Towards licensing of lab on chip technologies for water quality and environmental metrology markets

This project will develop the commercial potential of lab on chip chemical sensor technologies developed by the National Oceanography Centre Southampton, and the University of Southampton. The lab on a chip sensors work by mixing sample water with a reagent that reacts to form a coloured product with intensity of colour proportional to the target chemical. For example Nitrite mixed with the Griess reagent forms a distinctive pink colour. This mixing is performed in a polymer "chip" in which channels approximately 0.15 mm in diameter are formed. Sample and reagent are moved through these channels with syringe pumps and controlled by miniature valves operated by electromagnetic solenoids, all under software control from bespoke electronics. The intensity of colour and hence the concentration of the chemical is also measured on the "chip" using LEDs and detectors glued into it. The whole system is extremely robust as it has been designed for operation in the deep sea. The systems are now routinely deployed to support NERC science (e.g. in the Macronutrient Cycles Programme). The robustness and excellent performance achieved mean there has been considerable commercial interest from companies looking to manufacture and sell the sensors. We and our commercial contacts estimate that the addressable market, which includes applications outside the marine sector, is approximately £64M/yr.
To maximise the commercial potential, and to realise this potential we are seeking to partner with a company via a license agreement. For this to be signed, we need to prove the technology in field trials and demonstrations with the potential licensee(s), improve our documentation, and make some adaptations to the marine sensors so they are more suitable for all the target market applications. These adaptations include allowing function in a wider range of temperatures, where waters are fresh but more turbid (muddy) or where biological fouling is more significant.
To recruit potential licensees we will initially work with companies with which we are already in contact but will also publicise the product through workshops at existing industry meetings or exhibitions, at conferences and through publishing in journals read by industry and key user groups.

This project will deliver commercial uptake of lab on chip technology (developed by the National Oceanography Centre and the University of Southampton with NERC funding) by a company through a license agreement. To achieve this, our technical objectives are to adapt the marine sensors to applications in the market place, including freshwater and industrial water applications. Adaptations will enable the sensors to work over a wider range of temperature and in waters that are turbid (muddy) and that cause extensive fouling (biological growth on the sensor).
The project also has a number of commercial objectives. It will enable extensive knowledge exchange and market building activities which will improve industry engagement, will significantly increase awareness of the technology in user groups and for potential licensees. This activity will lead to a license agreement with a company enabling commercialisation of the technology, bringing global impact in multiple sectors.
Wider societal and environmental benefit will stem from the availability of a new low-cost high performance platform technology able to make complex yet vital measurements of water chemistry. This will enable more frequent, more widespread and better quality measurement and management of our environment. For example this will enable improved response times to events (such as storm driven flooding and pollution events). More better data will also enable improved forecasting and modelling of the environment (e.g. prediction of harmful algal blooms, and net CO2 sequestration in the environment).