EnviGuard
Development of a biosensor technology for environmental monitoring and disease prevention in aquaculture ensuring food safety
EnviGuard is a response to the growing need for accurate real time monitoring of the
seas/ocean and the aquaculture industries need for a reliable and cost-effective risk
management tool. The implementation of the EnviGuard system will allow for early
detection of harmful algae blooms (HAB), chemical contaminants, viruses and toxins thus
preventing economic losses. |
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The objective of EnviGuard is to develop a
highly specific and precise in-situ measurement
device for man-made chemical contaminants
and biohazards (i.e. microorganisms and toxins
from biological sources) which are currently
hard to measure. The device to be developed
under the project would be used as an early
warning system for the European aquaculture
sector and as an environmental monitoring tool
to assess the Good Environmental Status (GES)
of the sea. The modular EnviGuard system will
be made up of three different sensor modules
(microalgae / pathogens, i.e. viruses & bacteria
/ toxins & chemicals), that are connected to
the common interface 'EnviGuard Port' which | collects and sends the information to a server.
The data will be accessible through a website in
real-time. The modularity of the system enables
an individual setup for each purpose thus offering
a tailor-made solution for each future client.
In summary the objectives of the project are: i) highly specific, precise and reliable in-situ measurements of biohazards and chemical contaminants in seawater with real-time results ii) multi-class, multi-analytic method for the simultaneous determination of harmful microalgae species, Betanodavirus, E. coli, okadaic acid, and saxitoxin, PCB 128 and PCB 118 |
iii) automatic sampling in the marine
environment iv) easy access to data from everywhere through internet database v) a modular system (of up to three sensors) integrated in a single, portable, durable device |
EnviGuard will allow an easier, faster and
cheaper way to measure harmful substances
in-situ. Thus, it will provide a unique, competitive
advantage and leadership to the European
aquaculture industry.
In order to achieve EnviGuard's goals, the latest
findings of nanotechnologies, genomics,
molecular science, bio-receptors as well as
material science and information technology are
combined in the three biosensor modules and a
common interface. For that reason it is necessary
to have access to international expertise as
there are no actors dealing with all these fields
in one single country. Molecular probes, aptamers
and antibodies are being used to detect
the desired targets. The signalling works electrochemically
and through optical label-free
responses based on changes in reflectivity of
nanostructured surfaces. |
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