A Novel Cell-Surface-Receptor Strategy for Mitigating Mycotoxins 

Corn is one of the most consumed crops globally; however, crop diseases are a major threat to yield. A danger associated with corn consumption is mycotoxins - chemicals produced by certain fungi that grow within the corn plant that cause illness and death in humans and animals. 2Blades is using new genetic tools to develop corn that has strong, long-lasting resistance to these fungi

A multiplexed chemical sensor system to automate non-invasive, in-ovo sex determination for the poultry industry 

Commercially, chicks can only be sexed after they hatch, requiring producers to devote time and resources to incubating male chicks, only to cull them. Yearly, over six billion male layer chicks are culled when hatched because there is no commercial use for them. This research team is continuing development of an innovative microchip-based chemical sensor that captures volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released from individual eggs as early as eight days into incubation. Machine learning can interpret the VOCs to classify eggs by gender. This research is supporting the integration of microchip sensors with a custom automated egg handling machine that sorts the sexed eggs.

High-throughput in-ovo sexing of chicken eggs using hyperspectral imaging & Raman spectroscopy 

Commercially, chicks can only be sexed after they hatch, requiring producers to devote time and resources to incubating male chicks, only to cull them. This research team is using molecular imaging technology to develop a commercially applicable optical technique for sexing hatching eggs by extracting and analyzing small droplets of the embryos’ fluid at the eighth day of incubation.

Project Ella 

Commercially, chicks can only be sexed after they hatch, requiring producers to devote time and resources to incubating male chicks, only to cull them. This research is further developing and scaling in-ovo sexing technology that measures a naturally occurring biomarker within the embryos’ waste fluid. This fluid differs between the sexes, allowing sorting the eggs by sex on the ninth day of development with high accuracy.

Egg-Tech Prize Phase II Finalists 

Modeling for genomic, blood & microbiological markers for liver abscesses in fed beef cattle 

Liver abscesses in cattle are a significant problem for beef and dairy cow producers, jeopardizing animals’ health and costing producers approximately $30 million annually. The condition occurs when bacteria cross from an animal’s gastrointestinal tract into the bloodstream and accumulate in the liver. This research is investigating genetic markers and biomarkers that contribute to the formation of liver abscesses to allow producers to make more informed breeding and management decisions to reduce susceptibility in cattle and reduce reliance on antimicrobial treatments.

Developing Durable Resistance to Fungal Threats in Corn 

Corn is one of the most consumed crops globally; however, crop diseases are a major threat to yield. A danger associated with corn consumption is mycotoxins - chemicals produced by certain fungi that grow within the corn plant that cause illness and death in humans and animals. 2Blades is using new genetic tools to develop corn that has strong, long-lasting resistance to these fungi

Understanding liver abscess pathogenesis & risk-factors of feedlot cattle reared in conventional beef versus dairy management systems 

Liver abscesses in cattle are a significant problem for beef and dairy cow producers, jeopardizing animals’ health and costing producers approximately $30 million annually. The condition occurs when bacteria cross from an animal’s gastrointestinal tract into the bloodstream and accumulate in the liver. This research is evaluating liver abscess development in feedlot cattle reared in conventional beef versus dairy management systems to provide insight into liver abscess pathogenesis and identify biomarkers that assess the risk of liver abscessation.