A team led by Yael Helman engineered bacteria to glow by producing luciferase when exposed to acetic acid, the compound that signals wine spoilage. The living biosensor detects acetic acid vapors near the bottle neck, enabling noninvasive, real-time monitoring without complex lab equipment. Published in Microbial Biotechnology, the method could be adapted for biofuel fermentation and future volatile-biomarker diagnostics, though safety and regulatory hurdles remain.
Glow-In-The-Dark Biosensor Flags Wine Spoilage — Real-Time, Noninvasive Detection
Lead image: alia.kurianova / Shutterstock(Nautilus)
Humans can’t bioluminesce, but scientists have long harnessed biological light for practical uses from medical imaging to genetic research. Now a team led by Yael Helman at Hebrew University has developed a living, glow-in-the-dark sensor that warns when wine is at risk of spoiling.
How the Biosensor Works
The researchers genetically engineered bacteria to produce the firefly enzyme luciferase when they detect acetic acid, the compound responsible for vinegar’s sharp smell. When luciferase is expressed, the microbes emit light—providing a visible signal that acetic acid levels are elevated.
Unlike laboratory methods such as liquid chromatography, this biosensor can estimate acetic acid concentrations noninvasively by sensing vapors that collect near the bottle neck. The team reported their method in the journal Microbial Biotechnology.
"This system allows us to detect acetic acid in real time, without complicated equipment or sample processing," Helman said in a statement.
Advantages and Practical Considerations
The living sensor is sensitive enough to give an early warning of spoilage without taking liquid samples, and it can detect volatile acetic acid that some electronic sensors miss. That makes it a promising tool for on-site, affordable monitoring of fermentation quality.
However, the approach will need further validation, safety assessment and regulatory review before commercial deployment. Practical challenges include ensuring microbial containment, integrating the sensor into packaging or monitoring devices, and scaling production for industrial use.
Broader Applications
Helman and colleagues note the technique could be adapted for other fermentation-dependent industries such as biofuel production. They also suggest it could, in time, support low-cost diagnostics based on volatile biomarkers—pending additional research and regulatory approval.
If validated and scaled, the bioluminescent biosensor could offer winemakers and other producers a quick, low-cost way to spot spoilage risks and intervene earlier, reducing waste and protecting product quality.
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