Hydroponic farming cultivates plants in nutrient-rich water rather than soil, reducing land and water usage and enabling food production in regions unsuitable for traditional agriculture

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Montana State University $590,962 under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) on May 1, 2026, to develop an automated bacterial detection and removal system for hydroponic farming.

The project addresses biofilm contamination in hydroponic environments by integrating two complementary technologies. The first develops a sensor coated with DNA-based aptamers that selectively bind target bacteria; upon binding, the sensor's electrical signal changes to enable rapid detection at low concentrations. The second employs biodegradable chitosan nanoparticles that attract and aggregate bacteria into larger flocs filterable from the water while providing mild antimicrobial effects. Both technologies will be integrated into a bench-scale hydroponic demonstrator with a closed-loop system to evaluate performance and prepare the system for Internet of Things integration.

Montana State University's Office of Sponsored Programs serves as the recipient. Performance occurs in Bozeman, Montana, with a period of performance from May 1, 2026, through April 30, 2029. AFRI funds research, education, extension, and integrated grants across six farm bill priority areas; this award falls within the Agriculture Systems and Technology priority area and supports the foundational and applied science program track.

However, the shared water environment allows harmful bacteria to spread rapidly, potentially damaging entire crops before they are detected. This project presents an automated system that detects harmful bacteria at an early stage and removes them before persistent biofilms can form. The first objective is to develop a sensor coated with DNA-based aptamers that function as molecular locks, selectively bindingspecific bacteria. Upon binding the target organism, the sensor's electrical signal changes, enabling rapid detection at very low concentrations. The second objective employs biodegradable chitosan nanoparticles. These positively charged particles attract and aggregate bacteria, forming larger flocs that can be filtered out, while also providing mild antimicrobial effects. Both technologies are integrated into a bench-scale hydroponic demonstrator. A closed-loop system will be established to evaluate system performance in hydroponics and prepare the developed system for IOT integration.