Smart Award winners

Uniscan's SMART AWARD Hat-Trick

Buxton based Uniscan Instruments are celebrating their 3rd Government Innovation Award in as many years. This latest SMART award for £45,000 is to help fund a feasibility study into the use of Biosensors for the measurement of harmful organo-phosphate pesticide contamination in drinking water supplies. The system Uniscan is proposing incorporates enzyme based biosenor technology, and will eventually allow development of a user-friendly, portable computerised instrument to measure drinking water supplies, and water sources in general.

As the health implications of chemical pesticide ingestion become clearer, there is a growing need for fast and reliable test methods in order to monitor and control the level of contamination and discharge into water supplies and the food chain. These chemicals are extremely toxic and there is concern, especially over long term low level exposure. Current test methods are both time consuming and expensive. By the time the problem is detected, it is often too late to prevent the transfer of contaminants into the food chain. Uniscan's biosensor based system will ensure that organophosphates can be monitored continuously thus 'raising the alarm' and prompting action that can prevent consequential health risks.

Uniscan say this SMART award will ensure that funding is available to bridge the gap between a good idea and a saleable product. This will hopefully benefit the whole community, both in terms of cleaner, safer drinking water, and enhanced job prospects in the Buxton area. Without the DTI funding 75% of the costs, it is unlikely that this project could have gone ahead, certainly on the timescale required for the UK to benefit commercially from its established scientific lead.

Uniscan have emerged as a World Leader in Surface Measurement Instrumentation who design, manufacture and sell their own range of scientific instruments currently used in the fields of surface measurement and corrosion monitoring.

Dr. Graham Johnson, Uniscan's Managing Director said: "The successful completion of our last SMART, and subsequent SPUR awards allowed us to effectively double our workforce. We have some talented and resourceful people at Uniscan Instruments and this award is a credit to their ingenuity. We are excited about receiving a second SMART award and will be working towards a similarly successful conclusion to our new SMART project".