18 September, 2020

In response to the COVID–19 pandemic CIT's Centre for Advanced Photonics & Process Analysis (CAPPA) has been collaborating on a new project to detect COVID–19 in wastewater.

The project aims to adapt the successful Remote Automated Water Test (RAW test) test which identifies E.coli in wastewater in real time.

Using a combination of engineering, science and artificial intelligence, pathogens are identified by pushing fluid samples through tiny tunnels (10-100 microns) which are bored into small glass microchips. These channels are continuously zapped with light with any slight changes in light being detected by AI.

The team of physicists at CAPPA is adapting the RAW test platform to generate a greatly enhanced photonics signal to constantly monitor the chips. As soon as the virus binds, the data generated is being picked up immediately by the artificial intelligence to signal that COVID–19 is present in the sample and to predict the size of the cluster.

Dr William Whelan Curtain, Nanophotonics Group Leader at CAPPA said, "We have been working with the Integumen team for 5 years now and together we have developed an approach for detecting COVID-19 in wastewater. The system can be retrofitted into existing monitoring systems providing a route to the rapid uptake of the new system. Near real-time testing for COVID-19 will be essential tool in the fight against the pandemic".

To explore how CIT can collaborate with you, email extendedcampus@cit.ie or call 021 4335302.