High throughput salmonella detector

1. This project will focus on detecting live Salmonella organisms in industry-relevant large sample volumes faster, at lower cost, and with comparable accuracy to existing methods. Salmonella is the most common cause of foodborne illness. The United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that Salmonella causes 19,000 hospitalizations and 380 deaths per year. Many of these cases could be prevented with improved detection. The primary roadblock to improved detection is the lack of in-situ, high-throughput detection technologies.2. The proposed novel sensor will combined existing technologies magnetic detection, surface modified magnetic particles and microfluidics.3. Successful demonstration and commercialization of the proposed sensor would dramatically improve food safety, reducing foodborne illness and death by providing faster and easier in-situ detection.