Project R-5815

Nanosense (Research)

There is a great need for sensor techniques for fast and sensitive detecting the presence of small molecules in certain analytes. For example, contamination of the environment or other examples can be found in the field of food safety. Besides this, the testing of blood, urine or plasma is one of the most important components in medical diagnostics. Outside the official medical pathways such assays can provide added value (sports, self-testing, nutritional advice). At this time, most of these tests consist of a complex methodology, take a lot of time is lost, and there are often costly and not all materials can be analyzed in a direct way. Within the research institute IMO-IMOMEC of Hasselt University and IMEC, a sensor is developed based on the difference in thermal resistance of a functionalized sensor surface which can detect certain small molecules in the blood. The sensor surface consists of synthetic receptors, of which the thermal resistance changes upon binding of the target molecule. With this new sensor system serotonin, histamine, caffeine, malachite green and nicotine was successfully detected in various matrices such as PBS, urine, saliva, blood plasma and blood. The sensor developed within the IMO-IMOMEC has the potential to form the basis of a miniaturized measuring system, which can be used an processed in a very flexible way to detect small molecules spores. The goal of this project is to explore the market potential of the application. To do this, the sensor principle has to be further developed to match the needs of the specific market. For optimum utilization of the sensor technology there is a need for a more market-driven research therefore a thorough market study is required that may reveal specific needs of different target markets. Furthermore we will examine whether the proposed sensor principle will eventually be able to fill those needs. For this, both the technical as chemical developments will take place. These developments will lead to a generic sensor principle which is widely applicable. After completion of the project it should be clear how the sensor can respond to a market opportunity which takes into account, the current practices, value chains and key players and developments in the domain. From this it can clearly be determined for each market segment, what the USPs of the sensor technology will be.

01 January 2015 - 31 December 2017