BRAAVOO
Biosensors, Reporters and Algal Autonomous Vessels for Ocean Operation
As a result of multiple anthropogenic pressures there is a slow but steady degradation of
the marine water quality, both chemically and biologically. One of the strategies of the EU
for mitigating further degradation of the EU marine water quality is the effective detection
and monitoring of chemical assaults, and of the well-being of marine living organisms.
Biosensors are considered as an important tool to allow easier, real-time, in-situ, and costeffective
yet highly reliable measurements. |
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The main goals of the BRAAVOO project are to
develop three types of biosensors that can rapidly
target a number of marine priority compounds or
compound classes and can measure general toxicity: i) nano-immunosensors, detecting molecular interactions between antibodies and chemical substrates. ii) biosensors that consist of living bacteria that can be tuned to produce vivid colours in response to target chemicals. iii) algal sensors that are sensitive to 'anything' in the water that causes toxicity. | The second major goal of the project is to integrate
the three biosensor types into automated
modules, which (i) can be deployed as handheld
single-use instruments, e.g., on ships or by
harbour authorities, (ii) will be integrated into
a marine data buoy and (iii) an unmanned surveying
vessel (USV) that will perform real-time
on-site sampling, sample analysis and surveying.
The biosensor units will be tested throughout
the lifetime of the project and calibrated
to state-of-the-art chemical analytics. This
enhances the valorisation of intermediate project
goals and developments. It will also allow
iterative selection of the most promising development
options before an actual autonomous |
USV can be assembled and a prototype tested.
In addition to the biosensors, the USV will also
contain a number of 'off-the-shelf' physicochemical
sensors, and will be equipped with the
latest telemetry options to allow remote control
and data communication. All three biosensor
types will be specifically developed and extensively
tested with a number of prime marine
priority pollutants. BRAAVOO will concentrate
on and demonstrate 'the proof of concept' of
automated real-time and in-situ detection by
the biosensors in the buoy and USV of two toxic
compounds frequently encountered in harsh
marine environments: oil pollution and algal toxins.
The expected impact is an easier and rapid
way of on-line detection of chemical assaults
in marine water, and secondly, a 'democratization'
of analytics from specialized laboratories
to users. |
BRAAVOO uses a combination of biological
micro-, optical and electrical engineering to
develop the two major parts of its programme.
The biological engineering will optimize bacterial
and algal sensors for new chemical target specificities,
and will find solutions to maintain living
cells within microfluidic systems. The microand
optical engineering will design the 'package'
for the cells and antibodies systems and include
the optical detectors for their readout. The electrical
engineers will focus on the connections
between the systems and their integration into
independent modules, and autonomous vessels.
Finally, chemists and marine biologists will validate
the measurements made by the biosensors
in real-life mesocosm settings. |
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