Sensor Technologies

Matt Mowlem

matm@noc.ac.uk

Ocean Technology and Engineering Group

National Oceanography Centre, Southampton

NOC: research, technology

Ocean Technology and Engineering Group (OTEG)

Mission (“To develop novel technology and

engineering resulting in the greatest impact for

environmental and marine science”)

Sensors and Instrumentation Roadmap

1. Company/Institute/project

2. Name

3. Application/target/technology

4. TRL (met, target date)

5. Operational demo (met, target date)

6. Commercial release (met, target date)

7. Date of last update

8. Datasheet/brochure (hyperlink, embedded pdf)

9. Product page/extra info (hyperlink, embedded pdf)

SenseOCEAN: Marine sensors for the 21st century

Sensor passes UUID through to

base station

Platform

Satellite

Base station/

Data centre

Data delivery by SOS server and linked ocean

data server

Sensor integration, interoperability and data infrastructure

NERC

Linked data

(RDF, SPARQL)

server

UUIDSensorML

SSN (OWL)

JSON LD

netCDF EGO 1.1, CF1.6, LD

Reference for netCDF Link Data

conventions:Yu J. et al. Towards Linked Data

Conventions for Delivery of

Environmental Data Using netCDF:

pages 102-112; Springer., ISBN: 978-3-

319-15993-5

Example: Platform + 3 Sensors + USB

• Epoxy potted

• Pressure tolerant

• Industry standard Subconn connectors

• 6-way Male Platform (power + comms)

• 4-way Male USB (programming)

• N x 4-way Female Sensors (power +

comms)

• Small form factor

• No mounting required, fixing points

provided

7

GoalEnable multi-parameter chemical sensing across autonomous marine platforms

Nitrate (NO3-)

Phosphate (PO4-3)

Silicate (SiO4-4)

Ammonium (NH4+)

Nitrite (NO2-)

Iron (Fe)

Carbonate (pH, TA, DIC, pCO2)

Biology (Fluorescence, Cytometry, Samplers, Genomic sensors)

Radionuclides

Particles NOC MAS fleet

electronics

optics

manufacturing

Microfluidics

Lab on a chip

Assay optimisationIntegrated

systems

Biofouling

mitigation

Platforms & comms

OTEG sensors expertise

Lab-on-chip chemical sensor platform

• Microfluidic colourimetric analyser

• Limit of detection: 0.025 µM

(nitrate), 0.04 µM (phosphate), 0.1

µM (silicate)

• Range: up to 1000 µM (nitrate)

• Low sample volumes (~320 µL per

sample)

• Low power consumption (~1.5 W)

• Has been adapted to several

parameters:

• Works in the deep sea (deepest

deployment to date: 4800 m)

First wet chemical nitrate sensor deployment

on glidersCeltic Sea, April 2015

with Alex Vincent & Maeve Lohan, NOC / SOES (U. Soton)

Temperature

(°C)

Chlorophyll

(mg/m3)

Nitrate

(µM)

Temperature

(°C)

Chlorophyll

(mg/m3)

Nitrate

(µM)

Past sensor deployments

Map: Wikimedia commons

LOC Sensor Analytical method Measurement

type

LOD/precision*

Nitrate + nitrite Griess assay (with Cd

reduction)

Colourimetry

(absorbance)20 nM

pH Thymol blue Dual wavelength

absorbance0.001 pH units*

Phosphate Molybdenum blue

(modified)

Colourimetry

(absorbance)20 nM

Iron (II), Iron (III) Ferrozine (with

ascorbic acid

reduction for Fe (III))

Colourimetry

(absorbance)1 nM

Silicate Silicomolybdic acid Colourimetry

(absorbance)

100 nM

Ammonium OPA + membrane Fluorescence (1 nM)

Total alkalinity BCG with TMT or

single step

Dual wavelength

absorbance(2 µM)*

DIC Membrane+ EC of

NaOH

Conductivity (2 µM)*

Organic N and P UV digester +

inorganic systemColourimetry

(absorbance)

(20 nM)

Further Development Projects

• Radionuclide / particulate sensor (filter concentration and

radiation quantification)

• Trace metal concentration and quantification

• Hydrocarbons and organic molecule quantification

• Nucleic Acid Analysis

• Pathogen quantification

• Phytoplankton genomics and transcriptomics

• Autonomous sampler (for lab analysis of above)

• In situ genomic sensor for real time quantification

Chemical sensor on the Autosub Long Range

pH, DO, CTD pH, Nitrate, Phosphate

Lander-HAT

Date

15/3 16/3 17/3 19/3 20/3 21/3 23/3 24/3 25/3 27/3 28/3 29/3 31/3 01/4 02/4 04/4 05/4 06/4 08/4 09/4 10/4 14/3 18/3 22/3 26/3 30/3 03/4 07/4

pH

7.6

7.8

8.0

8.2

8.4

8.6

8.8

9.0

DO

(m

L/L

)

5.8

6.0

6.2

6.4

6.6

6.8

7.0

7.2

7.4

7.6pC

O2 (

uatm

)

320

340

360

380

400

420

440

460

Nitra

te (

uM

)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

10 L/min 10 L/min 50 L/min

Harbour Acceptance Trials (Lander)

Methane Sensor On ecoSUB (micro AUV)

• Ultra low limit of detection

0.2nM

• Time response ~ 3min

• Optical indicator using

Cryptophane-a supramolecule

• Refractive index modulation

• Surface Plasmon Resonance

detection

• Sensing element

• 7x15x30mm

• <200mW

CT-DO Sensor for ecoSUB

Proof of Concept Study: Aptamer Biosensor for

Polyaromatic Hydrocarbons in Seawater1) Aptamer Selection 2) Aptamer Screening

3) Molecular Beacon Development4) Assay Optimisation and Evaluation

MST Binding Curves for Aptamer Sensor Candidates

Naphthalene aptamer sensor

(Kd = 1.3 ± 0.3 nM)

Phenanthrene aptamer sensor

(Kd = 995 ± 208 nM)

Naval / Defence Applications

New Assays (tests)

• Explosives

• Tracers

• Chemical Hazards / Toxins

• Environmental conditions

New sensors for threats / environmental conditions

BBSRC Sustainable Aquaculture: Cytometer for HAB

Detection, Discrimination and Quantification in

Shellfisheries

Microchiptechnology

Microchip

Technology

ISCF Fellowship (McQuillan) A Simplified and

Multiplexed Microfluidic Platform for in situ Nucleic

Acid Sensing

Peltier Thermoelectric Element and Thermocouple

Printed Circuit Board (driver board)

Light Emitting Diode (Wavelength 1)

NASBA / PCR Chip

Light Emitting Diode (Wavelength 2)

90 mm

Amplifica) on,chamber,

Preserved Reagents

Air,reservoir,

A

B

(Also RPA and tHDA)

(Or low power micro-heater technology)

Naval / Defence Applications

New Assays (tests)

• Environmental conditions: bioluminescence potential, biological

turbidity

• Tracers (eDNA for cetaceans, divers)

• Biological Threats / Pathogens

• Food and water safety / quality

New sensors for threats / environmental conditions