A new non-antibody scaffold for in situ detection of pathogens in wastewater

Wastewater monitoring is a powerful way of assessing population health and disease. Currently samples are collected manually and tested via PCR or mass spectrometry (MS) in a centralised laboratory, which is costly and slow, limiting the extent of monitoring. A low-cost device for automated wastewater testing would allow remote monitoring of sewers at neighbourhood level and a network of real-time monitors that provide higher geographical resolution and richer data on public health and disease. We propose to integrate a novel and robust non-antibody scaffold with cutting-edge biosensor technology to allow in situ detection of pathogens in wastewater. While the initial focus will be wastewater detection of SARS-CoV2, the underlying technologies are compatible with monitoring of a range of targets (from small molecules to notifiable pathogens). As such, our work could substantially impact testing strategies across a broad range of settings, from environmental to clinical and public health.