SENEX Project aims at the industrialization of an innovative table top explosive trace detector that exhibits remarkable and competitive performances in sensitivity and specificity, besides a compact and low-cost architecture. The SENEX device is based on surface plasmonic resonance phenomenon and it fills the growing need of security professionals to have the ability to detect a wide range of explosive substances and to be able to adapt as threats and their needs change. By the use of an innovative automatic microelectronic system based on nano-structured sensors, SENEX system is capable of continuously detecting and identifying explosives during a single analysis, while maintaining high sensitivity. SENEX device has the potential to satisfy all the requirements for the trace detection of explosives because it can overcome all the technical and commercial barriers connected to use of conventional sensors based techniques: Ion Mobility Spectrometry, Gas Chromatography, Computer Tomography, Colorimetry and Chemi-Luminescence. Most of the existing devices are bulky, expensive and require long lasting procedures and complex training activities in the start-up phase. SENEX technology first key market application is transportation security in airports and harbours to detect explosives, weapons, and illegal items in baggage or on passengers, airports threat areas are; another key market application is the freight terminal sectors where currently security explosive controls are often lacking.

Legionnaires’ disease is a serious form of pneumonia caused by bacterium Legionella pneumophila, with a case-fatality ratio on the order of 10-15%. L. pneumophila proliferates in aquatic habitats, especially in potable water, air conditioning, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, evaporative condensers, spa/natural pools. Actually, its detection and monitoring rely on time-consuming protocols (in the order of several days) based on in-vitro selective bacteria culture methods, performed by highly specialized personnel in dedicated laboratories. POSEIDON project targets to change the approach in bacteriological environmental monitoring and in infection risk management by developing a fully automatic and reliable system. Handling of the air/water sample will be designed and integrated in preconditioning system and microfluidic device through which whole bacteria cells will be transported from the sampling module to the sensing plasmonic surface. The complete measure protocol will be integrated and performed according to EU legislation guidelines. Specificity will be ensured by immuno-functionalization of gratings surfaces and enhanced system sensitivity will be granted by the optimization of the optical detection system architecture. Sensors based on Grating Coupled Surface Plasmon Resonance (GC-SPR) in azimuthally rotating configuration have recently proved sensitivity enhancement up to almost two orders of magnitude. Furthermore, the symmetry breaking related to grating rotation allows exploiting the incident polarization, more easily controlled with respect to incidence wavelength and angles interrogation. The prototype will be designed to be integrated in water distribution or HVAC systems in order to demonstrate its feasibility in industrially relevant fields and to open new applications and new market opportunities. POSEIDON project aims to address new solutions in this relevant health and safety societal challenge.