane damage, DPD2511 (katG::luxCDABE), sensitive to oxidative damage, and TV1061 (grpE::luxCDABE), sensitive to protein damage. GC2, which emits bioluminescence constitutively, was also used in this study. The toxicity of several chemicals was measured using GC2. Damage caused by known endocrine disrupting chemicals, such as nonyl phenol, bisphenol A, and styrene, was detected and classified according to toxicity mode, while others, such as phathalate and DDT, were not detected with the bacteria. These results suggest that endocrine disrupting chemicals are toxic in bacteria, and do not act via an estrogenic effect, and that toxicity monitoring and classification of some endocrine disrupting chemicals may be possible in the field using these freeze-dried recombinant bioluminescent bacteria.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.59-62
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• 1999

The recombinant bacteria strain DPD2540, containing a fabA::luxCDABE fusion, was used to detect the toxicity of various chemicals in this study. Membrane damaging agents such as phenol, ethanol, and cerulenin induced a rapid bioluminescent response from this strain. Other toxic agents, such as DNA-damaging or oxidative-damaging chemicals, showed a delayed bioluminescent response in which the maximum peak appeared over 150 min after induction. This strain was also tested for measurement of toxicity in field samples such as wastewater and river water effluents.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.715-718
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• 2000

The character of a recombinant bioluminescent bacteria's light emission enables us to monitor toxicity in water, soil and air. In this study, various bioluminescent responses to water samples containing toxic chemicals, such as phenol and mitomycin C, were obtained and analysed through the use of a multi-channel two-stage minibioreactor system. The bioluminescent pattern from each channel can be used as a standard for identifying the degree of toxicity in field samples. When various concentrations of toxic chemicals were injected in a step manner, different bioluminescent patterns were obtained. Also this system showed variation in its bioluminescent pattern as the injection manner was changed, i.e. using a modified version of the bell-curve type injection. In conclusion, the toxicity was shown to be related with the bioluminescent response when using these standard bioluminescent patterns. Comparing this standard with a bioluminescent response from a field sample, we can estimate the degree of which the sample is toxic.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2000.11a
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• pp.212-215
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• 2000

Recombinant bioluminescent bacterial strains that use specific promoters fused to the bioluminescence genes (lux genes) have been applied in environmental monitoring. Advantages of using recombinant bioluminescent bacteria as blosensing cells include rapid responses, low costs, and improved reproducibility. In this study, a recombinant Escherichia coli, GC2, containing a lac::luxCDABE fusion immobilized with solid agar media and glass beads was used to estimate the effect of this soil flushing technique. This bacterium constitutively emits light under normal conditions (no toxic chemicals). When growth and metabolism of these bioluminescent bacteria is inhibited by their exposure to toxic chemicals, the bioluminescence (BL) is reduced. A biosurfactant, rhamnolipids, was used to extract phenanthrene from the soil after flushing.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.5 no.3
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• pp.202-206
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• 2000

The genetically-engineered Escherichia coli strain, DPD2540, which contains a fabA:::luxCDAbefusion gene, gives a bioluminescent output when membrane fatty acid synthesis is needed. For more pactical application of this strain in the filed as biosensor, freezedrying was adopted. A 12% surcrose solution with Luria-Bertani (LB) broth, as determined by the viability after freeze-drying, was found to be most most effective composition for lyophilization solution among various compositions testitons tested. Rapid freezing with liquid nitrogen also gave the best viability after freeze-drying as compared to samples frozen at-7$0^{\circ}C$ and -2$0^{\circ}C$. The biosensing activities of the cells showed a greater sensitivity when the cells from the expontial phase were freeze-dried. Finally, the optimum temperature for use of the freeze-dried cells in the biodencor field was determined.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
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• 2003.06a
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• pp.129-131
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• 2003

Recombinant bioluminescent bacteria and cultured human cells were applied for toxicogenomic analysis of environmentally hazardous chemicals. Recombinant bioluminescent biosensing cells were used to detect and classify the toxicity caused by various chemicals. Classification of toxicity was realized based upon the chemicals' mode of action using DNA-, oxidative-, protein, and membrane-damage sensitive strains. As well, a simple double-layered cell culture system using Caco-2 cells and Hep G2 cells, which mimic the metabolic processes occurring in humans, such as adsorption through the small intestine and biotransformationin both the small intestine and the liver, was developed to investigate the toxicity of hazardous materials to humans. For a more in-depth analysis, a DNA microarray was used to study the transcriptional responses of Caco-2 and Hep G2 cells to benzo〔a〕pyrene.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Applied Microbiology Conference
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• 2000.04a
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• pp.94-99
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• 2000

Bioluminescence is being used as a prevailing reporter of gene expression in microorganisms and mammalian cells. Bacterial bioluminescence draws special attention from environmental biotechnologists since it has many advantageous characteristics, such as no requirement of extra substractes, highly sensitive, and on-line measurability. Using bacterial bioluminescence as a reporter of toxicity has replaced the classical toxicity monitoring technology of using fish or daphnia with a cutting-edge technology. Fusion of bacterial stress promoters, which control the transcription of stress genes corresponding to heat-shock, DNA-, or oxidative-damaging stress, to the bacterial lux operon has resulted in the development of novel toxicity biosensors with a short measurement time, enhanced sensitivity, and ease and convenient usage. Therefore, these recombinant bioluminescent bacteria are expected to induce bacterial bioluminescence when the cells are exposed to stressful conditions, including toxic chemicals. We have used these recombinant bioluminescent bacteria in order to develop toxicity biosensors in a continuous, portable, or in-situ measurement from for air, water, and soil environments. All the data obtained from these toxicity biosensors for these environments were found to be repeatable and reproducible, and the minimum detection level of toxicity was found to be ppb (part per billion) levels for specific chemicals.

• Ocean Science Journal
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• v.40 no.2
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• pp.91-100
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• 2005

Bioassay using the marine bacteria, Vibrio fischeri and rotifer, Brachionus plicatilis, and chemical analyses were conducted to assess the toxicity of the various sewage sludges, one of the major ocean dumped materials in the Yellow Sea of Korea. Sludge elutriates extracted by filtered seawater were used to estimate the ecotoxicity of the sludge. Chemical characterization included the analyses of organic contents, heavy metals, and persistent organic pollutants in sludge. Bacterial bioluminescent inhibition (15 min), rotifer mortality (24 hr) and rotifer population growth inhibition (48 hr) assay were conducted to estimate the sludge toxicity. EC50 15 min (inhibition concentration of bioluminescence after 15 minutes exposed) values by Microtox(R) bioassay clearly revealed different toxicity levels depending on the sludge sources. Highest toxicity for the bacteria was found with the sludge extract from dyeing waste and followed by industrial waste, livestock waste, and leather processing waste. Clear toxic effects on the bacteria were not found in the sludge extract from filtration bed sludge and rural sewage sludge. Consistent with Microtox(R) results, rotifer neonate mortality and population growth inhibition test also showed highest toxicity in dyeing waste and low in filtration bed and rural sewage sludge. High concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals were measured in the samples from the industrial wastes, leather processing plant waste sludge, and urban sewage sludge. However, there was no significant correlation between pollutant concentration levels and the toxicity values of the sludge. This suggests that the ecotoxicity in addition to the chemical analyses of various sludge samples must be estimated before release of potential harmful waste in the natural environment as part of an ecological risk assessment.