From Sample to Answer: Rapid Isolation and Instant Quantitation of Antibiotic Residues in Aquaculture Produce

Approximately 80 to 90 percent of the seafood consumed in the United States (US) is imported from Asia or South America, where antibiotics are routinely used in aqua-ponds to optimize fish or shellfish growth. The routine use of antibiotics in aquaculture farms has been linked to antibiotic drug resistance in humans, which is why regulatory agencies mandate routine antibiotic testing of seafood upon arrival to the US. The isolation and detection of antibiotics, however, is a multi-step expensive process that requires a fully equipped laboratory. The major goals of the proposed research are to revolutionize this process by developing and validating a hand-held lab-on-a-chip device for on-site, rapid, inexpensive and simulataneous isolation and quantitaton of 4 amphenicol antibiotics commonly found in seafood imports, and 2) determine the extent of antibiotic contamination in imported seafood products. This will be achieved by isolating antibiotics from water-blended foods with a novel purification filter coupled to a nanofibrous membrane sensor that captures them for detection by cell phone camera, and enabling quantitation by correcting for losses during the isolation step using a surrogate standard that the sensor can detect. The technology will be field-tested in local stores in Davis (CA) to probe the extent of amphenicol antibiotic contaimination in imported / farmed seafood compared to wild seafood. In line with the AFRI mission of efficiently isolating and capturing fodborne chemicals, the proposed field-deployable device will enable on-site tracking of foodborne antibiotics by regulatory agencies, suppliers and stakeholders to aide in making informed decisions on produce dissemination to the public or risk assessments. Developing such a technology through this proposal will lead to notable and trackable improvements in food safety and public health by reducing the risk of antibiotic drug resistance from seafood imports. The technology can potentially be adapted to probe other antibiotics and environmental chemicals in various food and fluid matrices that pose a risk to agriculture and human health.