B.FLT.3009 - Breath sensing nanotechnology for bovine respiratory disease diagnosis

Summary

Technologies that differentiate between infection and disease (stage and severity of pathology) are required to ensure appropriate antimicrobial use. Research to calibrate such technologies against gold standards for infection and disease in live animals is required. This project has sought to develop and evaluate the use of breath sensing nanotechnology to determine stage and severity of bovine respiratory disease in live feedlot cattle. The results are very positive with a number of metabolites found to increase or decrease in the presence of bovine respiratory disease (BRD). The breath collection method of Agscent has developed significantly since the origins of this project which has, based on the results of this method being used for pregnancy detection, significantly improved the reliability of the findings. Unfortunately, due to the small number of cases and thereby samples, the e-nose device was not able to model the disease. However, again, based on the experience of Agscent with new sensors and larger sample numbers, this is likely to be effective in the future.

Objectives

1. Develop and evaluate breath volatile signatures (algorithms) to predict stage and severity of bovine respiratory disease in live animals.
2. Determine feasibility of integrating volatile signatures (algorithms) into a practical handheld device.

Key findings

A number of compounds were identified to be indicative of lung pathology of bovine respiratory disease in live animals. These include 2-nitropropane; Furan; Acetic acid, ethoxy-, 1-methylethyl ester (isopropyl acetate); and Propanoic acid ester.

Unfortunately, due to the small number of cases and thereby samples, the e-nose device was not able to model the disease.

Benefits to industry

This project has demonstrated proof of concept, that volatile organic compounds in breath may be indicative of disease. This opens up further opportunities for commercial companies such as Agscent to develop technologies that identify these compounds.

MLA action

MLA has licensed the project finding to Agscent to continue technology development to identify volatile organic compounds discovered in this project.

Future research

While there are limitations as to the level to which findings from such a small sample size can be generalised to a full cohort of infected animals, these early results regarding VOCs relevant to BRD as evidenced in breath are very positive. The Agscent method of breath collection and analysis has demonstrated that it is possible to identify potential breath biomarkers which relate to BRD however the sample size was too small to train the e-nose device.

This proof of concept trial demonstrates that a further trial on larger numbers of animals is warranted to both confirm biomarkers and VOCs that are evidenced in BRD and to identify which are prevalent in early to late stages of the disease.

Development of technology to identify volatile organic compounds identified in this project, will be important to enable practical and commercial use of the project findings by lot feeders.