Researchers at Bowling Green State University and Clarkson University will collaborate to develop a series of luminescent cyanobacterial Fe-dependent bioreporter strains capable of quantifying the bioavailability of iron in aquatic environments. This project will use the same genetic techniques and expanded analytical approaches used to develop a prototype freshwater bioreporter with the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942. By analyzing dose-response curves generated for each promoter, the investigators hope to construct a series of bioreporters with an expanded dynamic range of detection of bioavailable iron. While the information provided from this study will address a gap in our current knowledge on the availability of iron to freshwater organisms, the investigators expect that it will eventually be applicable to the development of analogous marine sensors.
