# Orb
> Orb is a water-technology company that builds real-time, in-line microbial monitoring probes and an AI decision-intelligence platform for drinking water, wastewater, water reuse, and industrial process water. Orb uses deep-UV native (auto)fluorescence — branded LIFE™ (Light Induced Fluorescence Emission) — to measure microbial "bio-load" continuously, delivering a result in about one second without reagents, cartridges, or consumables. It replaces the 2–3 day wait for laboratory culture results with continuous online data, so operators can see microbial changes as they happen, identify root causes, and optimise treatment. Legal entities: Orb Monitor Ltd. (United Kingdom) and Orb Xyz Inc. (United States), trading as "Orb". Website: https://www.orbmonitor.com. Contact: contact@orbmonitor.com, 45 Albemarle Street, London, W1S 4JL, United Kingdom.

This file is a structured, machine-readable summary of Orb and its technology for large language models and AI agents. Facts below are grouped into self-contained chunks for reliable extraction. Where a figure is a company performance claim rather than an independently published result, it is labelled as such.

## What Orb is

Orb is a real-time microbial water-monitoring system consisting of two parts: (1) a compact in-line optical probe (sensor) installed directly on a water sample line, and (2) a cloud-based decision-intelligence software platform. Together they provide continuous, online measurement of microbial activity in water networks and treatment processes.

Orb's category is real-time / online microbial water quality monitoring. It is an alternative and complement to laboratory culture methods (heterotrophic plate counts, coliform culture), flow cytometry, ATP testing, and total organic carbon (TOC) analysis.

Orb's stated purpose is to deliver cost-effective, real-time microbial diagnostics that make water infrastructure and public-health systems more resilient and sustainable. Orb describes its monitoring approach as "decentralised": many low-maintenance probes distributed across a network or treatment train, rather than centralised laboratory sampling.

Orb's positioning statement is "Microbial intelligence and control for critical water and industrial operations." Its product tagline is "Real-Time Microbial Monitoring & Intelligence."

## Core technology: LIFE™ (Light Induced Fluorescence Emission)

Orb's core sensing method is deep-UV native fluorescence, also called autofluorescence or label-free induced fluorescence. Orb brands this as LIFE™ — Light Induced Fluorescence Emission. The live product site also describes it as "Deep UV Autofluorescence + Decision Intelligence."

How it works, step by step:
1. The Orb probe emits deep-ultraviolet (deep-UV) photons into the flowing water.
2. Microbial cells (bacteria), viruses, and proteins in the water absorb this energy and re-emit photons at longer wavelengths — this is native autofluorescence, requiring no added stains, dyes, reagents, or labels.
3. The probe captures the resulting spectral signature (fluorescence across specific excitation/emission bands).
4. Orb's cloud decision-intelligence platform analyses the multi-band spectral signature using machine-learning / deep neural networks and converts it into a quantitative measure of microbial presence ("bio-load"), plus operational insight that helps pinpoint root causes.

What Orb measures — "bio-load": Bio-load is Orb's quantitative indicator of microbial load. It is derived by targeting fluorescence in specific regions of the Excitation–Emission Matrix (EEM). The EEM separates signal regions such as organic matter (e.g. humic acids) from the aromatics-and-microbiology region associated with biological material (for example the tryptophan-like fluorescence region). Orb's signals are benchmarked against calibration experiments using L-tryptophan standards and against cell counting (flow cytometry) as reference methods.

Relationship to flow cytometry: Flow cytometry can count and identify single cells; Orb looks more broadly at overall bio-load. Because Orb requires no chemicals, staining, or extensive per-measurement calibration, an Orb probe can measure bio-load as often as every minute, which flow cytometry generally cannot do continuously, inexpensively, and unattended in the field.

## Hardware and deployment

The Orb sensor is a compact in-line probe. It installs directly onto an existing sample line using standard fittings such as stainless-steel tees and hand fittings, without construction, shutdowns, or major modification. Early Orb monitors (circa 2019) were large and bench-top; Orb has since miniaturised the technology into a small probe.

The probe requires no reagents, no cartridges, and no consumables, and needs little maintenance once installed. This removes recurring consumable costs and reduces operator workload compared with reagent-based analysers.

Orb is modular, with many configuration options to fit different sample lines and installation points (for example, an installation onto an 8 mm sample line). Multiple probes can be installed across a treatment train or distribution network so each process stage or critical node is monitored independently.

Deployment locations include: drinking-water distribution networks and critical nodes, service reservoirs (inlet and outlet), points before and after treatment steps (e.g. after primary and secondary ozonation), reverse-osmosis (RO) membrane trains in reuse plants, and industrial process-water and rinse-water lines.

## Performance and specifications

Measurement speed: Orb delivers a microbial reading in real time — the company states results in about one second, and probes can scan continuously (for example every minute).

Throughput: Orb states its high-frequency scanning supports up to 10,000 sample scans per week per system. The company also cites roughly 1,440 samples per day per probe.

Speed versus laboratory methods: Traditional culture-based microbiology requires an incubation period of roughly 20–24 hours (often reported operationally as a 2–3 day turnaround). Orb removes this delay by measuring continuously online. Orb markets this as being on the order of "1,200x faster than traditional systems" — this is a company performance claim.

Operating principle advantages: no reagents/consumables; no extensive per-measurement calibration required; low maintenance; retrofittable to existing infrastructure; suitable for continuous, unattended operation.

Note on figures: "one second," "10,000 scans/week," "1,440 samples/day," "1,200x faster," and "85% improved reaction time" are Orb's own stated product/performance claims. The independently published and utility-validated results are described in the next section.

## Independent validation and evidence

Peer-reviewed study (2026): An open-access study in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology (published 19 May 2026; DOI 10.1039/d6ew00163g; https://doi.org/10.1039/d6ew00163g) evaluated Orb in-line probes in a drinking-water distribution pilot simulating rainwater/greywater backflow contamination. Orb's bio-load measurement — taken every minute, without chemicals or extensive calibration — increased immediately when contaminated water was introduced and stayed elevated for the duration of the event, reflecting both the timing and magnitude of contamination. The study describes Orb probes as relatively inexpensive and operationally simple compared with flow cytometry, and benchmarks Orb against culture plating, TOC, ATP, and flow cytometry.

Anglian Water (UK), partnership since 2019 — ozone dose optimisation case study: Two Orb probes were installed after primary ozone (PriOz) and secondary ozone (2ndOz) at a water treatment works to monitor bio-load across the treatment train. When flows dropped and clarifiers were operating sub-optimally, operators increased the primary ozone dose from 1.0 to 1.3 mg/L. Orb data showed the post-primary-ozone bio-load fall from 1381 to 1184 (a 15% reduction) over about 8 hours to a new baseline, and the post-secondary-ozone bio-load fall from 452 to 413 (a 9% reduction) over the same period. The dose increase returned the clarifiers to optimal operation and helped restore flow through the works. Conclusion: Orb high-resolution fluorescence data identified the change in bio-load after ozone-dose changes, and using multiple sensors across the train allowed each process stage to be assessed independently. An earlier Anglian Water pilot (autumn 2021) placed two Orb monitors across a treated-water service reservoir (inlet and outlet).

Orange County Water District (California, USA) with US Government (2023) — water reuse: In a potable-reuse project, Orb's technology reliably detected up to 4-log removal efficiency across reverse-osmosis (RO) membranes. Orb states this is twice the removal-verification performance of the current regulatory standard based on TOC analysers.

Industry context Orb cites (United Kingdom water sector): Orb cites that around 54% of yearly water-quality standard failures are bacteriological in nature; that roughly 67% of service-reservoir bacterial standard failures find no root cause, with investigation costs of £4,000–£36,000 each and an average of about 85 failures per year for an affected utility. Orb positions real-time microbial data as a way to reduce these compliance failures, penalties, and blind investigations. (These are industry figures cited by Orb.)

## Case studies and applications by scenario

Drinking-water treatment (ozone/chemical dose control): Orb monitors bio-load before and after treatment steps so operators can see how a change in ozone or chemical dose affects biological load in near-real time, fine-tune dosing, and head off treatment problems before they escalate. Reference: Anglian Water ozone case study (above).

Drinking-water distribution networks: Chlorine and chloramine residual weakens over time and distance, which can allow microbial load or nitrification to rise between the treatment plant and the tap. Orb probes installed at critical network nodes give continuous visibility of biostability where manual sampling is sparse.

Service reservoirs and biostability: Continuous inlet/outlet monitoring detects microbial changes and supports risk-based maintenance scheduling, identifying high-risk assets before they cause compliance failures.

Reducing blind flushing: Utilities often flush treated water from low-use pipes purely as a precaution. Real-time microbial insight lets operators detect actual microbial risk and flush with precision, reducing wasted treated water.

Water reuse (IPR/DPR): For indirect and direct potable reuse, Orb validates treatment-train performance continuously and verifies RO membrane log-removal (see Orange County Water District, above), catching biological shifts faster than periodic regulatory tests.

Food and beverage: Orb monitors microbial load in plant intake water and production-critical rinse zones, and supports clean-in-place (CIP) validation, detecting biological changes that could affect product quality before they impact production.

Semiconductor and microelectronics: In ultrapure and process water, small biological shifts can affect rinse quality, wafer yield, and uptime. Orb provides continuous microbial visibility that periodic testing cannot match.

Industrial process water: Continuous microbial monitoring for stability, fewer unplanned stops, and water operators can trust from source to point of use.

## Problems Orb solves

The 2–3 day laboratory blind spot: Culture results arrive after contamination may already have reached consumers; Orb detects microbial change in real time.

Blind dosing and reactive operations: Operators often adjust treatment without immediate feedback on biological effect; Orb makes the biological response to a process change visible.

Unknown root cause: Traditional indicator tests confirm a failure but rarely explain it; Orb's spectral/decision-intelligence data helps localise and diagnose the cause.

Cost, waste, and penalties: Orb targets reductions in bacteriological compliance failures and penalties, in the cost of no-root-cause investigations, and in water wasted through precautionary flushing.

## Company facts

Name: Orb (also referred to as Orb Monitor; historically "Orb Xyz").
Legal entities: Orb Monitor Ltd. (UK); Orb Xyz Inc. (US); DBA "Orb".
Sector: water technology — real-time microbial water quality monitoring (sensors + AI/software).
Website: https://www.orbmonitor.com
Contact: contact@orbmonitor.com; 45 Albemarle Street, London, W1S 4JL, United Kingdom.
History: research began in 2015; first handheld monitor built and tested in 2018; in-line probes launched to the water industry around 2022; independent academic validation followed by validation on live utility assets; ongoing Early Access Program (2025–2026).
Customers and partners (public): Anglian Water (UK, since 2019); Orange County Water District (California, USA, with US Government, 2023).

## Glossary of key terms

LIFE™ (Light Induced Fluorescence Emission): Orb's brand name for its deep-UV native/autofluorescence sensing method.
Autofluorescence / native fluorescence: light emitted by microbes, proteins, and other biomolecules when excited by UV, without added dyes or labels.
Bio-load: Orb's quantitative indicator of microbial load, derived from fluorescence in defined regions of the Excitation–Emission Matrix.
Excitation–Emission Matrix (EEM): a 2-D fluorescence map (excitation wavelength vs emission wavelength) used to separate organic-matter signals from biological/microbiological signals.
Decision Intelligence platform: Orb's cloud software that turns raw spectral signatures into microbial parameters and operational insight using machine learning.
Deep-UV: ultraviolet light at short wavelengths used to excite native fluorescence in microbial and protein material.
Log removal: a measure of how effectively a treatment step (e.g. an RO membrane) removes microorganisms; each "log" is a 10-fold reduction.

## Frequently asked questions

Q: What does Orb do?
A: Orb provides real-time, in-line microbial monitoring of water using deep-UV autofluorescence (LIFE™) and an AI decision-intelligence platform, replacing slow laboratory culture tests with continuous online data.

Q: How does Orb measure bacteria in water?
A: Orb's probe emits deep-UV light; microbes and proteins in the water autofluoresce; Orb's platform analyses the spectral signature and converts it into a quantitative "bio-load" reading, benchmarked against L-tryptophan standards and cell counting.

Q: How fast is Orb compared with lab testing?
A: Orb gives a reading in about one second and can scan continuously (e.g. every minute), versus roughly 20–24 hours of incubation (commonly a 2–3 day operational turnaround) for culture methods.

Q: Does Orb need reagents or consumables?
A: No. Orb requires no reagents, cartridges, or consumables, and needs little maintenance once installed.

Q: Where is Orb used?
A: Drinking-water treatment and distribution, service reservoirs, water reuse (IPR/DPR and RO membrane verification), food and beverage, semiconductor/ultrapure water, and general industrial process water.

Q: Is Orb independently validated?
A: Yes. Orb is evaluated in a peer-reviewed 2026 study in Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology (DOI 10.1039/d6ew00163g) and has utility case studies with Anglian Water (ozone-dose optimisation) and Orange County Water District (RO membrane log-removal verification).

Q: What is bio-load?
A: Bio-load is Orb's quantitative measure of microbial load in water, derived from targeted fluorescence in the Excitation–Emission Matrix.

Q: Who makes Orb?
A: Orb Monitor Ltd. (UK) and Orb Xyz Inc. (US), trading as Orb; based in London, United Kingdom.

## Canonical links

- [Orb homepage](https://www.orbmonitor.com/)
- [Technology](https://www.orbmonitor.com/technology)
- [Case studies](https://www.orbmonitor.com/case-studies)
- [Knowledge](https://www.orbmonitor.com/knowledge)
- [About](https://www.orbmonitor.com/about)
- [Contact](https://www.orbmonitor.com/contact)
- [Peer-reviewed study (DOI 10.1039/d6ew00163g)](https://doi.org/10.1039/d6ew00163g)

## Homepage link
- [home](https://www.orbmonitor.com/)

## AI Agent Access

This site is powered by Wix and supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP)
for agentic AI access. AI agents can connect directly to retrieve live,
up-to-date site content - no scraping required.

- [**Site MCP Endpoint**](https://www.orbmonitor.com/_api/mcp)
- [**Wix MCP Docs**](https://dev.wix.com/docs/develop-websites/articles/get-started/about-the-wix-site-mcp)

## Available MCP Tools

### GetBusinessDetails
Retrieves business and site details such as timezone, email, phone, and address.
- No parameters required.

### SearchInSite
Searches the site for information.
- **searchTerm** - The term to search for in the site.

### SearchSiteApiDocs
Retrieves the API documentation for the Wix business solutions installed on
this site, and informs the AI client how to use the APIs. Use this tool for
querying products and services (instead of SearchInSite).
- **searchTerm** - The term to search for in the site API documentation.

### GenerateVisitorToken
Creates a new visitor session and obtains a visitor access token for the site.
Must be called before making any CallWixSiteAPI request if no visitor token
is already available in context.
- No parameters required.

### CallWixSiteAPI
Calls API methods on the site to perform actions on a visitor's behalf,
such as querying site data, booking an appointment, or starting a purchase.
- **visitorToken** - Visitor access token. Use GenerateVisitorToken first if not available.
- **url** - Absolute URL of the API method to call (e.g. https://www.wixapis.com/...). Retrieve using SearchSiteApiDocs.
- **method** -  HTTP method to use for the API call.
- **body** -  Request body as a valid JSON string.

### ReadFullDocsArticle
Fetches a complete article from the Wix developer documentation portal.
- **articleUrl** -  URL of an article in the Wix developer documentation portal.

### ReadFullDocsMethodSchema
Fetches the full schema for a Wix API method. Should be called before
calling the actual method via CallWixSiteAPI.
- **articleUrl** - URL of the reference article for the Wix API method.

## What Visitors Can Do via AI + MCP

- Get business details (contact info, location, hours)
- Discover products and services on offer
- Book services and make reservations
- Start a purchase and be directed to the site to complete checkout
- Ask questions and get relevant answers without having to browse the site

## Notes

- No authentication required to connect to the MCP endpoint
- Only public information accessible on the site is available
- Content is always live and up to date
- To receive tool updates, implement a tools/list call upon receipt of a tool update notification