Pan, YuweiWang, BaojunCooper, Jonathan M.Yang, Zhugen2024-10-232024-10-232024-10-16Pan Y, Wang B, Cooper JM, Yang Z. (2024) Paper microfluidic sentinel sensors enable rapid and on-site wastewater surveillance in community settings. Cell Reports Physical Science, Volume 5, Issue 10, October 2024, Article number 1021542666-3864https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrp.2024.102154https://dspace.lib.cranfield.ac.uk/handle/1826/23111Tracking genomic sequences as microbial biomarkers in wastewater has been used to determine community prevalence of infectious diseases, contributing to public health surveillance programs worldwide. Here, we report upon a low-cost, rapid, and user-friendly paper microfluidic platform for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza detection, using loop-mediated isothermal amplification, with signal read using a mobile phone camera. Sample-to-answer results were collected in less than 1.5 h, providing rapid multiplexed detection of viruses in wastewater, with a detection limit of <20 copies mL−1. The device was subsequently used for on-site testing of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater samples from four quarantine hotels at London Heathrow Airport, showing comparable results to those obtained using polymerase chain reaction. This sensing platform, which enables rapid and localized testing without requiring samples to be sent to centralized laboratories, provides a potentially important public health tool for pandemic preparedness, with a variety of future wastewater surveillance applications in community settings.enAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/40 Engineering4016 Materials Engineering4009 Electronics, Sensors and Digital HardwareInfectious DiseasesPneumonia & InfluenzaBiotechnologyBioengineeringEmerging Infectious DiseasesCoronaviruses4.1 Discovery and preclinical testing of markers and technologiesInfection3 Good Health and Well Being3403 Macromolecular and materials chemistry4009 Electronics, sensors and digital hardware4016 Materials engineeringArticle553902102154