Currently, my research team is focused on the following project:

Food Safety

My research team works through the Auburn University Detection and Food Safety Center to develop sensors for biological agent detection. AUDFS began as an Auburn University Peak of Excellence and received funding to initiate a systems engineering approach to identify the research necessary to improve food safety.  Today, more than 20 researchers  from five Auburn University colleges investigate methods to address the need for next-generation sensors and information systems for the detection of food contamination and rapid inventory and traceability of food products. To accomplish this, AUDFS is combining advances in the identification of foodborne illnesses and contaminants with the latest in biosensor technology. These efforts will ultimately lead to a system that monitors food products from production to consumption, thereby eliminating or reducing significantly the threat of foodborne bacteria, pathogens and toxins reaching our dinner tables and restaurants.

The center is developing hand-held sensors to detect Salmonella and other harmful bacterial. We have also developed phage and antibody based MEMS sensors for security and medical applications. Eventually, the researchers hope to miniaturize the sensors to fit on a stamp-sized chip that will be placed on all food products.