Objective
Legionnaires’ disease is a serious form of pneumonia caused by bacterium Legionella pneumophila, with a case-fatality ratio on the order of 10-15%. L. pneumophila proliferates in aquatic habitats, especially in potable water, air conditioning, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, evaporative condensers, spa/natural pools. Actually, its detection and monitoring rely on time-consuming protocols (in the order of several days) based on in-vitro selective bacteria culture methods, performed by highly specialized personnel in dedicated laboratories. POSEIDON project targets to change the approach in bacteriological environmental monitoring and in infection risk management by developing a fully automatic and reliable system. Handling of the air/water sample will be designed and integrated in preconditioning system and microfluidic device through which whole bacteria cells will be transported from the sampling module to the sensing plasmonic surface. The complete measure protocol will be integrated and performed according to EU legislation guidelines. Specificity will be ensured by immuno-functionalization of gratings surfaces and enhanced system sensitivity will be granted by the optimization of the optical detection system architecture. Sensors based on Grating Coupled Surface Plasmon Resonance (GC-SPR) in azimuthally rotating configuration have recently proved sensitivity enhancement up to almost two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, the symmetry breaking related to grating rotation allows exploiting the incident polarization, more easily controlled with respect to incidence wavelength and angles interrogation. The prototype will be designed to be integrated in water distribution or HVAC systems in order to demonstrate its feasibility in industrially relevant fields and to open new applications and new market opportunities. POSEIDON project aims to address new solutions in this relevant health and safety societal challenge.
Fields of science
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriology
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringthermodynamic engineering
- engineering and technologyother engineering and technologiesmicrotechnologylab on a chip
- engineering and technologynanotechnology
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
Programme(s)
- H2020-EU.2.1.1. - INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Leadership in enabling and industrial technologies - Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Main Programme
- H2020-EU.2.1.1.6. - Micro- and nanoelectronics and photonics: Key enabling technologies related to micro- and nanoelectronics and to photonics, covering also quantum technologies
Topic(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
32032 Feltre
Italy
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Participants (6)
Participation ended
35131 Padova
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08232 Viladecavalls
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
751 05 Uppsala
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3125AE Schiedam
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35132 Padova
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.
35129 Padova
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The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.