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H2020-EIC-FTI-2018-2020 Fast Track to Innovation: Cypriot company looking for partners to develop a biosensor device as a monitoring tool for pesticide residues

Country of Origin: Cyprus
Reference Number: RDCY20171205001
Publication Date: 8 December 2017

Summary

A Cyprus company specializing in internet of things and sensors, is looking for partners:
•	universities, research organizations for new antibody development
•	food production, distribution businesses, pesticide free farmers, food laboratories for sample acquisition and testing to develop and commercialize an innovative screening biosensor as a cheap, easy to use method for pesticide residue detection in fruit and vegetables, for a Fast Track to Innovation proposal (H2020-EIC-FTI-2018-2020)

Description

Food safety control is expected to reach 4,3 billion euros in 2018, compared with a volume of three billion euros in 2013. Pesticides account for 40% of all chemical contamination tests. Despite the huge amount of vegetables and fruits that sold each day only a small fraction of them is tested for pesticides. 

To address this demand, the company has developed a small, portable and easy to use, inexpensive sensor for detecting pesticides residues in food in few minutes and with low running costs.

The SME concerned is an early Bioelectric Recognition Assay (BERA) technology licensed Cyprus-based operating company since 2008. BERA is the core technology behind a series of multi- analyte diagnostic methods based on biosensors.

Target Markets include for the BERA technology:  

1.	Medical: Point-of-care (POC) monitoring of inflammatory and chronic disease, post- operative recovery, infectious disease. 

2.	Food Safety: Monitoring the quality of Agriculture Supply Chain from farm-to-fork. 

3.	Environmental and Water Safety: On site monitoring environmental pollutants 

The current state of development is a well-optimized laboratory-based biosensor prototype developed by the company over the past few year of research projects such as FP7 Research for SMEs Project and Business innovation project of Ministry of Energy, Commerce, Industry & Tourism of Cyprus. 

The biosensor is composed of an electronic device developed by the company and a biological material responsible for the detection of the pesticide reside. The biosensor uses antibodies against the target molecules (e.g. pesticides) to perform measurements using only 30 microliters of sample, which is equivalent to a few drops of blended fruit or vegetable sample. Preliminary results have shown that this procedure can accurately follow the levels of biochemical substances in sample and these promising results are the foundation for the development and future success of the biosensor. Additionally, the biosensor can be adjustable for testing a variety of other substances by using antibodies that target them exclusively.

The aim of the project is to expand the range of pesticides the prototype sensor detects and validate the device in real operational environments in order to reach a Technology Readiness Level 8-9 for commercialization. 

The SME from Cyprus is therefore looking for the following partners in order to complement its Fast Track to Innovation proposal:

•	Universities and Research facilities for new antibody development

•	Food production, process or distribution companies (e.g. supermarkets, fruit ports, importers of fresh, contained or frozen fruit and vegetables) for sample acquisition and for testing. Additionally feedback and suggestions are needed for determination of biosensor features according to their individual needs

•	Pesticide free culture farmer collaborations (biological cultures) for sample acquisition

•	Food safety laboratories for sample testing with conventional methods.

The proposal will be submitted to Call H2020-EIC-FTI-2018-2020. 

The Call deadline is the 21st of February 2018 therefore expressions of interest should be received the latest by the 21st of January 2018.

Advantages and Innovations

The innovative pesticide screening biosensor is: 

-	A powerful and portable device that provides personalized assessment system. 

-	Fully Integrated, User-friendly.

-	Works with minimum volumes of sample

-	Able to give an analysis over a few minutes

Standard methods of pesticide residue are usually very slow, delivering a test result within days or even weeks and additionally the cost of the test is usually high (exceeding 150 Euros or more per test). To address this demand, the company has developed a small, portable and easy to use, inexpensive device for detecting pesticides residues in food in few minutes and with low running costs.

Stage Of Development

Proposal under development

Requested partner

The SME from Cyprus is therefore looking for the following partners in order to complement its Fast Track to Innovation proposal:

•	Universities and Research facilities for new antibody development

•	Food production, process or distribution companies (e.g. supermarkets, fruit ports, importers of fresh, contained or frozen fruit and vegetables) for sample acquisition and for testing. Additionally feedback and suggestions are needed for determination of biosensor features according to their individual needs

•	Pesticide free culture farmer collaborations (biological cultures) for sample acquisition

•	Food safety laboratories for sample testing with conventional methods.