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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Innovation 101: The story behind the invention of DNATrax

Multimedia ·
OSTI ID:1214317

Lawrence Livermore researcher George Farquar shares the story behind the invention of DNATrax, a cost-effective and highly efficient method to accurately trace contaminated food back to its source. Foodborne illnesses kill roughly 3,000 Americans each year and about 1 in 6 are sickened, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Yet most contaminated foods are never traced back to their source. That’s because existing methods to track tainted food following its supply chain from table to farm are highly inefficient, jeopardizing the health of millions and costing the food industry billions. A typical process to trace food includes interviewing consumers and suppliers and examining every detail of the supply chain, a tedious method that takes weeks at best to complete.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
OSTI ID:
1214317
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English