Posted by dmt210
24 January 2025Exeter researchers are collaborating with industrial technology partner Seneye to develop a cutting-edge sensor which could revolutionise aquaculture.
They secured £35,000 of funding for a nine-month collaboration starting 1st Dec 2024 from the University of Exeter’s Impact Accelerator Account Impact Co-Creation Award funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) to create a commercial sensor which can precisely measure calcium in aquatic systems.
This project is being led by Dr Alexis Perry (Senior Lecturer in Organic Chemistry), working in collaboration with Dr Owaen Guppy (Postdoctoral Researcher in Organic Chemistry) and Prof. Rod Wilson, (Professor in Integrative Animal Physiology), University of Exeter. Having identified a promising sensor for detecting the presence of calcium, through work initially supported by the UK Sustainable King Prawn Project, the Exeter University researchers are now collaborating with Seneye, to test its selectivity and sensitivity.
The team identified a large gap in the aquaculture industry for an accurate, robust calcium sensor. Delivery of such a sensor could have substantial industry-wide impact through improvements in yield and farmed animal welfare, and through enabling evolution of a responsive and data-driven culture within water chemistry management. It could also enhance market uptake of closed-loop aquaculture systems.
Dr Alexis Perry (Senior Lecturer in Organic Chemistry) said“The new collaboration with Seneye provides us with an exciting opportunity to move our cutting-edge sensor design out of the research lab, and potentially see it become embedded within Seneye’s market-leading technology.
He said: “At the heart of this collaboration is an understanding that academic and industrial researchers have complementary expertise. There is potential to achieve far more by working together, than in isolation. Working with Seneye is really refreshing due to synergies in research and development expertise, and their open-minded outlook and commercial pragmatism. “
Dr Owaen Guppy (Postdoctoral Researcher in Organic Chemistry) added:“Detecting calcium is particularly important for prawn aquaculture because these animals remove huge amounts of calcium from the water each time they moult, in order to re-harden their exoskeleton as they grow.”
Seneye specialises in the development of ultra-small, intelligent water monitoring devices that continuously test key, life-critical parameters in aquatic environments such as aquaculture production and rivers.
Matthew Stevenson (CEO of Seneye Sensors) said the project was focused on developing enabling technology which could lower production costs in aquaculture, while increasing sustainability.
He said: “Seneye technology is migrating sensor users from expensive and complex 100-year-old solutions to more precise and selective optical technologies. We are very excited about this collaboration with Exeter University and its potential to add to our product offering.” In addition, the Exeter team are exploring alterations to the structure of the calcium sensor, to further explain and refine its selectivity. In doing this, they hope to discover other materials that may be suitable as a calcium sensor for general use.
He said: “Seneye technology is migrating sensor users from expensive and complex 100-year-old solutions to more precise and selective optical technologies. We are very excited about this collaboration with Exeter University and its potential to add to our product offering.”
In addition, the Exeter team are exploring alterations to the structure of the calcium sensor, to further explain and refine its selectivity. In doing this, they hope to discover other materials that may be suitable as a calcium sensor for general use.
The UK Sustainable King Prawn Project is a research and business impact project exploring the potential to create a new, sustainable and environmentally friendly king prawn farming sector in the UK. Using new land-based aquaculture technologies (recirculating aquaculture systems – RAS), it aims to embed renewable energy technologies and circular solutions at every stage. The project is funded as part of the £47.5 million Transforming the UK Food System (TUKFS) Programme (for Healthy People and a Healthy Environment) Strategic Priorities Fund.