COASTAL- MiCrofluidic sensOrs for rApid toxin detection in SusTainable AquacuLture
Universidade de Aveiro ·Portugal
About this project
<p style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 10pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif"><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: "Calibri", sans-serif">Paralytic shellfish toxins (PSTs) are potent toxins produced by some microalgae species. Accumulation of these toxins in mollusks during harmful algal blooms (HABs) may lead to grave intoxications when bivalves are consumed by humans. Apart from public health concern, HABs represent significant economic burden for aquaculture and tourism with annual losses in EU exceeding 918 M EUR. Due to unpredictability of HABs, routine surveillance programs of toxins in commercial bivalves are established in the EEA member countries (</span></span><a href="http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2004/853/oj"><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: "Calibri", sans-serif">http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2004/853/oj</span></span></a><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: "Calibri", sans-serif">). </span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 10pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif"><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: "Calibri", sans-serif">The multidisciplinary consortium of the COASTAL project aims to develop microfluidic system with integrated sensors for rapid PSTs’ detection. This low-cost portable tool could be used by shellfish producers for early detection of PST contaminated shellfish batches, contributing to the sustainability and competitiveness of the sector. The project targets are a) to develop methodology for simultaneous sensing of major 5 PSTs occurring in Portuguese and Norwegian; b) to develop user-friendly microfluidic architecture to perform automated toxins detection in small sample volumes that could be used outside of laboratory settings by operators without specialized skills; c) to benchmark the developed microfluidic sensing system against conventional analytical techniques, and to estimate its innovation potential d) to improve competences of consortium members.</span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 10pt"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif"><span style="font-size: 11pt"><span style="font-family: "Calibri", sans-serif">Donor country partner SINTEF contributes to the project with the development of integrated microfluidic sensors. Joined with the expertise in electrochemical sensing of the Project Promoter University of Aveiro and expertise in PST detection of Portuguese and Norwegian National Reference Laboratories, the COASTAL consortium aims at bringing this innovative idea into practical use for shellfish producers. The COASTAL consortium will create a highly interactive and learning environment fostering innovative ideas in the field of marine toxins surveillance.</span></span></span></span></p>
Bilateral cooperation results
Donor countries were represented in the COASTAL project by SINTEF and the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), both in Norway. SINTEF is the largest independent R&D organization in the Nordic countries, with experience in the design and fabrication of advanced sensors and actuators. SINTEF contributed to the COASTAL project by designing and manufacturing miniaturized electrochemical sensors, integrating them into the microfluidic cell, and implementing the measuring technology in the microfluidic format. The NMBU team is a part of the Norwegian Surveillance Program on Marine Toxins in Shellfish, with experience in the analysis of toxins and drug residues. They contributed to the COASTAL project by planning experimental activities, including sample preparation and toxin detection strategies. The main results of the bilateral collaboration included: - Specific competences and skills acquired by all consortium members in the project thematic areas. Specifically, competences in sensor miniaturization technologies, analysis automation, and microfluidics were acquired by UA team, dissemination of new tools for shellfish producers by IPMA team, and miniaturization of electrochemical sensing technologies and their integration with microfluidics for automation of environmental analytical methods by SINTEF team, extending its portfolio of integrated detection applicable in the field. - Career growth of young researchers was supported by participation through training, participation in international scientific conferences and project dissemination activities. - Five joint scientific publications were prepared by the COASTAL team, including two peer-reviewed journal papers and three conference papers. Two webinars and one in-person workshop were jointly organized. - Long-term collaborative plans between Portuguese and Norwegian partners and their respective networks were elaborated. A proposal for the Water4All 2023 Joint Transnational Call has been submitted.
Project partners
- SINTEF AS Donor project partner· Norway
- Norwegian University of Life Sciences Donor project partner· Norway
- Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere Project partner· Portugal