(245c) Cell-Based Electrochemical Sensors for Environmental Pollutant Detection

Endocrine disrupting compounds are ubiquitous; they are found in many products intended for common use, including pesticides, plastics, and even some medications. Yet, these chemicals are implicated in health problems ranging from diabetes to cancer. We have developed a cell-based electrochemical strategy to rapidly and sensitively quantify these compounds. Our strategy measures the biological activity of chemically dissimilar xenoestrogens by harnessing the specificity of a human estrogen receptor. This receptor is expressed on the surface of E. coli as a component of an electrochemical sandwich assay. Our sensors require no specialized skills to implement and have enabled very sensitive detection (sub-ppb levels) of environmental pollutants. We have successfully detected compounds in from complex solutions, such as baby formula, and have measured estrogenic activity from unknown compounds leeched from a BPA-free baby bottle.