Auburn University Detection and Food Safety Center
Food safety is a national priority that affects every man, woman and child. As many as 48 million Americans become ill annually due to foodborne pathogens and toxins. AUDFS works to improve the safety of the U.S. food system by developing the science and engineering required to rapidly identify, pinpoint and characterize problems that arise in the food supply chain through the integration of sensor and information systems technology.
Center research is funded through several funding streams, including special university funding through the Peaks of Excellence program, federal agencies (including USDA, FDA and NSF), and food-related industries in the form of sponsored projects and industrial participation.
AUDFS efforts to increase food safety and detection are focused primarily on biomolecular recognition and detection devices. Some of the many technologies AUDFS is researching include RNA-based biosensors for pathogen detection, air sampling for E. coli detection on spinach leaves, and chemical sensing strategies based on molecularly imprinted polymers.
Materials Research and Education Center
The Materials Research and Education Center (MREC), established in 1993, consistently attracts national and international materials-related research projects. Confidence in the Auburn University MREC’s research capabilities and expertise among faculty members keep the program on the cutting edge of research in many areas. Projects range in variety based on project sponsor and purpose. The center attracts and oversees more than $3 million in annual projects. The projects utilize the expertise among the materials engineering faculty, and when appropriate, the knowledge and experience available in various other Auburn University departments and colleges.
Current research areas through MREC include Adaptive Materials, High-Temperature Materials, Nanomaterials and Nanocomposites, and the Processing and Fabrication of Materials.
Recent Research News
Faculty, staff recognized at Engineering Research Awards banquet
9/12/25 9:15 AM
The awards recognize outstanding contributions that exemplify innovation, collaboration and real-world impact
NSF funds Auburn materials engineering research into combining light and matter
8/25/25 10:00 AM
The National Science Foundation’s Division of Materials Research (DMR) has awarded Siyuan Dai, associate professor and Ginn Faculty Achievement Fellow in the Department of Materials Engineering, a $600,000 grant to explore ways of fusing light and matter that are literally opening new dimensions in nano-optics.
Auburn Engineering researchers advance to Stage 2 of NIH/NCATS Quantum Sensing Technology Challenge
8/18/25 8:00 AM
Zihe Gao and Pengyu Chen created a cutting-edge imaging method for cancer detection that advanced to Stage 2 of the NIH/NCATS Quantum Sensing Technology Challenge.
#GINNing Podcast: All We Do Is Chen
8/15/25 12:00 AM
In the field of rapid immunodiagnostics, one name lights up the sensors more than any other — Pengyu Chen.
NSF highlights Auburn’s leading research in biomedical sensor technology
7/24/25 1:00 PM
The NSF's confidence in Pengyu Chen's transformative research into rapid immunodiagnostics was well-placed.
College launches novel internet tool designed to foster research collaboration across multiple disciplines
7/3/25 8:15 AM
AUSME is a searchable, artificial intelligence-powered tool that transforms how researchers discover one another, form collaborations and pursue complex, cross-disciplinary challenges.