SENSORS BASED ON BIOMEMBRANES FOR THE DETECTION OF TOXINS AND POLLUTANTS IN WATERS
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leeds
Department Name: Centre for Molecular Nanoscience
Abstract
This project will take a scientifically interesting and novel sensing device fromlaboratory demonstrator stage to on-line accredited field use and early commercialisation.This will be enabled through close collaboration with Modern Water PLC. The project willbe executed in the following stages: (1) Benchmarking and intercalibrating the sensorsperformance, (2) Sensor device automation, (3) Sensor packaging for specific users, (4)Development for automated on-line use.
Organisations
- University of Leeds (Lead Research Organisation)
- Fraunhofer Society (Collaboration)
- Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (Collaboration)
- Analox Sensor Technology (Collaboration)
- Unilever (Netherlands) (Collaboration)
- Platform Kinetics (Collaboration)
- TU Wien (Collaboration)
- ALcontrol Laboratories (Collaboration)
- Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (Collaboration)
- Norwegian Institute for Air Research (Collaboration)
- PALL Europe (Collaboration)
- Tel Aviv University (Collaboration)
- University College Cork (Collaboration)
- University Hospital Bratislava (Collaboration)
- BlueFrog Design (Collaboration)
- Saarland University (Collaboration)
- Microlab Devices (United Kingdom) (Collaboration)
- Blueprint Design Company (Collaboration)
- Modern Water (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
People |
ORCID iD |
| Laurence Nelson (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Zhang S
(2011)
The effects of substituent grafting on the interaction of pH-responsive polymers with phospholipid monolayers.
in Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
William N
(2021)
Tuning stable noble metal nanoparticles dispersions to moderate their interaction with model membranes.
in Journal of colloid and interface science
William N
(2019)
Hg-supported phospholipid monolayer as rapid screening device for low molecular weight narcotic compounds in water.
in Analytica chimica acta
Vakurov A
(2016)
Significance of particle size and charge capacity in TiO2 nanoparticle-lipid interactions.
in Journal of colloid and interface science
Vakurov A
(2022)
Heterogeneous Rate Constant for Amorphous Silica Nanoparticle Adsorption on Phospholipid Monolayers.
in Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
Vakurov A
(2014)
Direct characterization of fluid lipid assemblies on mercury in electric fields.
in ACS nano
Sanver D
(2016)
Experimental Modeling of Flavonoid-Biomembrane Interactions
in Langmuir
Rashid A
(2015)
Role of electrolyte in the occurrence of the voltage induced phase transitions in a dioleoyl phosphatidylcholine monolayer on Hg
in Electrochimica Acta
Mohamadi S
(2014)
Electrochemical screening of biomembrane-active compounds in water.
in Analytica chimica acta
Galluzzi M
(2013)
Interaction of imidazolium-based room-temperature ionic liquids with DOPC phospholipid monolayers: electrochemical study.
in Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
| Description | Developed on line high throughput sensor for screening waters for dissolved organic compounds. Completed an extensive performance portfolio on the performance and capabilities of this sensor. |
| Exploitation Route | This sensor can be used in a variety of industries for screening waters for dissolved toxic organic compounds. The most important outcome of this study was a working sensor with associated performance portfolio. |
| Sectors | Environment,Healthcare,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Description | A working sensor has been developed for detecting biomembrane active compounds in water. The system has been semi-automated and a full performance evaluation has been carried out. This portfolio has been presented to several end-users resulting in the development of collaborations with them. These collaborations have allowed us to win five further grants and proceed to a Option Agreement with a SME as potential licensee. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
| Sector | Environment,Healthcare,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology |
| Impact Types | Policy & public services |
| Description | Horizon 2020 |
| Amount | € 6,400,000 (EUR) |
| Funding ID | 685817 |
| Organisation | European Commission |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | European Union (EU) |
| Start | 04/2016 |
| End | 03/2019 |
| Description | Knowledge exchange grant |
| Amount | £20,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | NE/L01274X/1 |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2014 |
| End | 03/2014 |
| Description | MoD CDE |
| Amount | £40,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2013 |
| End | 05/2014 |
| Description | Technology Strategy Board |
| Amount | £80,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | TS/L007835/1 |
| Organisation | Innovate UK |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2014 |
| End | 01/2015 |
| Description | Towards successfully realising the impact of the chip-based phospholipid on mercury (Hg) device as a toxicity sensing system |
| Amount | £96,173 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | NE/M021378/1 |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 06/2015 |
| End | 04/2016 |
| Title | Development of an an electrochemical screen for biomembrane active compounds and particles. |
| Description | The screening platform consists of a membrane sensor element on mercury (Hg) microelectrode. The electrode is fabricated on a silicon wafer where the Hg is tightly bound to platinum (Pt). Biomembrane active compounds/particles interact with the membrane sensor element modifying its organisation in a specific and selective way. The technology now has a full performance evaluation and rivals any existing techniques for assaying biomembrane activity. The technology is also micronised and ruggedised to operate in a high throughput configuration. |
| Type Of Material | Model of mechanisms or symptoms - in vitro |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | The most notable impact of this research has been the development of a collaboration with Unilever over the past year. The technology won Special Commendation by Lush Prize (2013) committee for services to the replacement of animals in testing. The research tool formed the heart and basis of the development of the EU funded HISENTS project. The research tool has formed the basis of the Option Agreement between Blueprint Product Design Ltd and University of Leeds and to the writing of three grant applications one of which to InnovateUK has been approved. |
| Description | ALcontrol Ltd |
| Organisation | ALcontrol Laboratories |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We have been working with Unilever on a NERC funded Innovation Grant. We have screened 20 compounds for Unilever and are assessing our technolgy in the context of Unilever's methods and in the toxicity sensing area in general. |
| Collaborator Contribution | ALcontrol's contribution is mainly in the form of commenting on the final results. |
| Impact | None as yet. |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Analox Ltd |
| Organisation | Analox Sensor Technology |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We entered into a TSB funded opportunity with Analox Ltd, MicroLab Devices and PALL to develop a sensor for tricresyl phosphate in aircraft cabins. Our contribution was to develop the sensing technology. |
| Collaborator Contribution | MicroLab Devices administered the programme and carried out some engineering work on the sensing technology. |
| Impact | No concrete outcomes at present. Collaboration was multidisciplinary. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Blueprint Design Ltd (BPDES) |
| Organisation | BlueFrog Design |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We have had a series of meetings with the partner describing our research and applications. We took on the partner as the SME beneficiary to our EU H2020 funded HISENTS program. BPDES will lead the dissemination and exploitation work package. We have written three further grant applications with them: EU H2020 SMEinstrument application RAPPONSE submitted last January and two InnovateUK applications one of which has been approved for funding 58695 GBP coming to Leeds as subcontract. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The partner has developed a market survey report for our technology. BPDES contributed to the writing of the three proposals above. BPDES have drawn up an Option Agreement for the IP at present owned by University of Leeds and signed by both partners. |
| Impact | The collaboration is ongoing. Partner has joined EU HISENTS consortium where we are co-ordinators. This program began 1 April 2017. Blueprint and myself have applied for two Innovate_UK awards using the technology. One of these awards has been successful and we are awaiting formalisation. We have also applied for an H2020 SMEinstrument award. In the evaluation we passed all thresholds but did not achieve sufficient ranking to be awarded the grant. We have three more submissions this year to SMEinstrument call. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Formation of HISENTS EU consortium |
| Organisation | Blueprint Design Company |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | I contacted ten partners in 2015 and together we put together a grant application to H2020 which was successful. The grant programme began April 2016. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each partner contributed to the application in the form of describing the work that they would do in the proposed project. At present each partner is contributing to the work of the project. |
| Impact | The outputs from this HISENTS project in the form of deliverables and mid-term report have now been provisionally accepted by the EU commission |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Formation of HISENTS EU consortium |
| Organisation | Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology |
| Country | Spain |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I contacted ten partners in 2015 and together we put together a grant application to H2020 which was successful. The grant programme began April 2016. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each partner contributed to the application in the form of describing the work that they would do in the proposed project. At present each partner is contributing to the work of the project. |
| Impact | The outputs from this HISENTS project in the form of deliverables and mid-term report have now been provisionally accepted by the EU commission |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Formation of HISENTS EU consortium |
| Organisation | Fraunhofer Society |
| Department | The Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering (IBMT) |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | I contacted ten partners in 2015 and together we put together a grant application to H2020 which was successful. The grant programme began April 2016. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each partner contributed to the application in the form of describing the work that they would do in the proposed project. At present each partner is contributing to the work of the project. |
| Impact | The outputs from this HISENTS project in the form of deliverables and mid-term report have now been provisionally accepted by the EU commission |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Formation of HISENTS EU consortium |
| Organisation | Norwegian Institute for Air Research |
| Country | Norway |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | I contacted ten partners in 2015 and together we put together a grant application to H2020 which was successful. The grant programme began April 2016. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each partner contributed to the application in the form of describing the work that they would do in the proposed project. At present each partner is contributing to the work of the project. |
| Impact | The outputs from this HISENTS project in the form of deliverables and mid-term report have now been provisionally accepted by the EU commission |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Formation of HISENTS EU consortium |
| Organisation | Saarland University |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I contacted ten partners in 2015 and together we put together a grant application to H2020 which was successful. The grant programme began April 2016. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each partner contributed to the application in the form of describing the work that they would do in the proposed project. At present each partner is contributing to the work of the project. |
| Impact | The outputs from this HISENTS project in the form of deliverables and mid-term report have now been provisionally accepted by the EU commission |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Formation of HISENTS EU consortium |
| Organisation | Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava |
| Country | Slovakia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I contacted ten partners in 2015 and together we put together a grant application to H2020 which was successful. The grant programme began April 2016. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each partner contributed to the application in the form of describing the work that they would do in the proposed project. At present each partner is contributing to the work of the project. |
| Impact | The outputs from this HISENTS project in the form of deliverables and mid-term report have now been provisionally accepted by the EU commission |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Formation of HISENTS EU consortium |
| Organisation | Tel Aviv University |
| Country | Israel |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I contacted ten partners in 2015 and together we put together a grant application to H2020 which was successful. The grant programme began April 2016. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each partner contributed to the application in the form of describing the work that they would do in the proposed project. At present each partner is contributing to the work of the project. |
| Impact | The outputs from this HISENTS project in the form of deliverables and mid-term report have now been provisionally accepted by the EU commission |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Formation of HISENTS EU consortium |
| Organisation | University College Cork |
| Department | Tyndall National Institute |
| Country | Ireland |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I contacted ten partners in 2015 and together we put together a grant application to H2020 which was successful. The grant programme began April 2016. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each partner contributed to the application in the form of describing the work that they would do in the proposed project. At present each partner is contributing to the work of the project. |
| Impact | The outputs from this HISENTS project in the form of deliverables and mid-term report have now been provisionally accepted by the EU commission |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Formation of HISENTS EU consortium |
| Organisation | University Hospital Bratislava |
| Country | Slovakia |
| Sector | Hospitals |
| PI Contribution | I contacted ten partners in 2015 and together we put together a grant application to H2020 which was successful. The grant programme began April 2016. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each partner contributed to the application in the form of describing the work that they would do in the proposed project. At present each partner is contributing to the work of the project. |
| Impact | The outputs from this HISENTS project in the form of deliverables and mid-term report have now been provisionally accepted by the EU commission |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Formation of HISENTS EU consortium |
| Organisation | Vienna University of Technology |
| Country | Austria |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | I contacted ten partners in 2015 and together we put together a grant application to H2020 which was successful. The grant programme began April 2016. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Each partner contributed to the application in the form of describing the work that they would do in the proposed project. At present each partner is contributing to the work of the project. |
| Impact | The outputs from this HISENTS project in the form of deliverables and mid-term report have now been provisionally accepted by the EU commission |
| Start Year | 2015 |
| Description | Formed a consortium with two SMEs and one large company |
| Organisation | Analox Sensor Technology |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Prepared an application for the TSB on a direct development of the sensor to screen aircraft cabin air for toxic molecules. Stage 2 of the application to be submitted next week (10/04/2013). On second submission this grant application was successful (December 2014). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our technology forms the heart of the collaboration. MicroLab Devices are developing a microfluidic system to interface with our technology. Analox are developing the hybrid system to function in the field; ie within aircraft cabins. PALL are acting as end-user by selling the system to aircraft companies. |
| Impact | Only outcome so far is winning a TSB award. The collaboration is multidisciplinary. Leeds are electrochemists. MicroLab devices are microfluidic engineers. Analox package up analytical /sensing technology and PALL manufacture filters and associated items to be used in aircraft. |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Formed a consortium with two SMEs and one large company |
| Organisation | MicroLab devices Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Prepared an application for the TSB on a direct development of the sensor to screen aircraft cabin air for toxic molecules. Stage 2 of the application to be submitted next week (10/04/2013). On second submission this grant application was successful (December 2014). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our technology forms the heart of the collaboration. MicroLab Devices are developing a microfluidic system to interface with our technology. Analox are developing the hybrid system to function in the field; ie within aircraft cabins. PALL are acting as end-user by selling the system to aircraft companies. |
| Impact | Only outcome so far is winning a TSB award. The collaboration is multidisciplinary. Leeds are electrochemists. MicroLab devices are microfluidic engineers. Analox package up analytical /sensing technology and PALL manufacture filters and associated items to be used in aircraft. |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Formed a consortium with two SMEs and one large company |
| Organisation | PALL Europe |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Prepared an application for the TSB on a direct development of the sensor to screen aircraft cabin air for toxic molecules. Stage 2 of the application to be submitted next week (10/04/2013). On second submission this grant application was successful (December 2014). |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our technology forms the heart of the collaboration. MicroLab Devices are developing a microfluidic system to interface with our technology. Analox are developing the hybrid system to function in the field; ie within aircraft cabins. PALL are acting as end-user by selling the system to aircraft companies. |
| Impact | Only outcome so far is winning a TSB award. The collaboration is multidisciplinary. Leeds are electrochemists. MicroLab devices are microfluidic engineers. Analox package up analytical /sensing technology and PALL manufacture filters and associated items to be used in aircraft. |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | MicroLab Devices Ltd |
| Organisation | MicroLab devices Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | MicroLab Devices, Analox Ltd and PALL joined with Leeds on a TSB programme to develop a sensor to determine tricresyl phosphate in aircraft cabin air. Leeds carried out the bulk of the work developing the sensing technology. |
| Collaborator Contribution | MicroLab Devices administered the programme. MicroLab Devices made some contribution to the engineering systems of the sensing platform. |
| Impact | None as yet. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | PALL |
| Organisation | PALL Europe |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Leeds, Analox Ltd, MicroLab Devices carried out TSB funded research into a sensor technology to determine tricresyl phosphate in aircraft cabin air. Leeds carried out most of work developing sensor technology. |
| Collaborator Contribution | MicroLab Devices administered the programme and carried out a small amount of engineering work. PALL did some market research on the need for the sensor technology. |
| Impact | None as yet. |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Description | Platform Kinetics Ltd |
| Organisation | Platform Kinetics |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We applied jointly with Platform Kinetics Ltd (PKL) for an MoD Dstl grant and were successful. This project involved the development of a screener for antibiotic-target binding using membrane electrochemical methods. The idea was also to embed this screener within a microfluidic system. |
| Collaborator Contribution | PKL developed a microfluidic system and automatic interrogation techniques to interface withe electrochemical screen. |
| Impact | The main output of this collaboration is that proof of concept results have shown that the electrochemical screen for broad-based antibiotic binding with targets is entirely feasible. This has led to a collaboration with the funders the Dstl on an application for funding for a PhD studentship. Disciplines involved are: electrochemistry, microfluidics, synthetic organic chemistry and bacteriology. |
| Start Year | 2013 |
| Description | Unilever |
| Organisation | Unilever |
| Department | Unilever Research and Development |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We have been developing a liaison with Unilever over a year. We shall now screen some compounds for Unilever as a cross validation exercise for our technology. This will consolidate our collaboration. We have now been successful and obtained an Innovation grant from NERC started last June to work with Unilever, SEAC assessing how our technology compared with Unilever's in-house procedures. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Unilever have supplied us with twenty calibration compounds. We have had regular communication with Unilever since June last year comparing our data sets. Unilever has given us sight of numerous data sets using different toxicity sensing technologies. |
| Impact | Collaboration is multidisciplinary and joint paper is in preparation |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Title | BIOSENSOR |
| Description | An electrode assembly that may be used, for example, for electrochemically analysing a sample to determine the presence (or otherwise) of a species having biomembrane activity comprises at least one working electrode comprised of a conductive carrier substrate having a surface coated with mercury immobilised on the surface of the substrate. The surface of the mercury remote from said substrate is coated with a phospholipid layer. The preferred carrier substrate is platinum. The electrode assembly may be incorporated in a flow cell. |
| IP Reference | WO2009016366 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | 2009 |
| Licensed | Yes |
| Impact | The IP was licensed to Modern WaterPLC in 2010. The license was revoked in 2012. The main impact of this patent is the forming of successful on-going collaboration with Unilever and also the continuing collaborations with MicroLab Devices Ltd, Analox Ltd and PALL (Europe). The patent technology formed the basis of a recent successful Horizon 2020 bid with 10 other partners due to start April 1 this year. |
| Title | BIOSENSOR |
| Description | An electrode assembly that may be used, for example, for electrochemically analysing a sample to determine the presence (or otherwise) of a species having biomembrane activity comprises at least one working electrode comprised of a conductive carrier substrate having a surface coated with mercury immobilised on the surface of the substrate. The surface of the mercury remote from said substrate is coated with a phospholipid layer. The preferred carrier substrate is platinum. The electrode assembly may be incorporated in a flow cell. |
| IP Reference | WO2009016366 |
| Protection | Patent granted |
| Year Protection Granted | 2009 |
| Licensed | No |
| Impact | An Option Agreement relating to the transfer of the IP to a SME was drawn up in 2016 leading to the future licensing of the IP to the SME subject to them raising sufficient finance. |
| Title | Experimental platform for screening pharmaceuticals and toxins for toxicity |
| Description | Innovation is an electrochemical technology of sensor element on chip-based electrode in flow system which can screen toxins and pharmaceuticals for toxicity. Technology is high throughput and on-line. A NERC Innovation Grant funded this work which finished in April 2016 and was carried out in collaboration with Unilever, SEAC. This platform led to the idea of a mulitmodule platform for screening nanomaterials, toxins and pharmaceuticals for toxicity and formed the basis of a Horizon 2020 application which was successful and began April 2016. |
| Type | Diagnostic Tool - Non-Imaging |
| Current Stage Of Development | Refinement. Non-clinical |
| Year Development Stage Completed | 2014 |
| Development Status | Actively seeking support |
| Impact | No medical impacts realised yet. |
| Description | Public lectures |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I give yearly lectures at Imperial College about the development of my technology. This stimulates students who wish to innovate themselves. I give talks at national KT meetings on the history of my technology and engaging with the industrial sector. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013,2014,2015,2016,2017 |
| Description | Regular talks to public on impact of science on society and impact of society on scientific work |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The talks have stimulated debate and discussion and instigated invitations to give further talks. The talks gave rise to me developing novel university courses and to be invited to other universities to give talks on this subject ie scientific impact |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2009,2010,2011,2012,2013,2014 |