Biography

James Covington (JC) is a Professor in Electronic Engineering within the School of Engineering at Warwick University.

He has spent his academic career developing chemical and biological sensors for detecting a variety of environmental pollutants and biological agents, applying a wide range of electronic and MEMS techniques in the development of these novel sensors. He setup the Biomedical Sensors Laboratory in 2010, at Warwick University to apply gas analysis techniques to the medical arena. In addition, he has been working on developing low-cost, high-volume chemical sensors for the industrial sector. He has now produced the most cost & power efficient chemical sensors commercially available today, which were licensed to AMS. He has received funding from the EU, MRC, NIHR, industry (including Sony, IBM, Roche, Denso and DSM to name a few) and many charities (including the Rosetree foundation, BROAD foundation, BDRF, Coeliac UK, Lily-May charity and BRET).

He work closely with industry, undertaking a broad spectrum of projects from basic sensor development from sensor fundamentals, instrument/instrumentation development (circuit design, firmware and software) and developing applications from environmental monitoring through to agriculture, food and drink, automotive and to the security sector. He is also the president of the International Society of Chemical Sensors (France) and is a member of both the IET (UK) and IEEE (US) and supports the creation of worldwide industrial standards in sensor. He has also been involved in numerous public events (including at the London Science Museum), TV programmes (Discovery Channel and BBC) and in the media for his work on smell.

Group website: Bio-Medical Sensors Laboratory

Research Interests

• Artificial Olfactory Systems (Electronic Noses)
• Development gas phase analysis sensor systems
• Clinical investigations of gas phase bio-markers of disease
• Application development for medical, environmental and agricultural fields
• Low cost material and sensor development, including metal-oxides and polymers
• CMOS compatible chemical sensors (gas phase)
• Micro-hot plate technologies
• Micro-fluidic devices (pumps, valves)

Teaching Interests

Recent Publications

2021:

• Daulton, Emma, Wicaksono, Alfian, Tiele, Akira, Kocher, Hemant M., Debernardi, Silvana, Crnogorac-Jurcevic, Tatjana and Covington, James A. (2021) Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for the non-invasive detection of pancreatic cancer from urine. Talanta, 221 . 121604. doi:10.1016/j.talanta.2020.121604

2020

• Esfahani, Siavash, Tiele, Akira, Agbroko, Samuel O. and Covington, James A. (2020) Development of a tuneable NDIR optical electronic nose. Sensors, 20 (23). e6875. doi:10.3390/s20236875
• Sagar, Nidhi M., Duboc, Henri, Kay, Gemma L., Alam, Mohammad T., Wicaksono, Alfian, Covington, James A., Quince, Christopher , Kokkorou, Margarita, Svolos, Vaios, Palmieri, Lola J., Gerasimidis, Konstantinos, Walters, Julian R. F. and Arasaradnam, Ramesh P. (2020) The pathophysiology of bile acid diarrhoea : differences in the colonic microbiome, metabolome and bile acids. Scientific Reports, 10 (1). 20436. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-77374-7
• van den Brink, Deborah A., de Meij, Tim, Brals, Daniella, Bandsma, Robert H. J., Thitiri, Johnstone, Ngari, Moses, Mwalekwa, Laura, de Boer, Nanne K. H., Wicaksono, Alfian, Covington, James A., van Rheenen, Patrick F. and Voskuijl, Wieger P. (2020) Prediction of mortality in severe acute malnutrition in hospitalized children by faecal volatile organic compound analysis : proof of concept. Scientific Reports, 10 (1). 18785. doi:10.1038/s41598-020-75515-6
• McFarlane, Michael J., Mozdiak, Ella , Daulton, Emma, Arasaradnam, Ramesh P., Covington, James A. and Nwokolo, Chuka U. (2020) Pre-analytical and analytical variables that influence urinary volatile organic compound measurements. PLoS One, 15 (7). e0236591. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0236591
• Dospinescu, Valentin-Mihai, Tiele, Akira and Covington, James A. (2020) Sniffing out urinary tract infection—diagnosis based on volatile organic compounds and smell profile. Biosensors, 10 (8). 83. doi:10.3390/bios10080083
• Lacey, Lauren, Daulton, Emma, Wicaksono, Alfian, Covington, James A. and Quenby, Siobhan (2020) Volatile organic compound analysis, a new tool in the quest for preterm birth prediction—an observational cohort study. Scientific Reports, 10 (1). 12153 . doi:10.1038/s41598-020-69142-4
• Bosch, Sofie, Wintjens, Dion S.J., Wicaksono, Alfian, Kuijvenhoven, Johan, van der Hulst, René, Stokkers, Pieter, Daulton, Emma, Pierik, Marieke J., Covington, James A., de Meij, Tim G.J. and de Boer, Nanne K. H. (2020) The faecal scent of inflammatory bowel disease : detection and monitoring based on volatile organic compound analysis. Digestive and Liver Disease, 52 (7). pp. 745-752. doi:10.1016/j.dld.2020.03.007
• Wilson, Rachel L., Simion, Cristian Eugen, Stanoiu, Adelina, Taylor, Alaric, Guldin, Stefan, Covington, James A., Carmalt, Claire J. and Blackman, Chris S. (2020) Humidity-tolerant ultrathin NiO gas-sensing films. ACS Sensors . doi:10.1021/acssensors.0c00172 (In Press)
• Daulton, Emma, Wicaksono, Alfian, Bechar, Janak, Covington, James A. and Hardwicke, Joseph (2020) The detection of wound infection by ion mobility chemical analysis. Biosensors, 10 (3). 19. doi:10.3390/bios10030019
• Tiele, Akira, Wicaksono, Alfian, Daulton, Emma, Ifeachor, Emmanuel, Eyre, Victoria, Clarke, Sophie, Timings, Leanne, Pearson, Stephen, Covington, James A. and Li, Xinzhong (2020) Breath-based non-invasive diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease : a pilot study. Journal of Breath Research, 14 (2). doi:10.1088/1752-7163/ab6016
• Bosch, S., Bot, R., Wicaksono, Alfian, Savelkoul, E., Hulst, R., Kuijvenhoven, J., Stokkers, P., Daulton, Emma, Covington, James A., Meij, T. G. J. and Boer, N. K. H. (2020) Early detection and follow‐up of colorectal neoplasia based on faecal volatile organic compounds. Colorectal Disease . doi:10.1111/codi.15009 (In Press)
• Berkhout, Daniel J. C., Niemarkt, Hendrik J., Andriessen, Peter, Vijlbrief, Daniel C., Bomers, Marije K., Cossey, Veerle, Hulzebos, Christian V., van Kaam, Anton H., Kramer, Boris W., van Lingen, Richard A., Wicaksono, Alfian, Covington, James A., van Weissenbruch, Mirjam M., Benninga, Marc A., de Boer, Nanne K. H. and de Meij, Tim G. J. (2020) Preclinical detection of non-catheter related late-onset sepsis in preterm infants by fecal volatile compounds analysis : a prospective, multi-center cohort study. The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal . doi:10.1097/INF.0000000000002589 (In Press)
• Tiele, Akira, Wicaksono, Alfian, Ayyala, Sai Kiran and Covington, James A. (2020) Development of a compact, IoT-enabled electronic nose for breath analysis. Electronics, 9 (1). 84. doi:10.3390/electronics9010084

2019

• el Manouni el Hassani, Sofia, Bosch, Sofie, Lemmen, Jesse P. M., Brizzio Brentar, Marina, Ayada, Ibrahim, Wicaksono, Alfian, Covington, James A., Benninga, Marc A., de Boer, Nanne K. H. and de Meij, Tim G. J. (2019) Simultaneous assessment of urinary and fecal volatile organic compound analysis in De Novo Pediatric IBD. Sensors, 19 (20). 4496. doi:10.3390/s19204496
• Lacey, Lauren, Daulton, Emma, Wicaksono, Alfian, Covington, James A. and Quenby, Siobhan (2019) Detection of Group B Streptococcus in pregnancy by vaginal volatile organic compound analysis : a prospective exploratory study. Translational Research . doi:10.1016/j.trsl.2019.09.002 (In Press)
• Tiele, Akira, Daly, Anne, Hattersley, John, Pinto, Alex, Evans, Sharon, Ashmore, Catherine, MacDonald, Anita and Covington, James A. (2019) Investigation of paediatric PKU breath malodour, comparing glycomacropeptide with phenylalanine free L-amino acid supplements. Journal of Breath Research . doi:10.1088/1752-7163/ab4097
• Pérez-Calvo, Estefania, Wicaksono, Alfian, Canet, Estel, Daulton, Emma, Ens, Waldemar, Hoeller, Ulrich, Verlhac, Viviane, Celi, Pietro and Covington, James A. (2019) The measurement of volatile organic compounds in faeces of piglets as a tool to assess gastrointestinal functionality. Biosystems Engineering, 184 . pp. 122-129. doi:10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2019.06.005 (In Press)
• Yang, Taicong, Tian, Fengchun, Covington, James A., Xu, Feng, Xu, Yi, Jiang, Anyan, Qian, Junhui, Liu, Ran, Wang, Zichen and Huang, Yangfan (2019) Resistance-capacitance gas sensor based on fractal geometry. Chemosensors, 7 (3). 31. doi:10.3390/chemosensors7030031
• Plat, V. D., Bootsma, B. T., Neal, Matthew, Nielsen, K., Sonneveld, D. J. A., Tersteeg, J. J. C., Crolla, R. M. P. H., van Dam, D. A., Cense, H. A., Stockmann, H. B. A. C., Covington, James A., de Meij, T. G. J., Tuynman, J. B., de Boer, N. K. H. and Daams, F. (2019) Urinary volatile organic compound markers and colorectal anastomotic leakage. Colorectal Disease . doi:10.1111/codi.14732 (In Press)
• Rouvroye, Maxine D., Wicaksono, Alfian, Bosch, Sofie, Savelkoul, Edo, Covington, James A., Beaumont, Hanneke, Mulder, Chris J., Bouma, Gerd, de Meij, Tim G.J. and de Boer, Nanne K.H. (2019) Faecal scent as a novel non-invasive biomarker to discriminate between coeliac disease and refractory coeliac disease : a proof of principle study. Biosensors, 9 (2). p. 69. doi:10.3390/bios9020069
• Mozdiak, Ella, Wicaksono, Alfian, Covington, James A. and Arasaradnam, Ramesh P. (2019) Colorectal cancer and adenoma screening using urinary volatile organic compound (VOC) detection : early results from a single-centre bowel screening population (UK BCSP). Techniques in Coloproctology, 23 (4). pp. 343-351. doi:10.1007/s10151-019-01963-6
• Sari, Wangi P., Blackman, Chris, Zhu, Yiyun and Covington, James A. (2019) AACVD Grown WO3 Nanoneedles Decorated With Ag/Ag2O Nanoparticles for Oxygen Measurement in a Humid Environment. IEEE Sensors Journal, 19 (3). pp. 826-832. doi:10.1109/JSEN.2018.2878051
• Tiele, Akira, Wicaksono, Alfian, Kansara, Jiten, Arasaradnam, Ramesh P. and Covington, James A. (2019) Breath analysis using eNose and ion mobility technology to diagnose inflammatory bowel disease - a pilot study. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 9 (2). 55. doi:10.3390/bios9020055

Projects and Grants

• Fighting Antibiotic Resistance with Point of Care Breath Analysis, Innovate UK, Project State Date 01-08-2020 for 21 months
• Sensor development for environment monitoring, Industrial funded, Under NDA
• Gas phase analysis applied to animal nutrition, Industrial funded, Under NDA
• Sensor system development for agriculture, Industrial funded, Under NDA
• infections (UTIs) in pregnancy by volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis, Wellcome Trust.
• BRET 2 Subcontract from UHCW: FAMISHED optimisation of testing methodologies, signal and data processing and deployment of novel detection technologies Funded by: University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, Project Start Date 01-07-2012 - Project End Date 31-12-2023
• The detection of gas phase biomarkers using Ion Mobility for clinical applications Funded by: Owlstone Medical Ltd, Project Start Date 01-10-2018 - Project End Date 31-03-2022
• Laboratory and Material Transfer - PREDICT with Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust Funded by: Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, The, Project Start Date 07-12-2015 - Project End Date 06-12-2020
• Non-invasive triage of symptomatic fast-track colorectal patients using volatile compounds: a feasibility study Funded by: National Institute for Health Research (DoH), Project Start Date 01-01-2019 - Project End Date 31-12-2019
• Detection of Sepsis in Neonates from VOC Stool analysis with Emma Daulton, Funded by: VU University Medical Center, Project Start Date 10-04-2019 - Project End Date 09-10-2019