DR. LI and colleagues previously developed a cost-effective method to capture and release cancer cells from blood samples using nanobeads, which requires no special lab equipment and takes under an…

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Texas A&M Agrilife Research $300,000 on February 1, 2026, under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) to develop and optimize nanotechnology-based methods for detecting Salmonella in poultry products. The work builds on prior research using nanobeads to capture and release cancer cells from blood; this project applies similar technology through antibody-coated hollow glass microspheres (HGMS) to capture and release Salmonella in food matrices. Research focuses on enhancing HGMS efficiency to detect multiple Salmonella serotypes, including Salmonella Typhimurium, Heidelberg, and Enteritidis. The method requires no specialized laboratory equipment and operates within one hour, with the goal of reducing Salmonella presence in meat products and controlling antibiotic-resistant strains. Work is performed at College Station, Texas, with a period of performance from February 1, 2026, through January 31, 2028. Texas Tech University serves as a sub-recipient, receiving a sub-award on April 30, 2026, for nano-engineered hollow glass microspheres development and rapid isolation and quantification of Salmonella enterica serotypes in food matrices.

DR. LI and colleagues previously developed a cost-effective method to capture and release cancer cells from blood samples using nanobeads, which requires no special lab equipment and takes under an hour. Building on this technology, we propose using similar nanotechnology to detect salmonella in food. Specifically, our research focuses on enhancing the efficiency of antibody-coated hollow glass microspheres (hgms) to capture and release salmonella in poultry products. Our preliminary results have shown success with salmonella typhimurium, and we aim to expand this method to detect other strains like salmonella heidelberg and enteritidis. Ultimately, our goal is to reduce the presence of salmonella in meat products, which will help control antibiotic-resistant strains and lower public health risks and costs.