THE CHALLENGE
In order to maximize milk production, dairy producers must keep cows as healthy as possible. Mastitis is a common infection of the cow’s udder that reduces milk yield, lowers milk quality, and can result in the need to remove cows from production for extended treatment. In the early stages, the disease may not show visible symptoms, and farmers must rely on traditional diagnostic methods like Somatic Cell Count or the California Mastitis Test. These tests are time consuming, labor intensive, and often fail to provide accurate or timely results. They also lack the sensitivity and specificity required for early detection and cannot deliver continuous on-farm monitoring.
OUR SOLUTION
We have a next generation biosensor that allows farmers to continuously and accurately detect subclinical mastitis directly on the farm, eliminating the delays and uncertainties of traditional testing methods. By combining 3D printing with advanced nanomaterials, the device achieves high sensitivity and reliability while remaining cost effective to produce. It measures two critical indicators of udder health, the NAGase enzyme and milk pH, through a compact system that integrates microfluidics, temperature control, and smart machine learning for real time analysis. This technology gives farmers actionable insights before symptoms appear, reducing milk losses, improving herd health, and cutting overall costs.
Figure: Fabrication of multiplex mastitis sensor with MXene, graphene, ISM, and Anti-NAGase functionalization.
Advantages:
Potential Application: