Periodic Reporting for period 1 - AquaBioSens (On-site biological sensing for aquatic pollutants and biohazards)
Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30
Aquatic pollution is a growing threat to ecosystems, human health, and the economy. Current monitoring depends on centralized laboratory testing, which is costly, slow, and often inaccessible. There is a clear need for portable, cost-effective tools that enable rapid on-site detection and more frequent testing. AquaBioSens addresses this by decentralising water quality monitoring and developing a new generation of handheld biosensing devices. The project targets contaminants of emerging concern, microbial hazards, and heavy metals—key priorities for environmental and public health protection. By delivering practical and affordable solutions, AquaBioSens supports the EU Mission “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030,” the European Green Deal zero-pollution ambition, and the implementation of the Water and Marine Strategy Framework Directives. Its objectives include designing novel analytical methods—immunoassays for organic contaminants, RNA-based detection of harmful microalgae and fecal bacteria, and whole-cell biosensors using engineered diatoms and fish gill epithelia—and integrating them into portable prototype devices. Advanced sensing platforms such as acoustic biosensors, multichannel fluorimetry, and organ-on-chip microfluidics are combined with low-cost fabrication to ensure affordability and scalability. Digital pipelines and a web portal will provide real-time results displayed on interactive maps. Prototypes are being demonstrated and validated in coastal and freshwater environments in the UK, Ireland, and Greece with inspection agencies and end-users. By uniting scientific innovation, device engineering, digital integration, and field validation, AquaBioSens is creating disruptive technologies that make aquatic pollution monitoring faster, more accessible, and more impactful across Europe and beyond.
The project made strong technical progress across all platforms. For organic contaminants, partners optimized solid-phase extraction methods and identified solvents compatible with surface acoustic wave (SAW) analysis. Antibody-based assays for microcystin-LR and bifenthrin were transferred to a laboratory SAW platform with commercial antibodies, while in-house antibodies were generated and tested by ELISA. A prototype SAW device is being upgraded for portable use, and bloom samples from Ireland and reservoir water from Greece have already supported validation. For microbial hazards, three RNA assays were designed, two fully optimized to deliver results in under 20 minutes with high specificity. The third, targeting E. coli, is in final optimization. Prototype fluorescence analyzers were fabricated, and extraction workflows using membrane-based and magnetic bead methods are being refined for efficient nucleic acid recovery. For heavy metal monitoring, a microfluidic platform with electrodes and membranes was built, and gill cell cultures established. While rainbow trout cells performed suboptimally, prompting work with a different source of cells, the system successfully measured intracellular changes and gene expression under pollutant exposure. Engineered diatom strains with nickel-responsive elements showed positive responses, and cadmium-responsive strains are advancing. A biocontainment strategy using auxotrophic mutants was validated, providing a safe chassis for biosensor development. Controller applications and user interfaces were also developed for real-time, portable data acquisition. In parallel, AquaBioSens launched a digital platform to manage and visualize results. The beta version integrates project outputs with Copernicus satellite data and EMODnet in situ data, providing interactive mapping, bulletins, and FAIR-compliant storage. Developed through co-creation with stakeholders, it will support scientific users and end-user demonstrations. Preparations for field trials are underway with inspection agencies in the UK, Ireland, and Greece, and preliminary samples have already supported validation under realistic conditions. These achievements provide a solid foundation for the next phase of full device and assay validation in the field.
At mid-term, AquaBioSens has already delivered results that advance the state of the art in aquatic pollution monitoring. The project has demonstrated the integration of a novel pre-concentration device, antibody-based assays and a portable surface acoustic wave platform for the detection of organic contaminants in water. These developments represent a step change from conventional laboratory-based immunoassays, enabling fast, field-deployable workflows. In parallel, AquaBioSens has designed rapid environmental RNA assays for harmful algae and fecal bacteria, achieving amplification times under 20 minutes and sensitivity compatible with regulatory requirements. Their integration into portable fluorescence analyzers and bespoke extraction devices represents a significant advance on existing molecular tools, which typically require laboratory infrastructure.
For heavy metal monitoring, AquaBioSens is pioneering the use of in vitro biosensors based on fish gill cells and genetically engineered diatoms. The gill cell platform offers a multiparametric and physiologically relevant approach not available in current monitoring frameworks. The diatom biosensors exploit environmentally relevant microalgae engineered with metal-responsive elements, coupled with robust biocontainment strategies. Together, these approaches extend the utility of whole-cell biosensing and open new possibilities for low-cost, multiplexed monitoring of metals at regulatory limits.
The project has also advanced beyond the state of the art in digital integration. The operational prototype of the AquaBioSens web portal already demonstrates real-time data visualization and interoperability with European data networks. This goes further than most current monitoring systems, which typically rely on retrospective laboratory reporting, and sets the stage for open, FAIR, and near real-time pollution data accessible to authorities, stakeholders, and the public.
To ensure full uptake and impact, further steps are required in the next phase: large-scale field demonstrations with statutory monitoring agencies to validate performance against regulatory standards, further optimization of sensitivity and robustness under variable environmental conditions, exploitation planning to support future commercialization, and engagement with regulatory bodies to facilitate adoption. Addressing these needs will strengthen the project’s potential to deliver widely accessible biosensing technologies with significant societal impact.
For heavy metal monitoring, AquaBioSens is pioneering the use of in vitro biosensors based on fish gill cells and genetically engineered diatoms. The gill cell platform offers a multiparametric and physiologically relevant approach not available in current monitoring frameworks. The diatom biosensors exploit environmentally relevant microalgae engineered with metal-responsive elements, coupled with robust biocontainment strategies. Together, these approaches extend the utility of whole-cell biosensing and open new possibilities for low-cost, multiplexed monitoring of metals at regulatory limits.
The project has also advanced beyond the state of the art in digital integration. The operational prototype of the AquaBioSens web portal already demonstrates real-time data visualization and interoperability with European data networks. This goes further than most current monitoring systems, which typically rely on retrospective laboratory reporting, and sets the stage for open, FAIR, and near real-time pollution data accessible to authorities, stakeholders, and the public.
To ensure full uptake and impact, further steps are required in the next phase: large-scale field demonstrations with statutory monitoring agencies to validate performance against regulatory standards, further optimization of sensitivity and robustness under variable environmental conditions, exploitation planning to support future commercialization, and engagement with regulatory bodies to facilitate adoption. Addressing these needs will strengthen the project’s potential to deliver widely accessible biosensing technologies with significant societal impact.