Development of a whole-cell biosensor for ß-lactamase inhibitor discovery.

The production of ß-lactamases by bacterial pathogens endangers antimicrobial therapy, and new inhibitors for ß-lactamases are urgently needed. We report the development of a luminescent-based biosensor that quantifies ß-lactamase inhibition in a cellular context, based on the activation of transcriptional factor AmpR following the exposure of bacterial cells to ß-lactams. This rapid method can account for factors like membrane permeability and can be employed to identify new ß-lactamase inhibitors.