The University at Albany researchers have been awarded $611,000 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop a new, fast-acting tool for Salmonella detection. If successful, the test will reduce the time it takes to detect Salmonella in food from days to hours, making it possible to quickly implement preemptive measures to prevent human illness and lost revenue. The proposed research is developing an ultra-sensitive, nanotechnology-enabled approach for rapid Salmonella detection that can easily be used anywhere without special instrumentation. This project will focus on Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium, the predominant serotypes responsible for half of all human infections in the U.S. The system will make it easy for anyone suspecting contamination to test a sample and receive verified results within six hours. Central to this work is developing a novel detection approach that relies on nanotechnology and artificial intelligence. The proposed diagnostic kit will include pre-filled vials, allowing the user to easily add their sample and induce the chemical reaction necessary to determine Salmonella presence or absence. When the processing is complete, color-coded results (purple/positive or red/negative) will be visible in a test-tube solution or on a paper test strip. The team is further exploring the development of an image analysis system, integrating machine learning techniques to interpret the color patterns exhibited on the nanoarray test strip. The team’s nano-diagnostic system will also serve as a template for foodborne bacterial detection beyond Salmonella, marking a significant step forward in the field of food safety. @
