Aptamer Group has signed a contract with Metir to develop Optimer® binders for detecting Cryptosporidium parvum in Metir’s Pathogen Detector platform. The project builds on a previous collaboration announced in June 2024 and focuses on creating high-affinity synthetic binders for integration into Metir’s real-time water monitoring device.
The system aims to provide continuous water quality testing with contamination detection within minutes, compared with traditional laboratory testing that can take several days. Aptamer’s Optimers are engineered for stability, specificity, and scalable production, with potential for multiplexed detection across environmental and healthcare monitoring applications.
The programme will progress through feasibility, isolation, and optimisation stages, with proof-of-concept results expected within three months. Completion of these milestones will advance Metir’s Pathogen Detector beyond the prototype stage, with initial trials by UK water companies anticipated upon development.
The collaboration underlines Aptamer Group’s role in supplying synthetic binders for rapid pathogen detection and supports Metir’s objective of delivering next-generation, real-time water monitoring solutions to improve public health and water safety.
