New Biosensors for Real-Time Aquatic Toxicity Monitoring

"Water is essential to our lives. We need it for consumption, cleansing and cooling. We must ensure that the water we use is safe. We must be able to continuously detect the level of toxic materials found in our water supply, whether the toxics are ofnatural, industrial or sinister origin. In most of the US, we are blessed with alternative supplies and our industrial infrastructure is broadly capable of dealing with many extreme demands as long as they know quickly that a water source is uncertain.Guild plans to develop a biologically-based sensor for monitoring water-borne military and anthropogenic contaminants present in natural and artificial bodies of water. Both continuous and discrete versions of the technology are anticipated. The biosensorcapable of detecting multiple toxins is based on a unique combination of cellular and molecular biology that represents a significant advance beyond conventional biomarker systems.In Phase I, Guild plans to initiate the development of this sensor by building a prototype sensor that responds to selected water-borne heavy metals chosen from the Army's priority list. In Phase II Guild plans to prototype the entire field-ready systemand extend the technique to include other key contaminants. Clearly, providing a means to continuously and accurately monitor the status of water supplies has a host of military benefits, both in the context of battlefield and home defense water quality/potabil