During the meeting of the Program Management Board of Kennis in je Kas (KijK) on December 12, the project "More and safer recirculation of drainage water through faster detection of viruses in greenhouse horticulture" was approved.
Further development of virus sensor prototype
In a previous PPS project, a virus sensor prototype was successfully developed and implemented. Virus detection is achieved by loading the detector with antibodies and bringing it into contact with water that may contain virulent material. These bind to the antibodies and to freely available secondary antibodies that have been treated with a fluorescent substance. This makes them 'readable' for the optical sensor. What's special is that the sensor can distinguish between active (strongly bound) and inactive (weakly bound) virulent material. This distinction is essential.
What still needs to be developed is a regeneration method; that is, a rinsing method to allow the detector to be cleaned and be ready for the next measurement. The virus particle must be removed from the sensor to prepare the latter for further detection. Only then is continuous (real-time) detection possible. Moreover, the sensor must be tested and validated with multiple samples and disinfection measures to determine reliability.
New ci-qPCR DNA Test
In the previous PPS, a new ci-qPCR DNA test was briefly examined to see if it would suffice. This also proved promising and will be further studied. It can also distinguish between active and inactive.
What is the goal?
- Fast, sensitive, and real-time detection of cucumber mosaic virus and PlamV (Lily) in water through antibody technology using a virus sensor and testing a new PCR technique (ci-qPCR)
- Both techniques can distinguish between active and inactive viruses
- Both techniques can also be implemented for other viruses (universal platform)
In the long term, the industry can quickly gain insight into whether there is a virus present in the water using the sensor, thus reducing the risk of infection. This allows water to be reused with more confidence, paving the road towards nearly zero emissions by 2027.
Source: Greenhouse Waterproof