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

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.

The Innovation Follow-on project would increase the likelihood of commercial adoption and uptake of our technology and/or increase its value in the following way:

1. A particular commercial partner(s) will be identified from the potential beneficiaries listed in the previous section during the Pathfinder programme. A good sound commercial partner who understands the technology is a guarantee to a successful commercial outcome.

2. The sensing platform will be developed exactly in accordance with the partner's needs to be entirely fit-for-purpose for use in the field.

3. A performance analysis of the technology detailing capabilities, sensitivities, detection limits, interferences, screening times will be carried out with the partner's full co-operation. A performance portfolio will be prepared with the partner and will be handed over to the partner prior to the final transfer of the technology.

4. The Innovation project programme will allow for comprehensive training of the partner by Leeds in the science of the technology enabling a successful transfer of the technology from Leeds to the partner to take place.