Figure 1 In order to develop a naphthenic acid biosensor we were required to develop a sensory element which would respond specifically to this class of compounds. Additionally, we developed a novel electrochemical reporter system using the lacZ gene product Beta-galactosidase to detect and quantify the response of our promoter into a measurable system. Since E. coli is not naturally found in tailings ponds, we designed a novel conjugation system to transfer our reporter system into Pseudomonas as well as protocols for use of our system in microalgae.