Our research
Building on patented ion sensing technology, we are developing a new class of advanced sensing materials to provide continuous analysis of the health of aquatic and terrestrial systems.
Our innovative luminescent hydrogel material can effectively encapsulate a variety of ion sensors and is ready to be applied to a range of new challenges.
For multiple locations within a system, we will provide real-time data on the levels of:
- algae
- bacterial contamination
- chlorophyll
- dissolved CO2
- organic matter
- pollutants such as phosphate and nitrate
This information will allow these fundamental indicators of ecosystem health and climate change to be monitored in unparalleled detail - both in terms of temporal and spatial resolution.
Datasets like these will be key for understanding how these critical ecosystems function and respond to current drivers of environmental change.
Key research facilities
EcoSENSE benefits from access to state-of-the-art Materials and Chemistry laboratories, including:
- Dedicated laboratory facilities with technical support to enable synthetic organic and polymer chemistry, including air sensitive techniques.
- Materials characterisation and testing facilities including nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), rheometers, fluorimeters, custom-built fluorescence spectrometer, microplate readers and thermal analysis.
- The Loughborough Materials Characterisation Centre which provides a wealth of surface analysis and microscopy techniques.
Our industry partner Mast Group provides commercial R&D facilities to validate our new sensing materials.
Related research groups
Several research groups underpin the shared aim of the EcoSENSE research cluster.
Find out more by browsing the research group links below.
Understanding and Managing Environmental Change
Our world-leading research on freshwater environments emphasises the interactions between biotic and abiotic components for local and global processes. Using field monitoring, laboratory experiments and numerical modelling we are investigating a variety of environmental processes and change.
Vision, AI, Autonomous and Human Centred Systems (VAAH)
We explore both the theoretical and application aspects of artificial intelligence, computer vision, robotics and autonomous systems, machine learning, bio-inspired AI, pattern recognition, embedded intelligence, image processing, and HCI and human-factors.