ONE OF THE MOST COMMON METHODS FOR IDENTIFICATION OF VIRAL, BACTERIAL AND PARASITIC INFECTIONS IN ANIMALS IS BASED ON DETECTION OF CIRCULATING ANTIBODIES TO THESE INFECTIONS WITHIN BLOOD, MILK, AND TISSUE SAMPLES USING LAB-BASED TECHNIQUES SUCH AS ENZYME LINKED IMMUNO-SORBANT ASSAYS (ELISA). HOWEVER, ELISA-BASED TESTING IS LIMITED, AS IT TYPICALLY RELIES ON THE DETECTION OF A SINGLE VIRUS WITHIN AN INDIVIDUAL TEST SAMPLE (~$5 PER SAMPLE TEST) - THIS MEANS SCREENING FOR EACH DISEASE UNDER INVESTIGATION MUST BE PERFORMED SEPARATELY. CONSEQUENTLY, THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF MULTIPLE ELISA TESTING FOR PATHOGENS IN ANIMAL POPULATIONS CAN BE PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE AND MANY ANIMALS DO NOT UNDERGO FREQUENT TESTING COMPROMISING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF DISEASE CONTROL, PREVENTION AND MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES. ADDITIONALLY, ELISA DOES NOT FACILITATE ON-FARM TESTING AS SAMPLES MUST BE COLLECTED AND TRANSPORTED TO A CENTRAL LABORATORY, FURTHER INCREASING THE COST.INVESTIGATORS FROM THE GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (GT), QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY BELFAST (QUB), THE TYNDALL NATIONAL INSTITUTE (TYN) AND TEAGASC (THE IRISH AGRICULTURE AND FOOD DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY) WILL DEVELOP, DEMONSTRATE AND VALIDATEA NEW SENSOR TECHNOLOGY WHICH ALLOWS SIMULTANEOUS DETECTION, ON-FARM, OF ANIMAL EXPOSURE TO VIRUSES OF RECOGNISED HIGH IMPORTANCE TO BOVINE ANIMAL HEALTH AND PERFORMANCE. THE SENSOR PLATFORM UNIQUELY CONSISTS OF TWO SENSORS WITH DIFFERENT SENSING MECHANISMS (POTENTIOMETRIC AND ELECTROCHEMICAL IMPEDANCE SENSORS) THAT FACILITATE PARALLEL TESTING FOR MULTIPLE DISEASES, WITH ENHANCED SPECIFICITY AND SENSITIVITY, PROVIDING ROBUST CLINICAL DATA TO FARMERS AND VETERINARIANS. THE TEAM WILL DEVELOP AND OPTIMIZE THE TECHNOLOGY, TRANSLATE THE SENSOR PLATFORM FROM AN ADVANCED LABORATORY STATE TO A FIELD DEPLOYABLE FORMAT, AND VALIDATE AND DEMONSTRATE THE NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR ON-FARM TESTING OF BLOOD AND MILK.THIS PROJECT WILL HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT ON THE EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF THE AGRI-FOOD SECTOR WHICH CONTRIBUTES $835 BILLION TO THE U.S. GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT IN 2014 (WITH ~$88BN FOR FARM GATE RECEIPTS IN CATTLE AND CALVES) AND AN ESTIMATED €26BN TO THE IRISH ECONOMY (GENERATING 10% OF IRELAND'S EXPORTS, WITH BEEF AND DAIRY ACCOUNTING FOR 58% OF AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT). IN 2014, THERE WERE 39 MILLION CATTLE IN THE U.S. WITH ~$7BN OF BEEF EXPORT AND 6.3 MILLION CATTLE IN IRELAND, WITH EXPORTS OF €1.8BN FOR BEEF, AND €2.9BN FOR MILK PRODUCTS (SOURCE: CENTRAL STATISTICS OFFICE). THE BEEF CHAIN IN EUROPE IS VALUED AT OVER €80BN ACCOUNTING FOR APPROXIMATELY 10% OF EU AGRICULTURAL OUTPUT, WHILE THE DAIRY SECTOR ACCOUNTS FOR 13% OF TOTAL EU TURNOVER IN THE FOOD AND DRINK SECTOR. GIVEN ITS SIZE, THE AGRI-FOOD INDUSTRY HAS A GREEN/SUSTAINABLE REPUTATION THAT MUST BE MAINTAINED. HOWEVER, TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND GROW NEW INTERNATIONAL MARKETS, LOSSES (BOTH ECONOMIC AND PERCEPTUAL) ARISING FROM DISEASES NEED TO BE MINIMISED.

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