University UK
Society faces a significant threat from the contamination of food and water sources by chemical and biological agents. Contamination may occur through transmission of infectious diseases or by deliberate introduction of pathogens or chemical agents as an act of terrorism. A new superior detection technology for these agents is proposed which measures surface enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) from surface functionalised nanoparticles.
Recent improvements in optics have resulted in the availability of fast and reliable portable systems to measure SERRS. However the real advantage is in the novel surface modified silver and gold nanoparticles used to provide the SERRS. They produce at least two orders of magnitude greater sensitivity than related state of the art methods and enable simultaneous detection of a much wider range of reagents.
The potential market for small efficient devices of this type is huge.
The research group has a leading, global presence in the development of this new technology. The group has an existing portfolio of patents which protect the background chemistry but there is significant opportunity for other IP to be generated during the project. In addition the unique surface functionalisation chemistry and the manipulation of the nanoparticle arrangements which will be developed in this project will have wider uses in materials science and in the detection of other agents.
Scale of opportunity
In recent years there has been increasing awareness by the public of the threat to society posed by biological pathogens. Some high profile examples are the spread of BSE into the human population, Avian Flu outbreak, Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and food-borne outbreaks such as E.coli. This awareness, amongst other things, has resulted in an increased drive to detect and identify pathogenic organisms more quickly, accurately, and routinely.
Amongst the general population there is an increasing realisation that animal diseases or infections increasingly have multi-sector effects as they:
• cause disease, suffering and death of animals (i.e. affect animal health and welfare)
• cause disease or death in humans (i.e. affect public health) as well as influencing perceptions related to the safety of food;
• result in trade restrictions;
• adversely affect rural incomes and livelihoods, including non-livestock industries;
• have detrimental environmental effects.
There are at least four sectors where there is market demand for commercial pathogen detecting biosensors: medical; military; environmental; and food. The combined market potential for these industries in the USA alone was estimated at $620 million in 2005, and has been growing at around 5% per annum. In the US food-industry alone, pathogen testing was estimated at $190 million in 2005 with the majority of tests (80%) being performed for bacteria as these are responsible for the bulk of illnesses in the population.
The major drivers for commercial rapid detection systems are sensitivity and speed. Consumers currently have to compromise between the two. Traditionally pathogen detection has been performed using culture-based methods which provide the sensitivity required.
However, these are time-consuming processes and results can take anywhere between 18h and 2 weeks to come in. In the food-processing and water-purity sectors this is simply not quick enough. Therefore more rapid technologies have been introduced based on immunochemical or DNA based sensors. These offer much quicker detection but to date have not provided the sensitivity required by industry.
In sectors such as water-purity and agricultural testing there is also an interest in multiple analyte testing from single samples. In a recent report commissioned by the Department of Trade and Industry on the future of infectious diseases it was found that in response to animal emergencies: “future strategies will be designed to incorporate technologies that minimise the disruption of rural life. They will need to be designed in such a way that diagnosis can be established on the farm or in market places. Diagnostic systems should be able to process large numbers of samples and look for multiple infectious agents simultaneously.”
The research group are currently in the process of commercialising the technology for use in medical applications. One route to market is that this company will have a major role in the development, manufacture and selling of the new products. They will also seek to collaborate with other commercial partners to take the technology into new market applications.
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