Seminar: Probing One Health Microbiomes Using Field-Deployable Biosensors

Microbiomes are central to the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment—a concept encapsulated in the One Health framework. However, traditional microbiome characterization methods can be slow, resource-intensive, and lab-bound.

Join us for an engaging seminar with Dr. Mohit Verma, whose lab at Purdue University is revolutionizing how we study microbiomes in real-world settings. Dr. Verma will present a novel platform that combines loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) with microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs) to create field-deployable biosensors. These tools enable rapid, low-cost, and accurate detection of microbial signatures—without the need for specialized equipment or training.

📘 Seminar Title: Probing One Health Microbiomes Using Field-Deployable Biosensors

🎤 Speaker: Dr. Mohit Verma, Associate Professor, Purdue University

🗓️ Date: Wednesday, July 9, 2025

🕒 Time: 1:00 - 2:00pm

📍 Location: Israni Biomedical Research Facility, Room 2A03

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how biosensing technologies are shaping the future of microbiome science. Dr. Verma will share recent studies where these biosensors were used to detect pathogens relevant to cattle health and food safety around produce farms. With high analytical sensitivity and specificity, this technology holds promise for accelerating decision-making in agriculture, healthcare, and environmental monitoring.

About the Speaker: Dr. Mohit Verma is an Associate Professor within Purdue University's Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, as well as the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Verma specializes in biosensors for probing microbiomes at the point of need. His innovative research encompasses a wide spectrum of applications, spanning plants, animals, humans, and the environment. His laboratory pioneers field-deployable biosensors, offering swift characterization solutions for viruses, bacteria, antimicrobial resistance genes, and fungi. This transformative technology is seamlessly transitioned to commercialization through his startup, Krishi, Inc.

Abstract: Microbiomes play a vital role in the health of plants, animals, humans, and the environment (One Health). Characterizing microbiomes typically requires lab-based techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or next-generation sequencing (NGS), which are slow, labor-intensive, and expensive. Developing biosensors that can characterize microbiomes in the field can enable rapid turnaround and allow stakeholders to make quick decisions.

We present a novel biosensor platform for field-deployable microbiome characterization. Our biosensors are based on loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) on microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (μPADs). LAMP is a rapid and sensitive nucleic acid amplification technique that does not require specialized equipment, making it ideal for field use. μPADs are portable, low-cost, and easy-to-use devices that can be used to perform complex assays without the need for electricity or specialized training.

We demonstrate the use of our biosensors to detect bacteria and viruses with high analytical sensitivity and specificity (>~90%). We also show that our biosensors can be used to characterize microbiomes in animal and plant farms. For example, we have used our biosensors to detect bacteria associated with bovine respiratory disease in cattle feedlot and to quantify the levels of Bacteroidales as fecal indicators around fresh produce operations.

Our biosensors have the potential to transform how microbiomes are characterized in the field. They can be used to monitor animal and plant health, ensure food safety, and diagnose human diseases. Our biosensors are also affordable and easy-to-use, making them accessible to a wide range of users.