Accessibility Skip to:
  • Accessibility Policy
  • Main Content
  • Main Menu
  • Contact

  • -A: Font Smaller
  • +A: Font Larger
  • Reset Font
  • High Contrast
  • Low Contrast
  • Reset Contrast
History:
You are here:
  • Grand Challenges Canada
  • >
  • Innovations
  • >
  • 0504-01-10
  • Français
  • Get to Know Us
    • Who We Are
    • Co-CEOs
    • Governance
    • Accountability
    • The Team
    • Partnerships
    • Career Opportunities
    • Service Opportunities
    • Contact Us
  • Learn What We Do
    • What We Do
    • Global Health Innovation
    • Humanitarian
    • Indigenous
    • Transition To Scale
    • Innovative Financing
    • Innovations & Results
    • Annual Report
  • Apply for Funding
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Innovator Resources
    • Gender Equality Portal
  • Get Informed
    • News and Media
    • Blog
    • Publications
    • Subscribe
    • Photos and Videos
Grand Challenges Canada

Bold Ideas with Big Impact®

Browse our Innovations and Results
  • Get to Know Us
    • Who We Are
    • Co-CEOs
    • Governance
    • Accountability
    • The Team
    • Partnerships
    • Career Opportunities
    • Service Opportunities
    • Contact Us
  • Learn What We Do
    • What We Do
    • Global Health Innovation
    • Humanitarian
    • Indigenous
    • Transition To Scale
    • Innovative Financing
    • Innovations & Results
    • Annual Report
  • Apply for Funding
    • Funding Opportunities
    • Innovator Resources
    • Gender Equality Portal
  • Get Informed
    • News and Media
    • Blog
    • Publications
    • Subscribe
    • Photos and Videos
  • Accessibility
  • Contact
  • Français

Home » Innovations » 0504-01-10

Affordable, long term detection of water quality using a modular microsphere based system

FacebookTwitterLinked In

Start Date: 31/03/2014- End Date: 31/01/2016


Project Lead(s): Stephanie Willerth

Issue

Unsafe water supplies represent one of the leading causes of death in developing countries.

Approximately 1.8 million deaths worldwide are a result of exposure to waterborne bacterial pathogens.

In developing countries, waterborne pathogen detection requires outsourcing samples to labs with expensive equipment, taking 2–6 weeks to obtain results.

Solution

The project sought to develop an affordable, long-term water quality detection device using microsphere-based technology.

The device consisted of three parts: lysozyme-releasing microspheres to lyse bacteria present in a water sample; microspheres that release DNA probes to detect contaminating bacteria; and a detector region consisting gold nanoparticles.

In the device, the detector region would change colour from blue to red if bacteria were present, providing an easy visual output indicating water quality.

Microspheres also allow for easy scale-up during the manufacturing and the system eliminates the need for an expensive detection system.

Outcome

The successful development of a working prototype for affordable and stable water quality detection was the main accomplishment of the project.

This involved the development of three components:

1)      Microspheres that can release DNA probes over time – polymer-based microspheres were used to encapsulate E. Coli DNA probes (hairpin probes) necessary for detecting E. Coli using a double emulsion process

2)      Microspheres that can release bioactive lysozyme over time (up to 28 days) – confirmed cell lysis using the microspheres with E.coli and a lysis kit

3)      The aggregation of gold nanoparticles in the presence of E. Coli DNA complexes was confirmed and demonstrated a concentration-dependent change in colour.

Laboratory analysis provided evidence of successful water quality detection.

Results were prepared for submission to a materials chemistry journal that focuses on sustainability.

The team also wrote a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Idea to Innovation grant request to translate their prototype into a device suitable for mass manufacturing, by fine-tuning the concentrations of microspheres necessary for successful detection of bacteria, making the microsphere fabrication process more reproducible using microfluidics, and determining detection limits for the device.

Additional funding was received from the British Columbia Innovation Council.

Image Gallery

  • 0504-01-10 Inspecting Cultures
  • 0504-01-10 Dr Stephanie Willerth
  • 0504-01-10 Jose Gomez
  • 0504-01-10 Single Emulsion Microsphere

Stay in touch with this innovator

  • Organization Website
  • Network Website
  • Innovation Overview
    Program

    Stars in Global Health

    Institution

    University of Victoria

    Institution Country

    Canada

    Implementation Country

    None

    Implementation Region

    Latin America and Caribbean

    Priority

    Water and Sanitation, Water quality

    Platform

    Medical Device

Grand Challenges Canada’s programs are primarily undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada.

Government of Canada
  • Fluxx Technical Support
  • Privacy Policy
  • Website Legal Terms and Disclaimer
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and activity on our website. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may click on "Cookie Settings" to select the cookies applicable to your activity and disable those that do not. Please note that you will not be able to disable all cookies as some are necessary for the functioning of the website.
Cookie Settings Accept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
Save & Accept