Sensoreal Inc.

Purpose

Domoic acid (DA) is a significant concern to consumers of marine foods, given acute poisoning can be life threatening, and with the impact of low doses being cumulative over time, can cause cognitive disability and illness. At present, the only existing option for biotoxin testing in Canada is to send samples to a CFIA laboratory. Sensoreal Inc. aims to develop a novel microfluidic integrated electrochemical sensing device for the detection of DA in water, phytoplankton, and shellfish. The proposed method involves a simple sample preparation method that does not require cumbersome instruments and results to extract and purify DA from simple (water) to complex (shellfish) samples by anyone. The device will be cost-effective and portable, making it ideal for the point-of-need detection of DA for water monitoring and food safety needs.