"PathoScout” - portable DNA analysis for Precision Agriculture

“PathoScout™ - 用于精准农业的便携式 DNA 分析

• 批准号: 10054346
• 金额: $ 48.08万
• 依托单位: AGRI SAMPLERS LIMITED
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Collaborative R&D
• 财政年份: 2023
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2023 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=10054346
• 关键词: PathoScout; portable; DNA; analysis; Precision

Farmers of high value horticultural crops and large acre field crops face challenges to control fungal and oomycete pathogens in conditions where disease epidemics can substantially reduce marketability of produce and yield. Early detection of pathogens that cause important diseases will allow crop protection products to be applied only when needed, which will maximise control efficacy and reduce unnecessary applications thereby reducing costs and lowering the carbon footprint of production.This project will use Rothamsted's culture collection and archived spore samples, along with project partners, to research the feasibility of creating kits of diagnostic LAMP assays for specific pathogens, develop and test generic methods to release DNA from spores, including spores trapped onto sampling rods of rotorod spore traps, test methods to purify the DNA and test an engineered fluidic system to automate the handling of samples to release DNA, purify it and perform a LAMP assay. We will focus on important pathogens of protected and outdoor crops; Botrytis cinerea (grey mould of many horticultural crops), Phytophthora infestans (potato blight), Erysiphe necator (grape powdery mildew) and Puccinia striiformis (wheat yellow rust).Stabilised LAMP assay reagents will be produced by Polygenyn Ltd and tested by Rothamsted. The diagnostic test itself will be designed for use in a lightweight, portable, battery-powered device, which will be produced by Agri-Samplers Ltd using a fluidic cassette developed by Microbritt Ltd. The device will be compatible with tests performed on ground-up leaf or fruit samples and also samples of airborne particulates captured in air using a spore trap.The overall aim is to explore the feasibility of creating a portable user-friendly and low-cost diagnostics tool to support crop protection, based on novel fungal spore detection by LAMP technology for same-day testing by the user with samples of either captured airborne spores or leaf or fruit samples.A successful feasibility outcome will deliver an automated DNA analysis platform with broad applications beyond agriculture. It will transform crop protection practices and improve the resilience of UK agriculture to diseases made more sporadic by climate change.

种植高价值园艺作物和大英亩大田作物的农民面临着在疾病流行可显著降低产品和产量的适销性的条件下控制真菌和卵菌病原体的挑战。早期检测导致重要疾病的病原体将使作物保护产品仅在需要时使用，这将最大限度地提高控制效果并减少不必要的应用，从而降低成本并降低生产的碳足迹。该项目将使用Rothamsted的培养物收集和存档孢子样本，沿着项目合作伙伴，研究为特定病原体建立诊断性LAMP检测试剂盒的可行性，开发和测试从孢子释放DNA的通用方法，包括捕获在旋转杆孢子捕获器采样杆上的孢子，测试方法来纯化DNA，并测试工程流体系统，以自动处理样品来释放DNA，纯化它并进行LAMP测定。我们将专注于保护地和室外作物的重要病原体：灰葡萄孢（许多园艺作物的灰霉病），马铃薯晚疫病（马铃薯枯萎病），葡萄白粉病（葡萄白粉病）和小麦条锈菌（小麦条锈病）。稳定的LAMP检测试剂将由Polygenyn Ltd生产，并由Rothamsted进行测试。诊断测试本身将被设计用于一个重量轻，便携式，电池供电的设备，该仪器将由Agri-Samplers Ltd生产，使用Microbritt Ltd开发的射流盒。该仪器将兼容对磨碎的树叶或水果样本进行的测试，也适用于使用孢子捕捉器从空气中捕获的空气悬浮颗粒物样本。总体目标是探索创建便携式用户的可行性-这是一种支持作物保护的友好且低成本的诊断工具，基于LAMP技术的新型真菌孢子检测，用户可以使用捕获的空气传播孢子或叶片或水果样品进行当天测试。成功的可行性结果将提供一个自动化DNA分析平台，其应用范围超出农业。它将改变作物保护做法，提高英国农业对气候变化导致的零星疾病的适应能力。