Mobile biosensor for water quality monitoring

Monitoring and maintaining the quality of water is important since it is one of the most important resources and the basis of all life. However, current methods are stationary or obsolete. The IMOLA system is able to measure the vitality of living cells online, marker free and in real time through a multiparametric microsensor chip. In combination with green algae as signal transducers it was elucidated how an emulsion of oil in water affects the vitality of the algae. It was shown that the system using the green algae Parachlorella kessleri as biosensor unit is suitable for mobile, online-detection of changes in water quality.