Involved Member: Prof. Wenxiong WANG

A novel biosensor for detecting zinc (Zn) in ocean was established, based on the autofluorescence intensity of an adenine deficient yeast (Ade(-) yeast). This biosensor could detect Zn at ultralow concentration (0.01 μM) and accurately quantify the extracellular concentration of Zn ranging from 0.01 to 0.5μM. High tolerance of Ade(-) yeast to salinity, pH variation and other metals enabled its application in complex marine environments. Determining dissolved Zn²⁺ from a viscous sample, Ade(-) yeast accurately quantified the labile Zn²⁺ with a lower quantification limit than the chemosensor and higher simplicity than the conventional method.

Reference:

Sun, A., & Wang, W.X. (2021). Adenine deficient yeast: a fluorescent biosensor for the detection of labile Zn (II) in aqueous solution. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 179, 113075.