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.