Arrayit Corporation announced that it has signed a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) entitled "Rapid and Cost Effective Detection Technologies for Noroviruses and other Foodborne Pathogens." Under the terms of the agreement, Arrayit and the USDA Agricultural Research Service (USDA ARS) will develop and validate a rapid, portable, cost-effective and high-throughput detection system for the surveillance of multiple bacterial and viral foodborne pathogens including hepatitis, E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, Campylobacter and Norovirus. The expected outcome is a commercial test that will be widely deployed throughout the lifecycle of food production and distribution to ensure that our food supply is safe for consumption.
The USDA seeks to expand economic opportunity through innovation to better nourish Americans by working cooperatively with the private sector. The USDA's $146 billion 2014 budget includes $123 billion of mandatory programs and $23 billion of discretionary spending for programs including food safety.
Arrayit and the USDA will utilize Arrayit's patented and proprietary DNA microarray platform and USDA's patent pending method to detect DNA sequences present in potentially life-threatening foodborne pathogens that periodically contaminate fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry and dairy products. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), foodborne illnesses afflict 1 in 6 Americans annually resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations, 3,000 deaths and more than $150 billion in economic losses.
Arrayit CEO Rene Schena states, "We are pleased to cooperate with the USDA to develop and commercialize rapid and cost-effective food safety surveillance based on Arrayit's widely used microarray technology and USDA's patent pending method. Deploying affordable, high throughput testing throughout food production and distribution will improve the quality of foods brought to market and further ensure public health and safety."
The USDA seeks to expand economic opportunity through innovation to better nourish Americans by working cooperatively with the private sector. The USDA's $146 billion 2014 budget includes $123 billion of mandatory programs and $23 billion of discretionary spending for programs including food safety.
Arrayit and the USDA will utilize Arrayit's patented and proprietary DNA microarray platform and USDA's patent pending method to detect DNA sequences present in potentially life-threatening foodborne pathogens that periodically contaminate fruits, vegetables, meats, poultry and dairy products. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), foodborne illnesses afflict 1 in 6 Americans annually resulting in 128,000 hospitalizations, 3,000 deaths and more than $150 billion in economic losses.
Arrayit CEO Rene Schena states, "We are pleased to cooperate with the USDA to develop and commercialize rapid and cost-effective food safety surveillance based on Arrayit's widely used microarray technology and USDA's patent pending method. Deploying affordable, high throughput testing throughout food production and distribution will improve the quality of foods brought to market and further ensure public health and safety."