Automated In-Situ Cyanotoxin Assessment Toolbox for Real-Time Surface Water Monitoring - CYANOBOX, is a 2-year project focusing on the development of novel biosensors, and reliable at-source detection of toxic metabolites. The project aims to deliver an autonomous, affordable, and easy to operate water monitoring system as an early-warning tool for surface waters affected by cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms (cyano-HABs). This is a collaborative effort between coordinated by CyRIC, an innovation and technology company and the Cyprus University of Technology. CYANOBOX comprises from an innovative water processing system that can remotely filter and lyse the cyanobacterial cells in-situ so that accurate measurements are taken for both extracellular and intracellular concentration of one of the most important groups of cyanotoxins. The focus is on optimizing the method to lyse the cells in a way that maximizes the recovery of targeted cyanotoxins, followed by the development of biosensors for cyanotoxins identification and quantification. The system’s ability to detect accurately and remotely the concentration of cyanotoxins in surface waters without the need for actual presence of a controller is what sets it apart from other similar devices that mainly monitor water quality characteristics, hence cannot provide concrete proof of the toxicity of the bloom. This system will be able to remotely evaluate the severity of a bloom based on its toxicity and track changes in water that traditional discrete monitoring activities usually miss. It is built to be user-friendly and will be useful to the competent authorities, lake administrators, local communities, and researchers with or without analytical chemistry background.

Automated in situ cyanotoxin assessment toolbox for real-time surface water monitoring (CYANOBOX)

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.