This proposal addresses the critical need for an advanced, field-deployable diagnostic platform to detect the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (pedv) and the bovine coronavirus (bcov)

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded Iowa State University of Science and Technology $727,998 under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) on February 15, 2026, to develop a field-deployable diagnostic platform for detecting porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) and bovine coronavirus (BCOV).

The platform integrates electrochemical surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (EC-SERS) and engineered antibodies to deliver sensitive and rapid viral detection in under 60 minutes at a cost per assay below $1, with detection thresholds under 1 picogram per milliliter. The design uses laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrode-based EC-SERS biosensors paired with Raman-labeled recombinant antibodies and engineered single-chain Fv (scFv) antibody fragments to achieve high specificity and tunable affinity for target antigens. The platform is designed as a robust, user-friendly device capable of detecting multiple antigens and delivering real-time results in agricultural settings, farms, food processing facilities, and regulatory agencies, reducing reliance on centralized diagnostic laboratories and supporting faster disease control decision-making.

Work is performed in Ames, Iowa over the period of performance from February 15, 2026 through February 14, 2029. This is a Project Grant, the standard assistance type under AFRI, which supports competitive research addressing farm bill priority areas including animal health and production.

By integrating electrochemical surface enhanced raman spectroscopy (EC-sers) and antibody engineering, our platform will offer sensitive and rapid detection of viral pathogens in under 60 minutes, with detection thresholds under 1 PG/ML at a cost per assay less than $1. This diagnostic tool will significantly improve the capacity for on-site detection and mitigate the reliance on centralized diagnostic laboratories, which can lead to delayed decision-making and suboptimaldisease control. Our cutting-edge design of the cost-effective laser-induced graphene (LIG) electrode-based EC-sers biosensors utilizes unique raman fingerprints of raman-labeled recombinant antibodies. To enable the high specificity sensor, single-chain FV (scfv) antibody fragments are engineered in a smaller, more versatile form, allowing more sensitive detection as well as more consistent and less expensive production. Their specificity and affinity for their targets are also tunable, which is crucial for accurately detecting pedv and bcov antigens. This LIG-based biosensor platform is capable of detecting multiple antigens, making IT highly versatile for a broad range of diagnostic applications. The platform can be developed as a field-deployable, user-friendly device that is robust against environmental conditions and capable of delivering real-time results to support decision-making processes in agricultural settings, farms, food processing facilities, and regulatory agencies.