Abstract: A recombinant phage system has been developed for the rapid detection of bacteria, particularly fecal coliform indicator bacteria. The systems of the invention link phage infection events to quorum sensing signal molecule biosynthesis and bioluminescent bioreporter induction, facilitating the detection of pathogens that may be present in low numbers. The phage-based systems of the invention maintain specificity for the pathogen while still producing significant signal amplification for sensitive and quantitative detection. The systems require only the combination of sample with phage and bioreporter organisms; no extraneous addition of any substrates or user intervention of any kind is necessary, making this approach significantly less technical than standard molecular or immunological methods.

Abstract: The luxA, B, C, D, and E genes from Photorhabdus luminescens have been introduced into Saccharomyces cerevisiae bioluminescent yeast cells.