Patent ID: 6544729
Filing Date: 2003-04-08
Classification: C12N,C12Q,G01N

Abstract:
A biosensor/bioreporter device for detecting a bacterial target cell population comprising:(a) a genetically engineered bacterial bioluminescent bioreporter cell population responsive to an inducer; (b) at least one bacteriophage capable of specifically infecting said bacterial target cell but not the bioreporter cell, said bacteriophage being genetically modified to cause the target cell to express said inducer upon infection of the target cell; and (c) at least one container suitable for housing the bioreporter cell population, target cell population and bacteriophage, said container being operably connected to a light measuring device selected from the group consisting of an integrated circuit, a photomultiplier tube, a photodiode, a microchannel plate, and a charge-coupled device, said light-measuring device being adapted to detect a bioluminescent signal generated in said container upon interaction of the bioreporter cell population and the inducer, wherein detecting the bioluminescent signal is correlated with detecting the presence of the target cell.