Detecting forever chemicals—with yeast and AI

Forever chemicals, or PFAS, can be found in nearly all Americans, who are exposed to them through consumer products, food and drinking water. The biggest source of PFAS exposure is tap water, with nearly half of U.S. municipal water supplies containing the chemicals. As states work to reduce PFAS in drinking water, researchers at Columbia University and City College are developing a new, more efficient way to detect and monitor these chemicals.

The team, led by Virginia Cornish from Columbia University, is creating a biohybrid device using engineered yeast and AI-designed proteins. These components are combined with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) integrated-circuit sensor chips to form a system capable of real-time PFAS detection. Current methods for PFAS detection are costly and time-consuming, requiring samples to be sent to commercial labs, which can take weeks for results.

Biohybrid systems combine engineered biological systems with semiconductor sensors to create a more cost-effective and efficient monitoring method. The yeast-based sensors report on PFOA and PFOS compounds through concentration-dependent fluorescence. Users will simply dip a disposable stick containing the yeast and sensor chip into a water sample, receiving an instant readout of PFAS concentration through a small reader unit.

This new technology could save municipalities thousands of dollars per system by providing cheaper, faster, and real-time PFAS monitoring compared to traditional methods.