The Detection and Food Safety Center will yield fundamental scientific advances in the methods of bacterial-chemical sensing, information technologies and integration of biological and electrical functions on a single chip. Results of these fundamental studies will be combined with engineering studies to yield enabling technology, such as handheld bacteria detectors, sampling methodologies and RFID sensor tags.
A range of industrial products are envisioned, beginning with bulk-food shipment monitor for automatic inventory, temperature and time measurement; improved systems for inventory-traceability (RFID tags); port-of-entry food inspection monitors; food processing monitors; and a continuum of inventory, temperature, bacterial sensor tags for bulk to individual packages.
With a cost of five to 10 cents, stamp-sized sensor tags (STags) can be placed
on appropriate fresh-food products. With a target sensitivity of tens of cells,
the sensors would transmit a host of information by non-line-of-sight radio frequency.
For consumer safety, these sensors would measure temperature, bacteria count,
and other chemical and environmental changes. For the food industry, these sensors
would provide the same information, in addition to traceability features such
as origin, date and time of processing, shipment information and a range of other
"programmable" features. Our RFID STags would be found molded into the sides of
plastic bottles, attached to the inside cap of glass bottles, molded into Styrofoam
meat-trays and attached to plastic wraps.
Fulfilling the AUDFS vision will produce deliverables, such as:
