Discussion Forum: Automated Sewer Surveillance
Capitalizing on recent advances in very fast genome sequencing technologies, Sentinel Genetics is pleased to offer its new real-time in-stream wastewater sequencing system. Genetic material is randomly harvested from the waste-stream, usually at the sewage treatment facility. The automated system then prepares the DNA for sequencing and individual samples can be sequenced to the extent necessary to compare it to the National Registry in less than one second. A small bank of sequencers can process tens of thousands of samples each hour.
Sentinel Genetics developed the single strand sequencing technology, which works by quickly pulling strands of DNA through tiny nanoscale pores. Breakthroughs in micro and nanoscale mechanical devices that are small enough to automate preparations with the very small DNA strands have allowed for sequencing prices as low as pennies per thousands. Due to the large amount of non-human DNA that is in a wastewater stream, it was only through this high speed processing of samples at low price that large scale screening of municipal populations could become cost beneficial.
The database of America’s genetic information has been available to law enforcement agencies since the inception of the United States Genomic Registry, but only in the last several years has it been complete enough to look for individuals. The Sentinel Genetics Sequencer data processing system is fully compatible with the Registry and provides advanced algorithms for comparing genomic and partial genomic material against the data in the Registry. By combining the massive throughput of the treatment-facility-based sequencer bank with portable units for signal triangulation through upstream testing, it is possible to track the location of individuals in metropolitan areas.
Posted Nov 21, 2009 @ 5:20pm Why can this technology not also be used to remove contaminants from feedstock gases like those derived from biomass which are used to make synthetic fuels (the contaminants are a major stumbling block to making this process workable, cause the 'poison' the catalysts)
Posted Nov 21, 2009 @ 5:17pm Another new 'scare ware' product, air conditioning units which remove nano scale 'Spy smoke' from the air before it enters, your now hermetically sealed house......
Posted Nov 21, 2009 @ 5:13pm A smart criminal will pay a 'wetware' hacker to build some machines, which (using similar technology to the sewer analyser) replicate their bodily waste material and leave them in toilets in many different locations, the machines will deposit the fugitives dna in many sewers at different locations and times each day and will be small enough to remain unoticed, once in situ.....
Posted Nov 21, 2009 @ 5:07pm The sewer spy system will be rendered useless, when a company produces a toilet which gaurantees to remove all of your DNA from the waste material before discharging it to the sewer system(Possible new product here folks!). Could be marketed in a similar way to internet scare ware but the number of ways that nano technology can be used for surveillance, is likely to be limitless and you will never be able to ensure total privacy.....
Posted Nov 21, 2009 @ 4:49pm This surveillance system depends on the criminal or political dissidents it is being deployed against, using a toilet which is connected to the sewer. What if they are hippies and use a composting toilet where the waste matter is broken down onsite or are special forces trained to take their fecal matter in a plastic bag and dispose of it away from their current location?
If you are this serious about watching everyone, you should consider the use of 'Spy Smoke' (nano sized machines which have cameras, microphones, transmitters and dna analysers on them, which float on the breeze and drift into peoples houses, maybe they can be built with propulsion units on them? there could be towers at various points around the town where the Spy Smoke could be constantly released or released when there was an alert on to look for a particular individual....
Posted Oct 23, 2009 @ 1:24am Welcome back!
We are reopening the comments. Thanks!