Two years ago, a research project was launched at Leibniz University Hannover to develop a novel toxin detector. The team led by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Stefan Zimmermann received funding under the highly competitive EXIST research transfer grant scheme run by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE). The aim was to develop a new generation of detectors for the highly sensitive analysis of environmental toxins in the fields of food and drinking water analysis.
Although electron capture detectors, which have been widely used to date, are considered extremely powerful, they rely on radioactive sources and are therefore subject to stringent regulatory requirements and involve additional operational effort. The developed X-ECD addresses precisely this issue, replacing the radioactive component with an innovative photoionisation source. This preserves analytical performance whilst, in principle, eliminating the original safety and regulatory hurdles.
Within just 18 months, the technology was further developed from a laboratory setup into a compact detector module that can be integrated into existing gas chromatography systems.
The next step was taken with the founding of Hummex Analytics GmbH in September 2025. The company is now bringing the X-ECD from the research stage to the market and driving forward the industrial application of the technology
For further information about the team and the technology, please visit the website: www.hummex.de
