Engineered Bacteria Send Signals Detected From 90 Meters Away

Engineered bacteria can sense environmental molecules like soil nutrients or pollutants, but extracting that information typically requires close-up imaging or sensitive equipment. A new approach developed by researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology allows for remote detection of bacterial responses using hyperspectral imaging.

In a study published in Nature Biotechnology, the research team describes how they engineered bacterial cells to produce specific molecules that emit unique spectral signatures. These molecules can be detected from up to 90 meters away using hyperspectral cameras, which collect light across hundreds of wavelengths.

The technology could enable agricultural and environmental monitoring using drones or satellite systems, removing the need for close-range sampling or microscopy.

Using bacterial pigments to transmit spectral signals

The researchers identified naturally occurring molecules that emit complex hyperspectral signatures — combinations of light emissions that are distinct and detectable against environmental backgrounds. By selecting compounds with minimal biosynthetic requirements, they were able to reduce the number of genetic modifications needed to produce each pigment in bacterial cells.

One of the chosen pigments, biliverdin, is a breakdown product of heme and was engineered into the soil bacterium Pseudomonas putida. Another, a type of bacteriochlorophyll, was introduced into Rubrivivax gelatinosus, a bacterium that lives in aquatic environments. In each case, the pigment's production was tied to a genetic circuit that responds to specific stimuli, such as the presence of nearby bacterial cells.

These engineered bacteria produce pigments only in response to environmental triggers, enabling targeted signal generation without continuous output.

Applications in agriculture and environmental safety

For their initial tests, the researchers deployed bacterial sensors in enclosed containers placed on rooftops, in fields and in desert environments.

Hyperspectral cameras mounted on drones scanned the test sites, and software interpreted the spectral signatures to identify the presence of the engineered bacteria.

The system successfully detected the bacterial responses from distances of up to 90 meters. Although the initial sensors were designed to respond to quorum sensing — a process by which bacteria detect each other's presence — the method is compatible with a wide range of environmental sensors. This includes sensors for arsenic, nutrients or other soil contaminants.

The researchers suggest the approach could be adapted for agricultural use to monitor nutrient levels, or potentially in environmental remediation efforts. The pigments and detection systems could also be adapted for use in plant cells or other biological systems.

Before the technology can be used outside the lab, it will need to meet regulatory requirements. The team is working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to address safety and risk concerns associated with the release of genetically engineered organisms.

Reference: Chemla Y, Levin I, Fan Y, Johnson AA, Coley CW, Voigt CA. Hyperspectral reporters for long-distance and wide-area detection of gene expression in living bacteria. Nat Biotechnol. 2025. doi: 10.1038/s41587-025-02622-y

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