Welcome to BioCop

Monitoring for chemical contaminants in foodstuffs is very important, but it is complex and time consuming and is currently done on a toxin-by-toxin basis. The need to maintain and improve food quality and safety, as emphasised by consumers and regulators, has never been greater. BioCop's innovative techniques will screen for multiple chemical contaminants in food to better support and ensure this goal.

Rapid and efficient transcriptomics, proteomics and biosensor-based technologies are being developed in BioCop. These new systems will measure the effect of the contaminant(s) rather than single target compound concentrations. The 'biomarker and fingerprinting' concept is key to this strategy. Substantial advances in sample preparation will be achieved using novel procedures such as aptamers, microwave-assisted extraction and pressurised liquid extraction. Developed technologies will be validated to ensure that they meet the required standards. BioCop's industrial partners will commercialise these new technologies and the prototypes developed will be rigorously tested.

These new systems will be able to detect pesticides (organochlorines, stobilurins), heavy metals (lead, mercury), natural toxins produced by shellfish (paralytic shellfish poisons) and fungi (trichothecenes), therapeutic drugs (hormonal growth promoters, quinolone antimicrobials) and endocrine disrupters (phytoestrogens).