The key strategic objectives of the WATERSPY have been to::

1. Develop compact photonics that identify selected heterotrophic bacterial cells in the water, with specificity and sensitivity levels that respect regulatory requirements.
2. Validate the cost-effectiveness and suitability of the propose technology for large area coverage.

The Scientific and Technical objectives of the WATERSPY have been to:

• Develop the WaterSpy’s auxiliary systems: cooling, sample pre-concentration and electronics.
  • Develop the antibody-based assay to capture the target bacteria, in order to further increase detection accuracy and specificity
  • Develop the fluidic flow cell and ATR configuration
  • Develop fast and sensitive HOT photodetectors, operating in the mid-IR spectral range, for the identification of the selected analytes of high importance
  • Develop the tuneable quantum cascade laser sources for the identification of the selected analytes of high importance.
  • Develop the optimized concept of light modulation and detection together with signal processing concept
  • Integrate the developed sensors into a single, portable instrument (WaterSpy device)
  • Validate the device in real-world conditions.