Antibiotic resistance is one of the world's most pressing public health challenges, and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGS) can spread through the food supply, including fresh leafy vegetables

The Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture awarded $294,000 to the Regents of the University of California at Riverside on September 1, 2026, under the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program (CFDA 10.310) to develop a rapid, portable detection platform combining CRISPR technology, microfluidics, and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) to identify antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) directly in leafy vegetables. The platform is designed to enable highly sensitive, multiplex detection outside traditional laboratory environments and address current limitations in costly, slow laboratory-based ARG detection methods used in agricultural settings.

The project also evaluates how effectively common postharvest washing practices remove ARGs from leafy vegetables by comparing commercial washing treatments to assess persistence of both free ARGs and antibiotic-resistant bacteria after processing. The resulting technology and knowledge will support growers, food processors, researchers, and regulatory agencies in monitoring antibiotic resistance in fresh produce and improving food safety practices. The award includes student training and will establish a foundation for monitoring antibiotic resistance across a wider range of agricultural products.

Performance occurs at UC Riverside in Riverside, California. The period of performance runs from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2028. This is a Project Grant assistance type.

Current methods for detecting ARGS are expensive, laboratory-based, and too slow for routine use in agricultural settings. This project aims to develop a rapid, portable, and cost-effective detection platform that combines crispr technology, microfluidics, and surface-enhanced raman spectroscopy (SERS) to identify multiple ARG families directly in leafy vegetables. The proposed technology is designed to provide highly sensitive, multiplex detection within a short time while being suitable for use outside of traditional laboratory environments. In addition to developing the detection platform, this project will evaluate how effectively common postharvest washing practices remove ARGS from leafy vegetables. By comparing different commercial washing treatments, the research will generate important information on the persistence of both free ARGS and antibiotic-resistant bacteria after processing. The resulting technology and knowledge will help growers, food processors, researchers, and regulatory agencies better monitor antibiotic resistance in fresh produce and improve food safety practices. The project will also provide valuable training opportunities for students and establish a foundation for future technologies that can monitor antibiotic resistance across a wide range of agricultural products.