meat speciation (2)

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FoodBioSystems Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP) brings together six university partners: University of Reading, Cranfield University, University of Surrey, Queen’s University Belfast, Aberystwyth University, and Brunel University London.

Project title: Developing next-generation portable rapid tests for food authenticity
Project No: FBS2023-08-Campbell-qr
Lead supervisor: Katrina Campbell, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast
Email: katrina.campbell@qub.ac.uk
Co-supervisors:
Alexander Edwards, University of Reading, Adrian Rogers, Bio-Check (UK)

Deadline for applications: Monday 30 January at 10.00 am (GMT)

The aim of this PhD is to develop a simple effective diagnostic test for the simultaneous multiplex analysis of different animal species for example cow, sheep, porcine, turkey, chicken, equine, donkey and goat that can be used for field-based analysis.

The student will explore the feasibility of adapting current lateral flow immunoassays using several recent developments including, for example:

  • improved fluidic configurations;
  • smartphone readout using bespoke low-cost illumination systems;
  • multiplexing using different combinations of microfluidics.

These innovations will be explored alongside biorecognition element design and assay development for the industrially- and public safety-driven targets.
The PhD conducted mainly at Queen's University Belfast will offer placements at Reading University for biotechnology design and is supported by an industrial partner BIO-CHECK UK who will bring further insight into practical constraints of cost-effective mass-manufacture, marketing and basic business skills for the student.

By applying analytical science to this specific problem, the student will be able to systematically optimise assay performance, at the same time as recognising the pathway to real product development through industrial oversight.

Further information can be found here

For more information about DTP, the selection process and what its like to be a DTP student, join their Applicant Webinar on 11 January 2023 (17:00 GMT). Please complete the registration form if you would like to attend.

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One of the frequently encountered types of adulteration is the adulteration of meat and animal products. In its most recent annual report [1] , the Food Fraud Network showed data that in the top ten product categories, fish and fish products take the second place, meat and meat products the third and poultry the fifth. Jointly, these three animal product categories eclipse any other product category.

There are different types of fraud that can be found in animal products. These include addition of illegal substances like melamine to milk, the treatment of tuna with carbon monoxide, and the replacement of high-quality species with lower quality ones, or even illegal ones. An example for this can be found in the publication by Fang and Zhang [2], where the addition of murine meat to substitute mutton has been reported.

Since there are many animal species that can be used for adulteration, using a species-specific PCR is often not economically viable when the adulterant species is not known. Here, the DNA barcoding approach is the better choice to cover a much wider range of species.

In the literature, numerous publications can be found that describe different primer sets to be used for barcoding. Unfortunately, not all methods have been thoroughly validated for the species they can, and, equally important, cannot detect.

The German §64 Food and Feed Law Methods Group for Animal and Plant Speciation has developed a tool that will help scientists to quickly determine which species can be detected and which cannot with a specific set of primers.

The tool, called BaTAnS – short for Barcoding Table for Animal Species – lists relevant publications, identifies the level of validation that has been performed for a specific method (and set of primers).

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