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

在“开拓者”方案期间将开展的工作可叙述如下。一个完全表征的传感器平台，检测水中的（生物）膜破坏化合物，已开发到TRL4。该平台是自动化的，现在处于紧凑的配置中，如“支持案例”中所述。通过与包括Modern Water PLC和Unilever在内的潜在利益相关者十年的合作，我们认为这项技术最合适的“家”是环境水部门。该计划期间的最高优先级活动将是进行市场调查，以突出可能有兴趣采用该技术并与利兹联合开发更高TRL的公司。将进行概念验证实验，检查传感器元件对天然沃茨中毒素和污染物的反应。通过筛选沃茨中的这些化合物并与其他技术（如HPLC）比较灵敏度，将具体解决水库和海水中的环肽问题。这项工作将与仿生色谱有限公司的Klara Valkro博士合作完成。传感器的性能还将在德国蠕虫莱茵河控制站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。它将如何告知我们的理解。我们现已确定环境用水部门是拟议技术的最适当市场部门。然而，我们并不知道有哪些公司或机构会热衷于从事这项工作。在开拓者的支持下进行的市场调查将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面联系，并安排在利兹进行平台演示和进一步讨论。概念验证实验将使我们能够确切地看到平台在自然沃茨和海水中的功能。在这方面已经做了初步的实验，但现在有了精确定义的应用程序，我们可以做一个系统的研究，以告知感兴趣的最终用户对平台的全部性能。环肽是天然沃茨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常规的HPLC筛选的功能进行比较。这种比较的结果可用于在市场传单上销售该系统的功能，以及巩固仿生色谱和利兹之间的联系。此外，由于需要利兹传感器能够进行的“报警”第一屏幕，我们将研究一系列未受污染和受污染的莱茵河水样，以评估传感器检测污染的能力。它将如何帮助制定和执行您提出的创新后续项目工作计划。探路者计划的结果将为我们提供公司确保在TRL4上成功转让成熟技术。这将使我们能够进一步开发技术，以精确满足最终用户的要求。它还将帮助我们更准确地确定在筛选天然沃茨中的毒素和污染物，特别是那些对环境和人类健康特别有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.