Biosensors, Reporters and Algal Autonomous Vessels for Ocean Operation

Project Information

BRAAVOO

Grant agreement ID: 614010

Project closed

Start date 1 December 2013

End date 30 November 2016

Funded under

• Specific Programme "Cooperation": Food, Agriculture and Biotechnology

Total cost € 4 564 917,00

EU contribution € 3 529 127,00

Coordinated by

UNIVERSITE DE LAUSANNE
Switzerland

Exploitable results

Exploitable results – BRAAVOO Autonomous surface vehicle

Result description

A trimaran unmanned surface surveying vehicle providing power, sampling capacity and data transmission, which can be equipped with a variety of sensors. This provides the user with greater flexibility for surveying and collecting certain type of samples at lower cost.

Result type

* product

Link to result

Available upon request

References

Exploitable results – Water sample acquisition system

Result description

A robust device to sample water from marine or freshwater environments and providing filtering at 10 microns.

Result type

* product

Link to result

Available upon request

References

Exploitable results – Quantitative analysis of marine toxins in seawater, molluscs and fish

Result description

The technical service will include the quantitative analysis of marine toxins in seawater, mollusc and fish by means of high resolution mass spectrometry tools.

Result type

* services/tools

Link to result

Available upon request

References

Exploitable results – Optical interferometric multi-analyte biosensor for water quality

Result description

A nano-immuno biosensor for (pseudo) real-time detection, analysis and monitoring of specific contaminants. The method can be applied as a testing platform for biofunctionalisation or development of new bioassays. New contaminants can be targeted by development of new biomolecules.

Result type

* product

Link to result

References

Exploitable results – Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) navigation system

Result description

Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) navigation system for the ASV. The system could be easily adjusted for wide range of other vehicles with similar performances.

Result type

* services/tools

Link to result

Available upon request

References

Exploitable results – Early warning system for pesticides detection

Result description

An early warning system for the detection of pesticides in water based on the photosystem II fluorescence of marine algae. This complete instrument would offer both the algae, the fluidics to expose the algae to the samples and the fluorescence readout.

Result type

* services/tools

Link to result

References

Exploitable results – BRAAVOO Microchemostats

Result description

Micro devices that can grow bacteria continuously and permit multiple consecutive measurements. These are very hard to produce devices, and other groups may be interested purchasing them or profiting from detailed instructions.

Result type

* exploitable scientific result

Link to result

References

Exploitable results – A microfluidic bioreporter chip for the detection of different toxic substances in sea water

Result description

A microfluidic bioreporter chip for the detection of different toxic substances in sea water.

Result type

* product

Link to result

References

Exploitable results – Alcanivorax borkumensis as a microbe that drives degradation of oil spills (hyrdocarbons) in iron-limited waters.

Result description

A scientific paper which contributes to knowledge about the role of bacteria in hydro-carbon degradation, better understanding of which can contribute to improved technologies for clean-up in oil contaminated marine regions. This particular knowledge focuses on the production of an extracellular siderophore in iron limitation condition maintaining the hydrocarbon-degradation efficiency. The BRAAVOO (biosenors for real time monitoring of marine contaminants) project has published a research paper on the production of siderophores (soluble iron binding agents) by Alcanivorax borkumensis in oil-enriched seawater samples. These siderophores are produced by microorganisms to allow them to scavenge soluble iron from the marine system, to support their own living processes, such as respiration and DNA synthesis. These siderophores can therefore assist in the degradation of hydrocarbons, as they draw on the iron resource, in an otherwise iron-limited environment. This scientific paper contributes to knowledge about the role of bacteria in hydrocarbon degradation and provides a better understanding which can contribute to improved technologies for clean-up in oil contaminated marine regions.

Result type

* Scientific Publication

Link to result

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.margen.2014.07.004

References

Denaro, R., Crisafi, F., Russo, D. et al. (2014) Alcanivorax borkumensis produces an extracellular sideophone in iron-limitation condition maintaining the hydrocarbon-degradation efficiency. Marine Genomics, 17, 43-52.

Exploitable results – Bioreporter bacterial strains for environmental monitoring

Result description

A coherent set of Escherichia coli-based bioreporter strains was selected and partially re-engineered with detection specificities for oil-pollutants such as polycyclic and mono-aromatic hydrocarbons and alkanes, heavy metals, herbicides, algal toxins, antibiotics and general toxicity.

Result type

* exploitable scientific result

Link to result

References

Tecon, R., Beggah, S., Czechowska, K., Sentchilo, V., Chronopoulou, P.M., McGenity, T.J. and J. R. van der Meer (2010) Development of a multistrain bacterial bioreporter platform for the monitoring of hydrocarbon contaminants in marine environments. Environ. Sci. Technol., 144, 1049-1055.

Exploitable results – The microbial-driven degradation of oil spills (hyrdocarbons) in iron-limited waters, at varying depths

Result description

The BRAAVOO (biosenors for real time monitoring of marine contaminants) project has published a research paper on the production of siderophores (soluble iron binding agents) in oil-enriched seawater samples collected at different depth. These siderophores are produced by microorganisms to allow them to scavenge soluble iron from the marine system, to support their own living processes, such as respiration and DNA synthesis. These siderophores can therefore assist in the degradation of hydrocarbons, as they draw on the iron resource, in an otherwise iron-limited environment. This scientific paper contributes to knowledge about the role of bacteria in hydrocarbon degradation and provides a better understanding which can contribute to improved technologies for clean-up in oil contaminated marine regions.

Result type

* Scientific Publication

Link to result

http://www.openscienceonline.com/journal/archive2?journalId=708&paperId=1999

References

Crisafi, F., Russo, D., Mangano, S., Pellicorio, C., Santisi, S., Yakimov, M. and R. Denaro (2015) Production of siderophores in oil enriched seawater samples collected at different depths. Int. J. of Microbilogy and Application, 2(3), 56-64.

Exploitable results – BRAAVOO Multicavity strips with freeze-dried reporter bacteria

Result description

Multicavity strips with freeze-dried bioreporter bacterial strains for environmental monitoring.

Result type

* product

Link to result

References

Exploitable results – BRAAVOO integrated data buoy platform

Result description

This is a hosting platform for the sensors and biosensors developed in the project BRAAVOO (biosenors for real time monitoring of marine contaminants). The platform was developed for the BRAAVOO project but can accomodate any range of sensors. The platform provides power for the sensors, sampling capacity and data transmission. Suitable both for marine and freshwater environments, it is anchored with heavy-weight cables.

Result type

* product

Link to result

Available upon request

References