Post on 15-Jan-2016
description
ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING (in the eyes of a biologist)
JAN ROELOF VAN DER MEERUniversity of Lausanne
NANO-TERA MEETING MAY 5,2015
Environmental monitoring in the eyes of engineers…
NASA/JPL – Mars Rover
Me, myself and I
WHY ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING?
CHEMICAL EXPOSURE = HEALTH RISK
ENVIRON CHANGES = HABITAT DESTRUCTION
TRADITIONAL MONITORING
Specific locationSpecific sampleSpecific timeLab analysisInterpretation
SATELLITE REMOTE SENSING
https
://c
imss
.sse
c.w
isc.
edu/
satm
et/m
odul
es/
URBAN HEAT
DEEPWATER HORIZON SLICK
FOREST FIRES
CHALLENGES AND KEY ADVANCES
SAMPLING LOCATIONS• grids, ad hoc networks,
autonomous, passive, swarmsANALYSIS METHODS• biology, simpler, faster, precise
INTERPRETATION• models, data accessibility
NANO-TERA ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROJECTS
• CabTuRes: enabling autonomous sensors based on carbon nanotubules
• IrSens: Infrared sensing of atmospheric pollutants
• LiveSense: Biological sensor tools
• OpenSense: Network communication between sensors
• Xsense: wireless remote sensing of rock changes and avalanches
• OpenSense II: Crowdsourcing high-resolution air quality sensing
• IrSens II: A multicomponent sensor for air pollutants and greenhouse gases
• X-Sense II: MEMS acoustic detectors for natural hazard warning systems
• Envirobot: An anguilliform robot tracking environmental pollutants
As a comparative illustration:FP7 Ocean of Tomorrow projects
2013 call:• 12 collaborative projects
(~60 Mi €, 8-25 partners each)
Key topics:• Rapid sensors for pollutants, toxins, pathogens• Real-time and in-situ sensors, autonomous
platforms• Grid-based and ad hoc network sensing, data
communication
ADDING BIOLOGY TO THE ANALYSIS
LESS = MORE?
WHY BIOASSAYS?
Measuring heart beat rates of a crab
Picture: Ceri Lewis, Tamara Galloway
University of Exeter, UK
• Very difficult to correctly predict ecotox risks from chemical concentrations
• Use organisms to make an “integrative” measurement or to assay “bioavailability”
• Very difficult to interpret reactions from organisms
• Ethical concerns / regulations
DIFFERENT APPROACHES
• In situ examination of exposed organisms
• Exposure of model organisms under standardized conditions
• Use of cell cultures, single cell models
• Use of genetically engineered single cell model organisms
• Use of isolated biological components
Pictures: Eawag, UNIL, Uexeter, CSIC-CNB
REAL-TIME IN-SITU (BIO)SENSORS
ENVIROBOT(UNIL, EPFL, HES-SO, Eawag)
FP7-BRAAVOO(10 partners)
ENVIROBOT vs BRAAVOO• Flexible modules: different
exchangeable sensors• Limited space• Mobile system, operation 1 day
• Fixed set of sensors• Less space constraints• Fixed position• Operational for 1 month
SENSOR TYPES
General physical sensors: Temperature, camera, turbidityGeneral chemical sensors: pH, oxygenSpecific chemical targets: atrazine, lead, copperBiological sensors: general distress, mercury
General physical sensors: Temperature, turbidityGeneral chemical sensors: pH, oxygen, salinity, Biological sensors:
Bacteria: general distress, mercury, antibiotics, oilImmunosensors: algal toxins, pesticides, flame
retardantsAlgae: general distress to photosynthesis
En
vir
obot
BR
AAV
OO
ENVIROBOT’s BIOSENSORS
Daphnia movement chamber
Dav
id B
onzo
nEP
FL-L
MIS
4
Bacteria movement chamber
Clémence Roggo(UNIL)
Xenopus oocyte sensor
Beno
îte B
arge
ton
(UN
IL)
Dav
id B
onzo
n (E
PFL)
IMMUNOSENSORS
Mili
ca Jo
vic
(EPF
L)
Response to pentachlorophenol (in µg/L)
RAINBOW TROUT GILL CELLSResponse of the cells by impedance measurements. Very robust cells – lifetime = monthsActive at normal water temperatures (15-20°C).
Dat
a: V
ivia
n Lu
, Eaw
ag
Medium
R C
BENCHMARKING RAINBOW TROUT GILL CELLS
• 37 Priority chemicals being tested
• 9 wastewater treatment samples
• Exposed for 24 hours, gut cell impedance loss
Lake Zurich Tap water L15ex
Sample 1 Sample 2 Sample 3
Sample 4 Sample 5 Sample 6
Sample 7 Sample 8 Sample 9
Time
Dat
a: V
ivia
n Lu
, Eaw
ag
HOW GOOD ARE BIOASSAYS?
B. sartisoli PAH sensor
E. coli C6-C11 alkane sensor
E. coli BTEX sensor
SEAWATER CONCENTRATIONSCh
emic
al a
naly
sis
Bioa
vaila
ble
com
poun
dfo
r bio
repo
rter
cel
ls
Siha
m B
egga
h (U
NIL
)
AUTONOMOUS BACTERIA REPORTER CHIP
Siha
m B
egga
h (U
NIL
)
Cells are always ready and active for a sample measurement
Pressure-controlled valves
Day 2 Day 1
T20 min T3h10T1h50
Current chip design: operations up to 1 week
50 µg As/L
0 µg As/L
Siha
m B
egga
h (U
NIL
)
NEXT STEPS IN ENVIROBOT
• Sampling mission• Analysis mission
(physical and chemical sensors)
• Analysis mission (biological sensor)
• Self guidance
Mili
ca Jo
vic
(EPF
L)Al
essa
ndro
Cre
spi
(EPF
L)
Integrating biosensors into the robot modulesFrederic Truffer (HES-SO)
QUO VADIS “environmental monitoring”?
More data and faster!Interpretation vs democratization?Mitigation and action possibilities?
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSEnvirobot Consortium
Thank you for your attention