Issue
The nation’s agricultural sectors face continuous threats from invasive species that pose risks to U.S agriculture, food supplies, and the economy. Detection prior to introduction is crucial for safeguarding our ag sectors, reducing economic losses, and public health risks. Developing and testing accurate detection and inspection systems are keys to addressing a broad range of existing and anticipated invasive species concerning threats.
Objectives
We propose to develop integrated multiplexed sensing platforms to simultaneously detect multiple invasive and/or quarantined pathogens with diverse lifestyles, including viruses, bacteria, fungi, and oomycete pathogens. These platforms build upon a recent pioneering development of a patent-pending loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) chip for detecting an invasive oomycete pathogen, Phytophthora infestans, by integrating LAMP, nanotechnology, and smartphone technologies.
Value Propositions
This research is expected to yield a prototype integrated sensing platform that can facilitate the rapid screening and detection of pathogens with high sensitivity, suitable for lab settings and in the field. Successful development of these tools matched with effective training will lead to improved detection outcomes while reducing inspection bottlenecks that can diminish the economic benefits of trade.
These innovative platforms enable rapid, ultrasensitive, and label-free detection of various pathogens within 30 minutes in both laboratory and field settings. Furthermore, the LAMP primers are designed to be immobilized on the sensor, allowing the resulting LAMP products to attach to the sensor, thereby significantly reducing the likelihood of carry-over contamination.
| Project Lead | Texas A&M AgriLife Research |
| Research Team | PI: Junqi Song, PhD Co-PI: Kranthi Mandani, PhD Co-PI: Long Que, PhD |
| Budget | $523,879 |
| Duration | November 2024 – November 2026 |