A RAPID, FIELD-PORTABLE SENSOR FOR DETECTING HISTAMINE IN FOOD.

Goal: To develop a rapid, accurate, sensitive method to detect histamine in fish and fishery products. This will help prevent scombroid poisoning and illness associated with consuming spoiled fish.Objectives:Develop a molecularly imprinted polymer system that can detect histamine electrochemically at 50 ppm with high accuracy and precision. Results will be measured by the electrochemical response of the system to a range of concentrations of histamine.Establish the selectivity of the histamine detection system against chemically similar molecules and common interferents. Selectivity will be evaluated by determining the relative electrochemical response of the system to the interferents in both the presence and absence of histamine.Test the detection system against a range of fish and fishery products, and compare the results with existing technology. Several tests will be performed against each of the major sources of histamine toxicity in multiple matrices, and validated using extant histamine detection technology (i.e., immunoassays). Statistical analysis will be used to compare the efficacy of the detection system to that of extant technologies.