Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) for imprinting, trapping, and detecting substances at the molecular level, resulting in an efficient and proactive strategy for preventing and containing harmful viruses and infections in animals. The two businesses are developing a unique technology that checks for infections continuously and offers real-time information across the food supply chain.
According to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), animal illnesses such as Avian Flu or Coronaviruses account for at least 20% loss in worldwide livestock output, with an estimated annual cost of USD $300 billion. Due to African Swine Fever (ASF) transmission around the world, farmers may face a high rate of death, resulting in a possible loss of USD $50 billion in the United States alone.
Due to the fact that the majority of existing animal health treatments are reactive and time intensive, the herd is at risk of infection for days before the virus or disease is discovered. With the use of Sixth Wave’s innovative nanotechnology method and TraceSafe’s topnotch platform, livestock producers, farmers, and ranchers can now act proactively and rapidly diagnose pathogenic concerns in the food supply chain, potentially saving billions of dollars and reducing health risks.
Wayne Lloyd, CEO of TraceSafe, spoke about the challenges in food security. He said, “The global food supply chain is facing huge challenges with growing instances of viruses and pathogens across the world. At the same time there are unprecedented disruptions in the global grain and fertilizer markets impacting animal feed prices and contributing to food price inflation and potential food shortages. Sixth Wave is doing groundbreaking work by using nanotechnology in virus detection and we are excited to see the possibilities of coming together to make farms and food safer for the world”.
Wayne expressed hopes over collaborating with Sixth Wave. He said, “Coupled with Sixth Wave’s pathogen sensors, TraceSafe will be able to use its innovative IoT and advanced analytics platform in the agritech space, opening up a whole new exciting vertical for the company.”
Dr. Jonathan Gluckman, President and CEO of Sixth Wave Innovations, spoke about the livestock diseases and their related losses. He said, “Livestock diseases contribute to losses with increased mortality, reduced productivity, control costs, loss in trade, decreased market value, and food insecurity. The problems require an urgent and time efficient solution that only advanced technology can offer”.
Jonathan expressed delight over partnering with TraceSafe. He said, “Sixth Wave has demonstrated success in this area already with its COVID-19 AMIPS polymer and we are excited to partner up with TraceSafe in creating a truly innovative solution that will use the best of technology to proactively manage potential health risks in the food supply chain.”
TraceSafe and Sixth Wave will collaborate on research and development efforts to develop a non-invasive sensor-based technology that utilizes MIPs for viral and disease detection and monitoring on farms and other agricultural settings.
