Several industrial, technological and biomedical sectors have the urgent necessity to keep the level of chemical and microbiological contamination in water and in work environments under control. Ideally, the control system should be capable of providing a result quickly and with  time with a high level of sensitivity and specificity.

Current analytical laboratory techniques can satisfy these last two requirements, but they can’t perform detection in real time. In addition, the contaminants of interest usually aren’t in an isolated environment, but rather, in natural conditions where there could be the presence of interfering compounds/microorganisms and they could possibly be dispersed at low concentrations. The development over recent years in nanotechnologies, molecular biology and applied electronics, could facilitate the meeting the of  these needs via their integrations.

The idea behind the SENSOR project has been the implementation of devices to enable the real time detection, in a simple, rapid, cheap and sensitive way the undesired agents that can affect a productive process/activity.

In particular SENSOR has developed innovative sensors, and multi-sensor platform, conferring high level of sensitivity for continuous and real-time monitoring of chemical and microbiological contaminants in air and water, and their integrations thereof in a unique, innovative and computerized platform for acquisition, management and sharing of data.

A project goal has been to develop innovative devices useful in risk assessments, management and communication; to overcome the current retrospective approach with a more preventive one; and to switch from a local to a global approach to risk, that extends to the entire supply chain, from uptake to the final user.

The key of the project success has been a highly specialized and competent partnership, characterized by 5 companies and 6 research organizations with different skills, that address the problem from 360 degrees. The devotion of each partner in the rationalization and industrial exploitation of research results, and their experiences of collaboration and sharing about project research activities and business initiatives, has been essential to the success.

The partners’ skills are complementary and facilitate the creation of an integrated system of: research, development and business management, guaranteening the realisation of the project's objectives, and resolving any problems relating to the commercialisations of products. 

The project's overall aim has been to develop new sensors, and multi-sensor platforms, with high sensitivity, for real time, continuous monitoring of chemical and microbiological contaminants in air and water, and their subsequent integration in a unique innovative computerized platform for acquisition, management and sharing of data.

The ultimate goal has been to develop innovative chemical and microbiological risk assessment, management and communication tools in order to convert from the current retrospective approach to a preventive one, and to switch from a local to a global approach to risk, that extends to entire supply chain, from uptake to the final user. Another project aim is overcome territorial differences relating to environmental control and public health.

The project's overall aim has been reached  achieving 3 macro operational goals:

1. To develop innovative sensors detecting chemical contaminants in air and water, in real time 
2. To develop innovative sensors detecting microbiological contaminants in air and water,in real time 
3. To develop new sensors validating sterilization cycles in real time 

SENSOR project aims to provide an answer to market demand for the protection of public health through the combination of different technologies related to different contaminants:

• SAW (Surface Acoustic Waves) sensor with nanostructured chemical interface, integrated in an optical device for sensing based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR), for the detection of contaminants in liquid matrices.

• Nanostructured polymer-based sensor for the determination of heavy metal ions in aqueous solution.

• Optical sensor for the fluorescence of organic contaminants in aqueous solutions.

• Integrated refractive index photonic sensor on a silicon platform for the detection of contaminants in liquid mediums.

The SAW and photonic sensors have been chemically functionalized to selectively and specifically detect microbiological contaminants, such as viruses for example measles, SARS COV-2, and bacteria such as for example Legionella, which can be found in air and water.

Chemical contaminants in water are capable of being detected by the nanostructured sensor, which has been successful in detecting trace concentrations of heavy metal ions in water. The fluorescence sensor has been capable of characterizing the composition of  water for human consumption, as was sampled and analyzed during the intense water sampling campaign in the ACQUE S.p.A. plants.

During the project, a new model of sterilizer was designed, which allows the control of the principal parameters of the sterilization cycle in real time, integrable with a sensor for the validation of the sterilization cycles. For the chemical functionalization of this SAW sensor, a specific molecule was synthesized, capable of detecting the presence of "live" Stearothermophilus bacteria.

Finally, to validate the reliability and effectiveness of the sensors, an aerosolization chamber has been created, in which the environmental conditions are known, such as the aerodispersion of microbial contaminants but ensuring the safety of staff working.