The overall goal of this program is to develop a droplet-based device for diagnosis and monitoring of micrornas (mirnas) related to barley yellow dwarf virus (bydv) infection for field use

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Luna Labs USA LLC $175,000 on September 30, 2025, under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program (CFDA 10.212) to develop a droplet-based diagnostic platform for detecting microRNAs associated with barley yellow dwarf virus infection in cereal crops.

Luna Labs will establish a rapid-analysis assay platform capable of identifying multiple BYDV-related microRNAs using extracted RNA samples and will develop a Phase II transition and commercialization plan. The platform adapts Luna Labs' existing 10-minute microRNA detection technology, which operates without reverse transcription or amplification and demonstrates picogram-level sensitivity and 14 percent coefficient of variation, to detect BYDV-specific molecular markers. Phase II will extend this work to a portable, automated device incorporating both RNA extraction and microRNA detection for field deployment. The technology addresses the inadequacy of visual inspection for BYDV diagnosis—a virus that causes yield losses up to 80 percent in cereal crops worldwide and for which existing molecular assays (ELISA, PCR, NGS) are laborious, expensive, and time-consuming.

The award period runs from September 30, 2025, through May 7, 2026, with performance taking place in Charlottesville, Virginia. Luna Labs USA LLC is a division of Luna Innovations Incorporated, a Blacksburg, Virginia-based research and manufacturing firm.

Barley yellow dwarf virus (bydv) is the most common and widespread virus disease of cereal crops worldwide causing yield losses of up to 80%. As traditional visual inspection is not sufficient to diagnose the infection, improved plant disease diagnostics is critical. Mirnas, a class of small non-coding rnas, are vital in regulating the immunity of plants against certain infections. However, existing molecular-based assays (elisa, PCR, and NGS) are laborious, expensive, and time-consuming. Luna labs USA, LLC has developed a rapid (10 min analysis) technology for detecting multiple known mirnas associated with traumatic brain injury with high sensitivity (PM level) and precision (14% CV). In this project, luna labs will extend the established platform to bydv mirnas. The platform does not require reverse transcription, and amplification, and operates with minimal sample contamination. In phase i, luna labs will establish a droplet assay platform for multiple bydv mirnas, demonstrate the assay performance using extracted RNA samples, and establish phase II transition and commercialization plan. The phase II effort will develop a portable, automated device that incorporates the RNA extraction and mirna detection for field use. The technology obtained from this project can provide accurate information on the molecular identity and precise management of bydv infection. Upon successful implementation, the platform could be reconfigured to detect mirnas related to a wide range of crop diseases.