Abstract 1302 Phylogenetic and structure guided design of metal sensitive transcription factors

Metal-sensitive transcription factors (metal-TFs) exist in the proteome of many organisms. These transcription factors undergo a structural conformational change upon binding of a metal, which alters binding to the transcription factor binding site and regulates transcription through gene expression. We can engineer these transcription factors to improve sensitivity, selectivity or introduce multispecific binding of heavy metals. These optimized metal-TFs can be used in cell-free detection systems, as a way to detect harmful chemicals without a need for batteries or heavy equipment.