REG - Deepverge PLC - 1st UK Deployments of Microtox®PD in Wastewater

DeepvergeAnnouncement

28/03/2022 07:00

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RNS Number : 1523G  Deepverge PLC  28 March 2022

28 March 2022

 

DeepVerge PLC

 

("DeepVerge" or "the Company" or "the Group")

 

First UK Deployments of Microtox(®)PD Pathogen Detection Systems in UK
Wastewater

Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection Post Pandemic Sensors -
Integrated Solution Trial for National System of 'Sentinel' Sewage Works

 

DeepVerge plc (AIM: DVRG), announces that the first six installations of
Modern Water Post-Pandemic Microtox(®)PD pathogen detection systems in
wastewater have been deployed to various sites in the UK which form part of
the Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection (EMHP) programme, led by
the Joint Biosecurity Centre (part of NHS Test & Trace), Defra, academia
and water companies. These units, worth £480,000, referred to in the RNS of
28(th) October 2021 1  are additional to the £5m Modern Water production
orders announced in the RNS of 11(th) March 2022 2 . Additional Microtox(®)PD
units are expected to be deployed over the next few months in the UK.

The automated, real-time Microtox(®)PD detection system initially designed
for the COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 virus, has the capacity to detect other dangerous
pathogens such as bacteria and infectious viruses including PMMoV i ,
Influenza A ii , Influenza B iii , and Polio iv  in wastewater, and
E.coli v  in drinking water on a single chip, using AI, in real-time. These
additional pathogens form part of an extension to the development relationship
with the Aptamer Group plc.  The data collected is then fed into a computer
and artificial intelligence is used to predict where public health bodies
should target their resources to contain any outbreaks.

The Modern Water Team are working with the Joint Biosecurity Centre, which is
part of the UK NHS Test & Trace to trial a national system of 'sentinel'
sewage works which act as an early warning system for spikes of the most
common variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The Aptamer Group plc provided their "Optimer" binding agents on the chip to
capture the pathogens and Microsaic Systems plc partnered with the Company in
the development and validation of the innovative Microtox(®)PD detection
system.

Gerry Brandon CEO DeepVerge plc commented:

"As part of the Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection programme, the
Microtox(®)PD equipment is continuously updated to meet local conditions and
information captured is used to build a range of datasets for comparative
analysis for the health and safety of the local and regional populations.
 The installations are important as their routine use will serve as a model
for other regional, national and ultimately the global authorities looking for
innovative ways to improve the health, safety and overall outcomes of the
population from endemic and global pandemic diseases. These are cornerstone
installations for us as we commercialise our unique Microtox(®)PD COVID19
virus and multiplex detection systems."

 

For further information please contact:

 

 DeepVerge plc                                   Gerard Brandon, CEO         +44 (0) 7340 055 648

 SPARK Advisory Partners Limited                 Neil Baldwin/Andrew Emmott  +44 (0) 113 370 8974

 (Nominated Adviser)

 Turner Pope Investments (TPI) Limited (Broker)  Andy Thacker/James Pope     +44 (0) 20 3657 0050

 

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About DeepVerge plc (www.deepverge.com)

DeepVerge is an environmental and life science group of companies that
develops and applies AI and IoT technology to analytical instruments for the
analysis and identification of bacteria, virus and toxins; Utilising
artificial intelligent data analytics to scientifically prove the impact of
skincare product claims on skin microbiome for most of the top 20 global
cosmetic company clients and remotely detecting and identifying in real-time,
dangerous pathogens in wastewater treatment plants, drinking water, rivers,
lakes and reservoirs.

 

JBC Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection (EMHP) (Wastewater)
Programme

The Environmental Monitoring for Health Protection (EMHP) programme, led by
the Joint Biosecurity Centre (part of NHS Test & Trace), and run in
partnership with DEFRA, the Environment Agency, CEFAS, academia and water
companies.  The programme tests wastewater for RNA fragments of the virus
that causes COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2)and its variants.  Samples are taken from
wastewater flowing into treatment plants and from key locations across the
sewer network.

The programme was set up to build a picture of where the COVID-19 virus is
circulating, helping us understand where the virus is circulating in the
population and identify future potential spikes in infection early on, so
action can be taken to stop transmission.

 

Wastewater based epidemiology (WBE) reinforces surveillance of the virus,
detecting outbreaks not yet reported through clinical testing, supporting
on-the-ground interventions, and identifying circulating variants in the
population, without the dependency upon adherence from people to undertake
tests.

 

As the threat of variants has emerged, the programme now plays an important
role in the identification of mutations of the virus, variants of concern
(VOC) and variants under investigation (VUI). This is done through genomic
sequencing of positive samples found in wastewater, to track down and isolate
new strains and mutations of COVID-19.

 

Genomic sequencing of our wastewater samples provides an indication of where
VOCs and VOIs may be present both nationally and locally.

Insights from wastewater testing are shared with local and national decision
makers to support outbreak management plans and take appropriate action to
stop further transmission.

Alongside testing programmes and other public health actions, wastewater
monitoring is an effective, non-invasive, complementary safety net to help
protect against the threat of new variants, as the country closely follows the
roadmap out of national restrictions.

The EMHP coordinates with programmes in the Devolved Administrations to
provide a UK-wide monitoring network.

 

About Aptamer Group plc (www.aptamergroup.com)

Aptamer Group develops custom affinity binders through its proprietary
Optimer® platform to enable new approaches in therapeutics, diagnostics and
research applications. The Company strives to deliver transformational
solutions that meet the needs of life science researchers and developers
through the use of its proprietary Optimer platform.

Optimer binders are oligonucleotide affinity ligands that can function as an
antibody alternative. The global antibody market is currently worth over
$145bn. Optimer binders are engineered to address many of the issues found
with alternative affinity molecules, such as antibodies, and offer new,
innovative solutions to bioprocessing, diagnostic and pharmaceutical
scientists.

Aptamer Group has successfully delivered projects for global pharma companies,
diagnostic development companies, and research institutes covering a range of
targets and applications with the objective of establishing royalty-bearing
licenses. Through the unique Optimer technology and processes, scientists and
collaborators are enabled to make faster, more informed decisions that support
discovery and development across the Life Sciences.

 

About Microsaic (www.microsaic.com)

Microsaic listed on AIM in 2011 to develop and commercialise micro-engineering
chip-based mass spectrometry equipment. Having invested £30m over the last 20
years before and after the IPO, Microsaic has a robust patent portfolio in
cutting-edge technology purpose built for "Industry 4.0" which enables
analytical detection and characterisation at the point-of-need, whether within
a human health environment, conventional laboratory setting, or within a
bioprocessing facility for continuous mass spectrometer detection and
monitoring of data at any step in the process workflow.

Microsaic's products and systems are commercially available through global
markets via a network of regional and local partners, targeting its core
laboratory, manufacturing, and point-of-need applications.

 

 1 
https://irpages2.equitystory.com/websites/rns_news/English/1100/news-tool---rns---eqs-group.html?iframe=true&article=32223247&company=Deepverge&iframe=true
(https://irpages2.equitystory.com/websites/rns_news/English/1100/news-tool---rns---eqs-group.html?iframe=true&article=32223247&company=Deepverge&iframe=true)

 

 2 
https://irpages2.equitystory.com/websites/rns_news/English/1100/news-tool---rns---eqs-group.html?iframe=true&article=32524283&company=Deepverge&iframe=true

 

 i  Pepper mild mottle virus:  In an article from the Applied and
Environmental Microbiology Journal, it was found that PMMoV could be a
potential indicator of faecal pollution. Their results demonstrate that PMMoV
is widespread and abundant in wastewater from the United States, suggesting
the utility of this virus as an indicator of human faecal pollution.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepper_mild_mottle_virus

 ii  Influenza A virus causes influenza in birds and some mammals and is the
only species of the genus Alphainfluenzavirus of the virus family
Orthomyxoviridae. Strains of all subtypes of influenza A virus have been
isolated from wild birds, although disease is uncommon. Some isolates of
influenza A virus cause severe disease both in domestic poultry and, rarely,
in humans. Occasionally, viruses are transmitted from wild aquatic birds to
domestic poultry, and this may cause an outbreak or give rise to human
influenza pandemics.

 iii  Influenza B virus is known only to infect humans and seals. This limited
host range is apparently responsible for the lack of associated influenza
pandemics in contrast with those caused by the morphologically similar
influenza A virus as both mutate by both antigenic drift and reassortment

 iv  Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease
caused by the poliovirus and is usually spread from person to person through
infected faecal matter entering the mouth. It may also be spread by food or
water containing human faeces and less commonly from infected saliva. Those
who are infected may spread the disease for up to six weeks even if no
symptoms are present. The disease may be diagnosed by finding the virus in the
faeces or detecting antibodies against it in the blood. The disease occurs
naturally only in humans

 v  Escherichia coli, also known as E. coli is a Gram-negative, facultative
anaerobic, rod-shaped, coliform bacterium of the genus Escherichia that is
commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms. Most E. coli
strains are harmless, but some serotypes (EPEC, ETEC etc.) can cause serious
food poisoning in their hosts and are occasionally responsible for food
contamination incidents that prompt product recalls.

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