Device for detecting mercury in water
AssigneeBio-Technical Resources
InventorReinhardt A. Rosson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Devices for the detection of small quantities either of divalent inorganic mercury ion (Hg.sup.2+) or of both Hg.sup.2+ and monomethyl mercury in water are disclosed. These devices comprises a bioluminescence detecting means and a bioluminescent biosensory microorganism cells, that emit significant light only when exposed to either to Hg.sup.2+ or to Hg.sup.2+ or momomethyl mercury. Plasmid cassettes and host microorganisms containing such cassettes are also disclosed The plasmid cassettes comprises a lux gene operon complex from Xenorhabdus luminescens. The lux operon complex comprises luxC, luxD, luxA, luxB, and luxE genes but is free of (1) a promoter for the complex and (2) an inducible regulatory gene for the complex.
Claims12
A device for the detection of mercury in water comprising:
- (1) an aqueous suspension of biosensory microorganism cells, the microorganism cells containing a recombinant plasmid, the recombinant plasmid comprising a plasmid cassette, the plasmid cassette comprising:
- (a) a promoterless, lux gene operon complex from Xenorhabdus luminescens, the lux operon complex comprising luxC, luxD, luxA, luxB, and luxE genes;
- and
- (b) an inducible regulatory gene that is activated by exposure to divalent mercury ions, the regulatory gene being located 5' of the lux gene operon complex;
- and
- (2) a receptacle, the aqueous suspension being present in the receptacle;
- (3) a light-tight container, the receptacle being present in the container;
- and
- (4) means for detecting bioluminescence operably connected to the aqueous suspension of biosensory microorganism cells by a means for conveying bioluminescence.
A device for the detection of mercury and for the detection of monomethyl mercury in water comprising:
- (1) an aqueous suspension of biosensory microorganism cells, the microorganism cells containing a recombinant plasmid, the recombinant plasmid comprising a plasmid cassette, the plasmid cassette comprising:
- (a) a promoterless, lux gene operon complex from Xenorhabdus luminescens, the lux operon complex comprising luxC, luxD, luxA, luxB, and luxE genes;
- and
- (b) an inducible regulatory gene that is activated by exposure to divalent mercury ions and by exposure to monomethyl mercury, the regulatory gene being located 5' of the lux gene operon complex;
- and
- (2) a receptacle, the aqueous suspension being present in the receptacle;
- (3) a light-tight container, the receptacle being present in the container;
- and
- (4) means for detecting bioluminescence operably connected to the aqueous suspension of biosensory microorganism cells by a means for conveying bioluminescence.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.