Commercialisation of membrane-based screen on chip for natural waters and seawater

在探路者计划期间要进行的工作可以描述如下。一个完全表征的传感器平台，检测（生物）膜破坏化合物在水中已经开发到TRL4。该平台是自动化的，现在配置紧凑，如“支持案例”中所述。通过与包括Modern Water PLC和联合利华在内的潜在利益相关者的十年合作，我们认为这项技术最合适的“归宿”是环境水务部门。该方案期间最优先的活动将是进行一项市场调查，以突出可能有兴趣采用该技术并将其发展到与利兹有关的更高TRL的公司。将进行概念验证实验，检查传感器元件对自然来源水中毒素和污染物的反应。油藏和海水中环状肽的问题将通过筛选水中这些化合物并与HPLC等其他技术比较灵敏度来具体解决。这项工作将与仿生色谱有限公司的Klara Valkro博士合作完成。该传感器的性能还将在与德国沃尔姆斯莱茵河控制站有关的未污染和污染的莱茵河水样上进行测试。最后，我们将向有兴趣参观利兹的公司演示传感平台的操作。它将如何影响我们的理解。我们现在已经确定环境水部门是拟议技术最合适的市场部门。然而，我们不知道有哪些公司或机构愿意接受这项研究。在探路者的支持下进行的市场调查将准确地告诉我们哪些公司和机构会对我们的技术感兴趣。我们将根据市场调查结果与这些方联系，安排平台的演示，并在利兹进一步讨论。概念验证实验将使我们能够准确地看到平台在自然水域和海水中的功能。在这个领域已经做了初步的实验，但是现在随着应用领域的精确定义，我们可以做一个系统的研究，让感兴趣的最终用户了解平台的全部性能。环肽是天然水域和海水中的重要毒素，我们有机会将所提出的平台响应的功能与更传统的HPLC屏幕进行比较。这种比较的结果可以用来销售市场传单系统的能力，以及巩固生物模拟色谱和利兹之间的联系。此外，由于利兹传感器需要一个“警报”第一屏，我们将查看一系列未污染和被污染的莱茵河水样，以评估传感器检测污染的能力。它将如何帮助形成创新后续项目工作计划的发展和执行。探路者项目的结果将为我们提供合作伙伴，以确保TRL4成熟技术的成功转让。它将使我们能够进一步开发技术，以精确地满足最终用户的要求。它还将帮助我们更密切地确定在筛选天然水体中的毒素和污染物，特别是对环境和人类健康具有特别危害的化合物时需要修改的技术要素。

The work to be undertaken during the Pathfinder programme can be described as follows. A fully characterised sensor platform which detects (bio)membrane disrupting compounds in water has been developed to TRL4. The platform is automated and is now in compact configuration as described in the "Case for Support". Through a decade of working with potential stakeholders, including Modern Water PLC and Unilever, we feel the most appropriate "home" for this technology is the environmental water sector. The highest priority activity during this programme will be to carry out a market survey to highlight companies who might be interested in taking up the technology and developing it to higher TRL in association with Leeds. Proof of concept experiments will be carried out checking the response of the sensor element to toxins and contaminants in naturally derived waters. The problem of cyclic peptides in reservoirs and seawater will be specifically addressed by screening for these compounds in waters and comparing sensitivities with other techniques such as HPLC. This work will be done in collaboration with Dr Klara Valkro from Bio-mimetic Chromatography Ltd. The sensor's performance will also be tested on uncontaminated and contaminated Rhine water samples association with the Rhinewater Control Station, Worms, Germany. Finally we shall be demonstrating the operation of the sensing platform to companies who will be interested in visiting Leeds.How it will inform our understanding. We have now identified the environmental water sector as the most appropriate market sector for the proposed technology. However we do not know companies or indeed institutes who would be keen to take it up. The market survey carried out under the Pathfinder aegis will inform us exactly which companies and institutes will be interested in our technology. We shall contact these parties from the market survey results and arrange demonstrations of the platform with further discussions at Leeds. The proof of concept experiments will enable us exactly to see how the platform functions in natural waters and seawaters. Preliminary experiments have been done in this area but now with the application sector precisely defined, we can do a systematic study to inform the interested end users on the full performance of the platform. Cyclic peptides are significant toxins in natural waters and seawater and we have the opportunity to compare the functioning of the proposed platform response to that of more conventional HPLC screens. The results of this comparison can be used to sell the system's capabilities on market flyers as well as consolidating the connection between Bio-mimetic Chromatography and Leeds. In addition due to the need for an "alarm" first screen which the Leeds sensor is capable of, we shall look at a series of uncontaminated and contaminated Rhine water samples to assess the ability of the sensor to detect the contamination.How it will help shape the development and execution of your proposed Innovation Follow-on project work programme.The results of the Pathfinder programme will provide us with company(ies) to work with to secure a successful transfer of a mature technology at TRL4. It will enable us to further develop the technology to precisely meet the requirements of the end user. It will also help us define more closely the technical elements which require modification in the screening of natural waters for toxins and contaminants in particular those compounds which are of particular hazard to environmental and human health.