DETECMED

Micropollutants, among them pharmaceuticals, represent an alarming concern for water quality due to their toxicity, persistence, and low removal rate by conventional water treatments. The EU parliament pointed to the need for innovative solutions for treatment but also control of those emerging pollutants for which high quality monitoring data are particularly lacking. Here, we propose to develop a sensing method for the specific, rapid and sensitive detection of molecules in water. Our solution, based on our single-DNA tethered particle mobility sensor in combination with engineered recognition elements, involves cutting-edge techniques and know how in bionanotechnology, chemistry and immunodetection. Focused on three particularly relevant substances diclofenac, ciprofloxacin and carbamazepine our project aims at developing a generic solution for the detection of a large panel of molecules and will pave the way towards a versatile platform for the cost-effective monitoring of surface waters.