September / October, 2004

Committed to Homeland Security, Food Safety

This article first appeared in
Currents Magazine, Volume 4, Number 1 (Summer 2004),
published by the College of Engineering at MSU

Evangelyn (Vangie) Alocilja's research program embodies her commitment to homeland security, food safety, and environmental quality. Her research focuses on the development of biosensors for the rapid detection of bioterrorism agents and food-borne pathogens as additional tools to protect the nation's food, water, and agricultural systems form intentional bioterrorism attack and/or natural contamination. Briefly, biosensors are analytical devices that use biological receptors (antibody, enzyme, DNA, cells, etc.) as sensing elements in close proximity to the transducers that translate the binding events between receptors and analytes into electrical signals. Alocilja's design objectives include real;time, highly sensitive, highly specific, disposable single-use units as well as multi-array, paralllel-detection biosensor chips with capabilities for autonomous data transmission in a highly networked geographically distributed system. These biosensors will be applied for on-site diagnosis, screening, and surveillance, in order to instantaneously recognize, and consequently reduce the ill effects of, potentially catastrophic biohazardous events.

Alocilja is keen on commercializing these biosensors to increase our nation's countermeasure and rapid response technological portfolio. In 2001, with help from the MSU Office of Intellectual Property, Alocilja and her graduate students garnered the top award at the Great Lakes Venture quest Business Plan Competition Phase I (NOrth Region) for their proposal to Commercialize a biosensor that they have designed, developed, and patented in their lab.

Biosystems & Agricultural Engineering
Michigan State University
A.W. Farrall Hall
East Lansing, MI 48824-1323
(517) 355-4720

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September 30, 2004