Metabolite-based biosensors for natural product discovery and overproduction.

Natural products derived from bacterial secondary metabolites contribute greatly to the pharmaceutical industry. Heterologous expression of natural product biosynthetic pathways can remarkably improve the yield of target products and lead to the discovery of numerous derivatives. Therefore, high-throughput analytical methods are urgently needed for the detection of natural products. Biosensors allow fast, real-time detection and efficient screening. With the growth of in-depth knowledge of biosensors, biosensors with high efficiency and specificity are exploited for broader applications. Here, we summarized how biosensors targeting different metabolites were constructed and optimized and the applications of metabolite-based biosensors in heterologous bacterial hosts. Finally, we prospected the future development of biosensors, including combinations with other advanced technologies, to solve the challenges hampering wider applications.