Detecting Redox Potentials Using Porous Boron Nitride/ATP-DNA Aptamer/Methylene Blue Biosensor to Monitor Microbial Activities

Microbial activity has gained attention because of its impact on the environment and the quality of people’s lives. Most of today’s methods, which include genome sequencing and electrochemistry, are costly and difficult to manage. Our group proposed a method using the redox potential change to detect microbial activity, which is rooted in the concept that metabolic activity can change the redox potential of a microbial community. The redox potential change was captured by a biosensor consisting of porous boron nitride, ATP-DNA aptamer, and methylene blue as the fluorophore. This assembly can switch on or off when there is a redox potential change, and this change leads to a fluorescence change that can be examined using a multipurpose microplate reader. The results show that this biosensor can detect microbial community changes when its composition is changed or toxic metals are ingested.