FREDsense Awarded ISC Phase I Grant for Shellfish Toxin Sensor Development

November 26, 2020

FREDsense is pleased to announce the receipt of the Phase I Marine Biotoxin Detection Devices Innovative Solutions Canada contract. This focuses on the development of innovative devices for detecting marine biotoxins encountered in Canadian waters with increasing frequency.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) responsibilities under the Canadian Shellfish Sanitation Program (CSSP) include maintaining a biotoxin surveillance program for shellfish growing areas, with monitoring for paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxin being a key deliverable of the biotoxin program’s food safety objectives.   The challenge is to identify and develop innovative solutions and devices for the detection of paralytic shellfish toxins found in Canadian shellfish harvest areas. 

PSP toxins are a group of closely related tetrahydropurine compounds with varying levels of toxicity. As part of the CSSP long term sustainability initiative, CSSP partners are currently exploring alternative service delivery options for CSSP activities including the adoption of marine biotoxin rapid test kits.  

FREDsense will build a portable PSP toxin rapid testing solution for evaluation by CFIA. By utilizing a unique approach involving rapid portable testing equipment, electrochemical detection, and biologically based sensors, the solution will provide rapid data without complex steps or materials. 

This solution will impact the ability of researchers, communities, and industries to generate water quality information important for environmental monitoring. For further information on this announcement, you can contact us here

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