Reference number : GC-2017-Q1-02516, amendment number : , agreement type : G, recipient legal name : Neethirajan, Suresh (University of Guelph), recipient country : CA, recipient province : nan, recipient city : Ontario, recipient postal code : nan, program name english : Discovery Grants Program - Individual, program name french : Programme de subventions à la découverte - individuelles, program purpose english : In an era of unprecedented advances in science and medicine, new diseases that threaten human health still appear every year. Globalization and ecological pressures have increased the emergence of novel infections and global pandemics in farmed animals and food industries. This means that not only are livestock at growing risk of contracting new and difficult-to-control diseases, but the people who care for them as well. 
 
According to the World Health Organization, an average of three new diseases emerge each year. Two of these three originate in livestock, and 75% are zoonotic&mdash;that is, they pass between humans and animals. In addition, some existing diseases that affect farmed animals and food industries are also on the rise. These trends are game-changers brought on by the speed of evolution of disease organisms. A key strategy for responding to such incidents involves ongoing monitoring and early detection of infection and outbreaks. Unfortunately, there is currently a lack of reliable and cost-effective diagnostic tests for early detection of these diseases, and this shortage significantly hampers disease control programs. Available diagnostic tools are not field-deployable, and require time-consuming, sophisticated lab equipment. 
 
To keep in front of these burgeoning problems, the livestock and food processing industries need a paradigm shift in the way they carry out surveillance for disease. The proposed research program by Professor Neethirajan of the BioNanoLab of the University of Guelph is central to that paradigm shift. 
 
The overall objective of the proposed research program is to minimize the impact of food-borne infections and livestock diseases on Canada&rsquo;s animal production and welfare systems as well as its food processing industry, which is worth approximately $5 billion per year. Innovation in the agri-food chain is expected to drive productivity through novel and early disease diagnostic systems. 
 
Our scientific approach is to develop affordable, nanosensor-based diagnostic platforms that can be used for accurate on-farm and field-deployable diagnostic testing, with the end result of facilitating rapid and early disease control. The platforms will be developed as user-friendly, hand-held devices to maximize practical application. 
 
Our research will target key diseases in three livestock sectors: dairy, poultry and pork. In conclusion, the world has entered a &ldquo;4th revolution&rdquo; in agriculture. This era features novel technologies and diagnostic methods, such as Internet of Things and Precision Livestock Farming. The proposed research will contribute to this revolution in agriculture by developing innovative biosensor platforms into cost-effective diagnostic methods that can mitigate the potentially catastrophic effects of infectious outbreaks in farmed animals, food processing plants. Together, these developments will enhance food safety in Canada and beyond., program purpose french : In an era of unprecedented advances in science and medicine, new diseases that threaten human health still appear every year. Globalization and ecological pressures have increased the emergence of novel infections and global pandemics in farmed animals and food industries. This means that not only are livestock at growing risk of contracting new and difficult-to-control diseases, but the people who care for them as well. 
 
According to the World Health Organization, an average of three new diseases emerge each year. Two of these three originate in livestock, and 75% are zoonotic&mdash;that is, they pass between humans and animals. In addition, some existing diseases that affect farmed animals and food industries are also on the rise. These trends are game-changers brought on by the speed of evolution of disease organisms. A key strategy for responding to such incidents involves ongoing monitoring and early detection of infection and outbreaks. Unfortunately, there is currently a lack of reliable and cost-effective diagnostic tests for early detection of these diseases, and this shortage significantly hampers disease control programs. Available diagnostic tools are not field-deployable, and require time-consuming, sophisticated lab equipment. 
 
To keep in front of these burgeoning problems, the livestock and food processing industries need a paradigm shift in the way they carry out surveillance for disease. The proposed research program by Professor Neethirajan of the BioNanoLab of the University of Guelph is central to that paradigm shift. 
 
The overall objective of the proposed research program is to minimize the impact of food-borne infections and livestock diseases on Canada&rsquo;s animal production and welfare systems as well as its food processing industry, which is worth approximately $5 billion per year. Innovation in the agri-food chain is expected to drive productivity through novel and early disease diagnostic systems. 
 
Our scientific approach is to develop affordable, nanosensor-based diagnostic platforms that can be used for accurate on-farm and field-deployable diagnostic testing, with the end result of facilitating rapid and early disease control. The platforms will be developed as user-friendly, hand-held devices to maximize practical application. 
 
Our research will target key diseases in three livestock sectors: dairy, poultry and pork. In conclusion, the world has entered a &ldquo;4th revolution&rdquo; in agriculture. This era features novel technologies and diagnostic methods, such as Internet of Things and Precision Livestock Farming. The proposed research will contribute to this revolution in agriculture by developing innovative biosensor platforms into cost-effective diagnostic methods that can mitigate the potentially catastrophic effects of infectious outbreaks in farmed animals, food processing plants. Together, these developments will enhance food safety in Canada and beyond., agreement title english : Development of Nanobiosensing Platforms for Animal Health and Food Safety Diagnostics, agreement title french : Development of Nanobiosensing Platforms for Animal Health and Food Safety Diagnostics, agreement number : RGPIN, agreement value : 165000.0, agreement start date : 2017-05-10, agreement end date : nan, description english : nan, description french : nan, expected results english : nan, expected results french : nan, additional information english : Grant or Award spanning more than one fiscal year. (2017-2018 to 2022-2023), additional information french : Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier. (2017-2018 à 2022-2023), owner organization : nserc-crsng, owner organization title : Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada | Conseil de recherches en sciences naturelles et en génie du Canada