Application of Bioluminescent Bacteria in Evaluation of Heavy Metals Toxicity

Abstract

Bioluminescence is a specific phenomenon exhibited by many organisms wherein they respond to produce light. The luminescence in bacterial system is completely a biochemical process which is readily controlled by some enzymatic action which can be altered by nutrition and environment change. Heavy metal toxicity results due to exposure to heavy metals like lead, cadmium, mercury etc. which are mostly detected by analytical methods like ion chromatography, HPLC etc, which have limitations. Bioluminescence can be applied to construct biosensors, which can be applied in disease diagnosis, monitoring toxicity, detection of pollutants and contaminants etc. Bioluminescence bacteria can be alternate for the detection of heavy metal from environmental sample such as water.