Real-time acrylamide detection platform for water safety monitoring

Overview

Deepverge PLC is developing a real-time detection platform for acrylamide in water, targeting release thresholds of less than 0.5 ppb in potable water supplies. The solution combines a continuous, in-line opti-fluidic instrument with a complementary lateral-flow dip-stick test for off-line confirmation. Both formats are designed to be compatible with Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS), enabling seamless data capture and reporting for water utilities and regulatory bodies.

The platform addresses a critical need in water safety: acrylamide is a known contaminant with health concerns at low concentrations, and existing detection methods typically require off-site laboratory analysis with long turnaround times. By providing near-instantaneous results at the point of sampling, the technology enables proactive water quality management rather than retrospective testing.

Technical specifications

Core detection technology:

• Opti-fluidic microchip sensor: A specially designed microchip coated with a biological capture agent (an acrylamide-specific aptamer) provides molecular selectivity. Light passing through the chip interacts with bound target molecules, producing a measurable optical signal.
• Optical resonator enhancement: The sensors use optical resonators that amplify light-matter interaction by factors of millions, allowing even minute concentration changes to produce a strong, detectable response.
• Spectrophotometric readout: A light source and spectrophotometer detect binding events at acrylamide-specific wavelengths.
• AI-driven calibration: Artificial intelligence algorithms fine-tune detection limits and compensate for matrix effects across different water types.
• Plug-and-play capture chemistry: The microchip can be coated with any capture reagent, making the platform adaptable to additional contaminants beyond acrylamide.

Dual-format deployment:

• In-line instrument: Desktop-PC-sized hardware suitable for installation at any point with water flow, enabling continuous remote monitoring.
• Lateral-flow dip-stick test: Uses the same acrylamide-specific aptamer for off-line field testing and verification.

Performance targets: Detection below 0.5 ppb acrylamide in water, validated across multiple water matrices including ultra-pure, drinking, river, and wastewater processing streams.

Technology readiness level

The underlying opti-fluidic detection platform has been validated at Technology Readiness Level 7-8 through deployment at multiple wastewater treatment plants across the UK and Republic of Ireland, with results benchmarked against RT-PCR gold-standard testing. Additional validation was conducted in Category 3 virus laboratories using spiked water samples of varying purity.

The acrylamide-specific application is at an earlier stage. Prototype equipment and sensor design are already in place from the SARS-CoV-2 program. Remaining development activities include: manufacturing a custom acrylamide aptamer (approximately 12 weeks), optimising sensor coating for the required limit of detection (approximately 12 weeks), and final performance testing across water matrices (approximately 12-20 weeks). The lateral-flow test will follow the same aptamer development pathway.

Given the proven performance of the core platform at femtogram-per-millilitre sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2 and the modular nature of the capture chemistry, the team anticipates a straightforward translation to acrylamide detection. The technology is positioned for pilot deployment with water utilities and industrial partners seeking real-time contaminant monitoring capabilities.