A high sensitivity broad spectrum optical early warning system for chemical toxic agents in water

玛丽女王、伦敦大学和东安格利亚大学的合作项目旨在设计和设计一种低成本、便携式、广谱和高灵敏度的集成光学生物传感器，用于水安全威胁的快速反应预警系统。该解决方案将基于多学科方法，结合了新的定制大环化合物(报告材料)的合成、在坚固的自组装有机薄膜中形成类脂双层膜、表面/分析物相互作用的高灵敏度光学配准和全光学传感器询问方法方面的专业知识。对化学和工程科学的基础研究将以满足最终用户的规格为目标，传感器技术方面的原始科学和工程知识将构成进一步的技术转移计划的基础，以开发工业合作者的适销对路的产品。重要的是，任何开发的传感器都要显示出坚固耐用和适合用途，并且即时反馈对于安全警报至关重要。要达到最低限度的维护要求，才能在商业上可行地替代目前的做法。检测极限也应该比现有技术的ppm范围能力高三个数量级。QMUL和UEA提交了一个常见的支持案例。

The collaborative project between Queen Mary, University of London andUniversity of East Anglia aims to design and engineer a low cost, portable,broad spectrum and highly sensitive integrated optical biosensor to be employedin rapid response warning systems for threats to water security. The solutionwill be based upon a multidisciplinary approach combining expertise in thesynthesis of novel tailor-made macrocyclic compounds (reporter materials),formulation of lipid bilayer membranes within a robust self-assembled organicfilm, high sensitive optical registration of surface/analyte interaction andall optical sensor interrogation methods. Fundamental investigations intochemical and engineering sciences will be targeted to meet the end users'specifications and the original scientific and engineering knowledge in thesensor technology will form the basis of a further technology transferprogramme into developing a marketable product by industrial collaborators. Itis important that any developed sensor is shown to be robust and fit forpurpose and instant feedback is essential for security alert. Minimalmaintenance requirements are to be achieved for commercially viable replacementof current practices. The detection limit should also be three orders ofmagnitude better than the ppm range capability of existing technologies.A common case for support is being submitted by QMUL and UEA.