Transforming chemical sensing

SouthWestSensor has joined the Southampton Science Park community with its lease of laboratory and office space to advance commercialisation of its revolutionary chemical sensor technology.

SouthWestSensor was founded in 2015 by world renowned expert in microfluidics, Dr Xize Niu. The company has developed an innovative nanodroplet microfluidics-based platform that requires only minute volumes of liquid reagents for autonomous, continuous, and highly accurate measurement of chemical and biological molecules. This new approach is expected to be of significant importance in health and environmental spheres.

In the health arena, continuous, real-time measurement of biomolecules in tissue fluids would accelerate understanding of fundamental physiological and pathological processes and empower healthcare professionals to make faster, potentially life-saving interventions. While existing detection technologies rely on expensive medical equipment and infrequent one-time measurements that may miss critical events that could lead to inaccurate diagnosis and poor treatment, SouthWestSensor’s solution offers low cost, wearable chemical sensors for fast, continuous, real-time monitoring, in turn facilitating rapid clinical responses.

The concept is also perfectly suited for continuous monitoring of nutrients and pollutants in fresh and sea water, covering applications ranging from environmental monitoring to wastewater process control. Here, water sampling is traditionally undertaken manually and infrequently by small teams of specialist analysts who collect water and deliver it to an approved laboratory. This is an expensive protocol leading to budgetary pressures to reduce data collection. SouthWestSensor’s fully submersible and portable water sensors in contrast provide continuous pollution measurement at lower cost and with a lower environmental footprint.

Dr Oliver Hofmann, the company’s Chief Executive Officer, commented: “With proven technology capable of rapid deployment, we are at a pivotal stage of company development.  That’s why we are incredibly pleased to be locating to  an available  office space within Southampton Science Park, a move we are confident will support our growth plans in multiple ways.”

https://southwestsensor.co.uk/