Biosensors for detecting and/or neutralizing bioavailable uranium and related u-sensitive genetic molecular components, gene cassettes, vectors, genetic circuits, compositions, methods and systems

1. A U-sensing genetic molecular component comprising:

(a) one or more U sensitive promoters comprising a U-sensitive 1362 binding site, having a DNA sequence N 1 N 2 N 3 N 4 N 5 N 6 N 7 N 8 N 9 N 10 N 11 N 12 N 13 N 14 N 15 N 16 N 17 N 18 , (SEQ ID NO:1), wherein N 1 is C or T; N 2 is G or A; N 3 is T or C; N 4 is C; N 5 is A or G; N 6 is G or C; N 7 is C or G; N 8 is any nucleotide; N 9 is any nucleotide; N 10 is any nucleotide; N 11 is any nucleotide; N 12 is T or C; N 13 is G; N 14 is T or C; N 15 is C; N 16 is A or C; N 17 is G; and N 18 is C or G, wherein N 1 to N 17 are selected independently, together with

(b) a U-sensing reportable molecular component, and/or

(c) a U-sensing U-neutralizing molecular component, wherein the one or more U sensitive promoters is in a configuration wherein the one or more U sensitive promoters directly initiate expression of the U-sensing reportable molecular component and/or of the U-sensing U-neutralizing molecular component in the presence of bioavailable U.

2. The U-sensing genetic molecular component of claim 1 , wherein in the sequence SEQ ID NO:1:

N 1 is C; and/or

N 2 is G; and/or

N 3 is T; and/or

N 5 is A; and/or

N 6 is G; and/or

N 14 is T; and/or

N 16 is A.

3. The U-sensing genetic molecular component of claim 1 , wherein the U-sensitive transcriptional 1362 binding site has a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:7, SEQ ID NO:8, SEQ ID NO:9, SEQ ID NO:10, SEQ ID NO:11, SEQ ID NO:12, SEQ ID NO:13, SEQ ID NO:14, SEQ ID NO:15, SEQ ID NO:16, SEQ ID NO:17, SEQ ID NO:18, SEQ ID NO:19, SEQ ID NO:20, SEQ ID NO:21, SEQ ID NO:22, SEQ ID NO:23, SEQ ID NO:24, SEQ ID NO:25, SEQ ID NO:26 and SEQ ID NO:27.

4. The U-sensing genetic molecular component of claim 1 , wherein the U-sensitive promoter further comprises nucleotides N 19 N 20 N 21 , downstream of SEQ ID NO: 1 wherein N 19 is any nucleotide; N 20 is any nucleotide; and N 21 is G (SEQ ID NO: 83).

5. The U-sensing genetic molecular component of claim 4 , wherein N 18 of the regulator direct repeat is located at −17 to −40 upstream of a transcription start site.

6. The U-sensing genetic molecular component of claim 1 , wherein the U-sensitive promoter is P 1361 or P phyt .

7. A U-biosensor comprising the U-sensing genetic molecular component of claim 1 configured to report and/or neutralize U, within a genetically engineered bacterial cell capable of heterologously and/or natively expressing histidine kinase 1363 and U-sensitive transcriptional regulator 1362.

8. The U biosensor of claim 7 , wherein the U-sensing genetic molecular component is part of a U-sensitive genetic circuit in which molecular components are connected one to another in accordance to a circuit design by activating, inhibiting, binding, and/or converting reactions to form a fully connected network of interacting components; and in which the U-sensing genetic molecular component is expressed when the genetic circuit operates according to the circuit design in presence of bioavailable U.

9. The U biosensor of claim 8 , further comprising a UzcRS U sensing genetic molecular component comprising an UzcR binding site having a DNA sequence: CATTACN 7 N 8 N 9 N 10 N 11 N 12 TTAA (SEQ ID NO:2) wherein N7-N12 are independently any nucleotide, and the UzcRS U sensing genetic molecular component is operatively connected to the reportable molecular component and/or the U-neutralizing molecular component.

10. The U biosensor of claim 9 , further comprising at least one activator molecular component comprising a UzcY gene and/or UzcZ gene, the at least one activator genetic molecular component operatively connected to the additional U sensing genetic molecular component.

11. The U biosensor of claim 9 , wherein the bacteria are capable of natively expressing endogenous MarR family repressors, comprising MarR1 and/or MarR2 genes, and wherein at least one gene of the endogenous MarR family.

12. The U biosensor of claim 9 , wherein the bacteria are capable of natively expressing endogenous urtAP genes and at least one gene of the endogenous urtAP genes is knocked out.

13. The U biosensor of claim 9 , wherein the U sensing genetic molecular component and UzcRS U sensing genetic molecular component are operatively connected to a same or a different reportable molecular component in the circuit.

14. The U biosensor of claim 9 , wherein the U-sensitive genetic circuit comprises one or more AND gates.

15. The U biosensor of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the AND gates is an in-parallel AND gate.

16. The U biosensor of claim 14 , wherein at least one of the AND gates is selected from the group consisting of an HRP AND gate, a bacterial two-hybrid AND gate, a tripartite GFP AND gate, and a FRET sensor AND gate.

17. The U biosensor of claim 7 , wherein the reportable molecular component comprises at least a first reportable molecular component and a second reportable molecular component, wherein the first reportable molecular component is different from the second reportable molecular component.

18. The U biosensor of claim 7 , wherein the reportable molecular component is capable of being detected using fluorescence, luminescence, chemiluminescence, colorimetric analysis, or radioactivity.

19. The U biosensor of claim 7 , wherein the U-neutralizing molecular component is configured to decrease or eliminate toxicity of U by bioreduction, biomineralization, bioaccumulation, and/or biosorption.

20. The U biosensor of claim 7 , wherein the bacterial cell is a proteobacterial cell.

21. The U biosensor of claim 20 , wherein the proteobacterial cell is an alphaproteobacterium, a betaproteobacterium, or a gamma-proteobacterium.

22. The U biosensor of claim 20 , wherein the proteobacterial cell is a Caulobacteridae cell.

23. The U biosensor of claim 20 , wherein the proteobacterial cell is a Caulobacter crescentus cell.

24. The U biosensor of claim 23 wherein the Caulobacter crescentus cell is a member of a strain selected from the group consisting of NA1000, CB15, and OR37.

25. The U biosensor of claim 7 , wherein in the target environment the bioavailable U has a concentration greater than 100 nM, between 100 nM and 1 μM, or greater than 1 μM.