Cost-Effective Mycotoxin Detection for Dairy Cattle Feed

A small number of mycotoxins released by mold infestation in dairy cattle feed lots are responsible for most cases of acute diarrhea in cattle. It is common for feed to be contaminated with more than one species of mycotoxin, so it is important to have a screening tool that is rapid, reliable, cost-effective, and sensitive to different toxins.The proposed cattle feed mycotoxin detection system will contain materials and reagents for multiplexed assays. Custom-built sample extraction units will be fabricated to collect and process silage/grain samples. The sample will be fed through the lateral flow assay cassette sample application window and wicked onto the reagent pad, where it will interact with the embedded reagents to produce a quantifiable reading.The proposed study has a connection to the USDA Global Food Security and Hunger Societal Challenge Area that relates to the protection of ruminants from consumption of contaminated feedstuff, which has been reported to suppress their immune system, limit growth, and cause serious illness and subsequently economic loss. Dairy cattle feed is targeted in the proposed study because dairy production, along with meat, can be evaluated with respect to mycotoxin consumption.