An innovative project exploring a quick and cost-effective way to combat plant disease has received funding from the federal Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF).
Dr Zahra Faraji Rad will lead a team from the University of Southern Queensland to develop microneedles that detect high-risk plant pests and pathogens at Australian borders.
The proposed device will act as a field-portable “sample-in-result-out” tool, fast tracking biosecurity detection times.
The project is one of 24 innovation program pilots funded this year through the DAFF’s Biosecurity Innovation program.
Dr Faraji Rad said she would develop a customised, nano-fabricated microneedle to extract plant tissue samples.
“The biosecurity innovation program joins my research in microneedles technology with a separate project looking into nano-biosensors at RMIT University to develop a diagnostic tool for plant disease detection,” she said.
“The end-product diagnostic device itself will use microneedles to extract cell contents from a suspect plant and then immediately scan the samples with biosensors.
“It would allow multiple plant pathogens to be detected instantaneously in the field by generalist biosecurity officers, minimising the need for laboratory-based diagnostic process.”
DAFF deputy secretary of biosecurity and compliance Dr Chris Locke said once the technology was proven, a handheld prototype would be developed for frontline biosecurity officers to use.
“At the moment our biosecurity officers in the field have to send samples off-site for laboratory testing for high-risk plant pests,“ Dr Locke said.
“This diagnostic tool could allow fast and accurate testing in the field, which will speed up biosecurity screening processes and contribute to a sustainable and effective national biosecurity system.“
Microneedles are currently used in the medical field for sample extraction and diagnostics.
