Abstract
Arsenic contamination in groundwater is a critical global issue, affecting over 140 million people worldwide and posing severe public health risks, particularly in low-resource and rural communities. Argentina alone has approximately 4 million people exposed to arsenic. The measurement of arsenic in private wells is often limited by high costs, specialized personnel requirements, and geographical distances to analytical laboratories. In this paper, we describe the design and implementation of a portable, open-access arsenic biosensor that combines synthetic biology and industrial design. The biosensor employs genetically modified Escherichia coli and a colorimetric readout to detect arsenic concentrations as low as 5 µg/L. Validation studies on 61 samples yielded a sensitivity of 98.1% and specificity of 99.0%. By using paper-based, dehydrated bacterial modules and a 3D-printed housing, this device is cost-effective, easy to use, and amenable to replication in low-resource settings. In addition, the open-access approach ensures that critical knowledge such as plasmid sequences, device schematics, and protocols can be freely shared and locally adapted. Beyond the technical advantages, this biosensor can potentially influence global policies and Argentinian programs on water quality monitoring, empowering communities to take charge of arsenic surveillance and safeguard public health.
Data availability
All relevant data supporting the findings of this study are provided within the manuscript and its Supplementary Information files. Additional raw data (images, colorimetric outputs, Python scripts, and 3D design files) are openly available at GitHub SensAr-Biosensor under license CC-BY 4.0.
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Acknowledgements
Since the inception of this project at the end of 2012, many individuals and institutions have contributed. We thank B. Basanta, H. Bonomi, N. Carlotto, M. Giménez, A. Grande, N. Nieto Moreno, F. Barone, F. Dorr, L. Marasco, S. Mildiner, I. Patop, S. Sosa, L. Vattino, and F. Vignale for initial steps in designing the biological components. We also acknowledge Romina Mathieu and Luciana Feo Mourelle for early physical prototypes. Special thanks to I. Patop, S. Sosa, and F. Vignale for pushing the project to receive the “Innovative Product” Prize at the Argentinian Innovation Contest Innovar 2014.We are grateful to the Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales (University of Buenos Aires) and GarageLab for providing the foundational environment. This project was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MINCyT), the Ministry of Education (SPU), ANPCYT (PICT-2015-3834), Universidad de Buenos Aires (PDE 24, 2024), and numerous contributors to our crowdfunding campaign on idea.me. We also thank Dr. J.R. Van der Meer and Dr. Vladimir Sentchilo for providing the ArsR plasmids and A. Rossen, L. Sierra and M.E. Zabala from INA and IHLLA for sharing samples and data of their water campaigns. Finally, we acknowledge Prof. Verónica Liñares for assistance in translating sections of the article.
Funding
Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (PICT-2015-3834); Universidad de Buenos Aires (PDE 24, 2024).
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Conceptualization: A.D. Nadra, J. Gasulla. Methodology and Investigation: J. Gasulla, E. Alba Posse, A. Teijeiro. Visualization: A. Teijeiro, J. Gasulla, E. Alba Posse. Supervision, Project Administration and Funding Acquisition: A.D. Nadra. Writing Original Draft: A.D. Nadra. Writing Review & Editing : All authors.
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Open hardware documentation
STL files, CAD designs, Plasmid sequence, and instructions for printing/assembly are available at GitHub SensAr-Biosensor. Physical plasmid can be requested in Addgene 240494.
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Gasulla, J., Teijeiro, A.I., Alba Posse, E.J. et al. Design and implementation of an open-access arsenic biosensor. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-38693-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-38693-3
