About This Project

The overuse of antibiotics in agriculture, particularly in poultry farming, is a major contributor to the global threat of antibiotic resistance. This project aims to develop an affordable, accessible lateral flow assay (LFA) to detect tetracycline residue in poultry products and raise awareness about antibiotic resistance in the food web among students, teachers, farmers, and the general public.

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

Antibiotic resistance is a growing public health threat. Studies show a rise in resistant bacteria linked to overuse of antibiotics in poultry farming. These resistant bacteria can spread to humans through food, potentially making common infections untreatable. Interaction with the poultry farmers and review of literature made us to focus on Tetracycline as an one of the over used antibiotics. Consumers deserve a choice but are often unaware of the use of antibiotics in poultry. The available detection methods range from 300 to 100 USD. Our project attempts to bridge this gap by developing a test for antibiotics in poultry through frugal techniques and educating consumers and farmers about responsible antibiotic use.

What is the significance of this project?

Antibiotics are losing their power. Overuse of antibiotics in farms creates antibiotic resistant bacteria, making life-saving drugs. Antibiotic resistance is a global threat. It can make simple infections deadly. Exploring antibiotic resistance can have a significant impact on public health. This project tries to tackle the problem in two ways:

Empowering Consumers: We're creating a cheap, easy test for tetracycline in poultry. Unlike expensive lab tests, this lets people choose poultry free of harmful antibiotics.

What are the goals of the project?

Antibiotic overuse in farms is creating dangerous "superbugs" resistant to life-saving medicines. Our project tackles this head-on! We'll develop a cheap, easy-to-use test for antibiotics in poultry, empowering you to choose antibiotic-free food. We'll also educate students, teachers, and farmers about the dangers of antibiotic misuse and alternative disease prevention. By working together, we can slow the rise of superbugs and protect public health – all within this project's timeframe and budget.