Water monitoring

From grab sample to connected catchment.

SP50 and Biota MAP cover the water sampling layer, from rapid grab-sample handling and field sampling to unattended, event-driven deployment.

SP50 can be brought into the connected system through a gateway, while Biota MAP provides multi-temporal, remotely managed sampling as part of the wider monitoring network.

Discuss a deployment Compare SP50 and MAP

Where these fit

Two samplers, one sampling layer.

Most water monitoring programmes are limited less by analysis than by how many samples can realistically be collected, and when. SP50 and Biota MAP address that constraint in different ways.

SP50 is the instrument you pick up and use, processing grab samples quickly or sampling directly from the source. Biota MAP is the instrument you leave in place, collecting multiple samples over time, unattended, while reporting back as it goes.

Both are complementary by design. They strengthen the sampling layer while continuing to feed the analytical methods, laboratories and partners you already use.

A field engineer kneeling on a pontoon beside deployed samplers, on a reed-fringed lake with woodland beyond.
Water

SP50

Rapidly process grab samples, sample directly in the field, or deploy for a single event-driven sample.

SP50 handles the step between collecting water and producing a preserved sample ready for downstream analysis. Instead of transporting bulk water, samples can be processed at or near the point of collection, so the filtered material moves onward preserved rather than the original water volume.

It uses a patent-pending reciprocating, syringe-based positive-displacement approach, keeping the familiarity and comparability of established syringe filtration while automating it. Unlike a peristaltic pump, it measures displaced volume and filtration pressure directly and can hold defined pressure limits as part of the filtration profile, maximising yield while mitigating the risk of filter failure. The pumping mechanism sits outside the wetted sample path, which simplifies contamination control between samples.

It can also be deployed to capture a single sample when conditions or connected sensors indicate an event is taking place. Across every mode the aim is the same: less handling and transport, less time between collection and preservation, and more samples without proportionally more field effort.

  • Process grab samples in batches, at the bench or in a field lab
  • Sample directly from the source without carrying bulk water
  • Deploy for a single event-driven sample when conditions or sensors call for it
  • Measure sampled volume and filtration pressure directly
  • Apply configurable pressure limits and filter profiles to maximise yield
  • Run standalone or connect through a gateway for logging, rules and triggers
  • Operate locally through the EASI App
  • Use existing filters and preservation buffers without changing established protocols
An engineer on a pontoon lowering an SP50 sampler into the water at a lakeside site.
Two SP50 samplers set up side by side on a field table with solar panels, collection bottles and a gateway, in rough grassland.

One sampler, many uses

The same unit, wherever the sampling happens.

SP50 is not configured differently for each of these. It is the same instrument and the same filtration method, which is what makes results from a laboratory bench and a riverbank comparable.

Two SP50 samplers set up as a field station on a folding table, with solar panels and collection bottles, in open grassland.
As a field lab Grab sample processing on site, systematic, data rich, in the field
An engineer operating an SP50 on a laboratory bench alongside a tablet.
In the laboratory Bench processing at high throughput, consistent
A Biota Trace team member holding an SP50 while sampling from a railing above a watercourse.
By hand Sampling directly from the source, no bulk water carried
An SP50 clamped to a pontoon rail over open water, with a Biota Trace gateway mounted alongside it.
Mounted to infrastructure Left in place on a structure, waiting for an event
An SP50 on a tripod standing in a shallow, stony river with the bank behind.
On a tripod Deployed in the watercourse itself, awaiting a trigger
Water

Biota MAP

Molecular Analysis Point

Connected multi-sample monitoring for repeated, temporal and event-driven sampling.

Biota MAP is installed at the water and stays there. It holds multiple discrete samples and works through them on a schedule, according to a rule, or in response to a connected trigger, building a temporal picture rather than a single snapshot.

Biota MAP is configurable by design. It can be supplied in different form factors to suit the deployment environment or integrated into OEM equipment where molecular sampling needs to become part of a wider system.

Integrated telemetry reports sample status and device state as the deployment progresses, allowing sample counts, timings and missed or completed events to be reviewed remotely.

  • Collect six or more discrete samples per deployment, unattended
  • Run time-series, interval or event-triggered sampling regimes
  • Available in different form factors for fixed, mobile or integrated deployment
  • Integrate into OEM equipment and wider monitoring systems
  • Use integrated telemetry to report sample and device status remotely
  • Act on rules and triggers configured through EASI, including inputs from connected sensors
A Biota MAP in a portable case at the water's edge, with a solar panel alongside and an engineer setting it up.

Choosing between them

Which sampler suits the question?

The right choice depends on how and where sampling needs to happen. SP50 supports responsive and campaign work, while Biota MAP provides sustained, multi-temporal coverage at fixed points. They can also be used together within the same monitoring programme.

Comparison of SP50 and Biota MAP water samplers
  SP50 Biota MAP
Best for Responsive sampling, campaigns, high-throughput processing Sustained monitoring at a fixed location
Operating mode Operator-led, or deployed for event-driven capture Unattended, scheduled or triggered
Samples per deployment Single sample per run, repeated as needed Six or more, rising in multiples depending on configuration and modules fitted
Telemetry Optional, via gateway Integrated
Field control Android app Android app on site, EASI remotely
Power Mains, battery, solar or methanol fuel cell Mains, battery, solar or methanol fuel cell
Deployment duration Per visit Hours, days, weeks or months
Typical applications eDNA campaigns, MST follow-up, spill response AMR surveillance, catchment time-series, consent monitoring

Where water sampling is applied

The same samplers, pointed at different questions.

A river running between densely wooded banks, the gravel bed visible through clear turquoise water.

Microbial Source Tracking

Move from detecting faecal contamination towards understanding likely sources and contributions.

Microbial source tracking
A disc diffusion susceptibility plate, with antibiotic discs and clear zones of inhibition in the bacterial lawn.

AMR Surveillance

Build higher-density, context-aware sampling around antimicrobial resistance targets.

AMR surveillance
A peacock butterfly feeding on grape hyacinth flowers in spring sunshine.

Biodiversity & eDNA

Expand campaign scale and repeatability in eDNA work without changing the analytical methods you already use.

Biodiversity and eDNA

Start with the monitoring problem

Tell us what you're trying to sample, detect or understand.

Tell us the water body, the target and the timescale, and we can suggest a starting point — from a single SP50 to a connected network of MAP units reporting into EASI.

Start a conversation How the platform connects