Synthetic biology applications for the biosensing of biological and chemical threats

Abstract

Synthetic biology, which encompasses the design and construction of new biological components and the refinement of existing systems, has opened a new area of development for the biosensing of chemical and biological threats. In this chapter, we list and summarize the developments and challenges overcome in biosensing applications through the use of synthetic biology-based tools and research for detecting chemical and biological threats in recent years. First, we will focus on cell-based biosensors, their applications in biomedicine, environmental monitoring, and industrial processes, and the present challenges. Next, we will explore cell-free methods and their integration with traditional methods for detecting chemical and biological threats. Later, we will move from platforms to tools and components and elaborate on nucleic acid-based biosensors used to detect these threats, including aptamer-based and CRISPR-Cas-based (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats associated Cas enzymes) biosen