BirdEase: An integrated diagnostic system for bacterial detection in poultry farms

There is increasing pressure within the poultry industry to improve biosecurity measures & cleanliness in primary production; advanced diagnostics for early disease detection are high on the agenda. In response to this specific industry need, this project will develop an integrated on-farm early-warning bacterial sensing system for Intensive Poultry Production Systems, targeting key foodborne disease pathogens prevalent in poultry meat: Campylobacter, E.coli & Salmonella. The proposed innovation integrating sample collection, chemical-free enrichment, acousto-optic detection & seamless user presentation, is enabled only by the inter-disciplinary convergence of leading agri-scientists & engineers with poultry producers & industry informers. The overarching objective is to enable earlier decision making by producers to instigate preventative control measures that minimise downstream cross-contamination, thereby decreasing foodborne disease incidence within the supply chain.