ake a look at the United States agriculture industry and you can see one of the leading producers in the global agricultural market. With the variety of agriculture commodities that our nation yields, we are able to nourish our country as well as other countries throughout the world. Agriculture has always been the financial backbone of our nation; you can see it through almost every aspect within our economy. From the rolling hills of grain to our fruited plains, the future of agriculture is ripe and ready for harvest.

     However, imagine if our agriculture commodities were deliberately attacked? What would happen, if suddenly, somebody introduced a highly pathogenic plant or animal disease into our nation’s agriculture? What if our fields were stripped of wholesome produce, and disease spread to our livestock wiping out entire flocks or herds? Would we be able to keep our nation’s food supply safe, while containing widespread fear and economic loss?

     There is an evergrowing threat to the United States, the threat known as agroterrorism. According to the experts at the American Society for Microbiology, the U.S. food supply is more vulnerable than skyscrapers, bridges and nuclear power plants.

     This threat must not be taken lightly, but there is a way that we can test our produce and see if there is a contamination. The use of the Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) is breaking the barrier to a safer agriculture industry. This biotech test can identify the presence of disease within an hour, sometime minutes.

     The ELISA test is not new to our economy. In the 1970’s two Swedish scientists, Eva Engvall and Peter Perlman, discovered a new way to identify certain proteins and antigens through the ELISA test. During the test, purified proteins and antigens bind the wall of these wells. By adding detergent, we can remove unbound antigens. The serum and enzyme-linked antigens are added to the well so that they can bind together to create bound antigens. Before adding the substrate antigens, the unbound antigens are washed out of the wells. This will create oxidation of the substrate, and in return will form sturdy compounds.

     There have been a lot of advancements in the ELISA testing since the 1970’s. In the past the ELISA test would take hours to identify the presence of disease, now it’s a matter of hour’s--even minutes. There are now a variety of ELISA tests that are used today, from the conventional home pregnancy test to the food safety inspective searches, in the agriculture industry ELISA is starting to pave a way to a safer food supply.

To identify the presence of disease, ELISA utilizes many different types of samples from the plant or animal.

• Blood- Not homogenous
• Urine- Vortex sample tube to ensure homogeneity
• Tissue - Needs to be homogenized

     These are the common types of samples used, but bile and other body fluid can be used also. The use of the ELISA test will only improve in the years to come, but right now it is the one sure test that will deliver quick results with accurate answers.

The impact that ELISA has on our agriculture industry is phenomenal. In the United States agriculture industry, we have concentrated areas of production. One of the nation’s most valuable commodities is beef cattle, eighty six percent of which is raised in the southern states. It has been estimated that if a highly pathogenic disease, like hoof and mouth disease, entered a single beef ranch, it would take just five days for it to spread across half of the United States. (Thorne, Jacob)

     Another area of concern is the poultry industry. In the United States ninety percent of the top producing poultry operations are located in the southern states. A typical poultry building can house up to 100,000 birds. If Avian Influenza were to be introduced to a few birds in a flock, within days all birds would be showing signs of disease, by the end of the week the birds would be dead. With urban sprawl on the rise, these areas of production will become even concentrated. That is why we need to implement tests like ELISA, and have multiple checkpoints from farm to fork.

PAST OUT BREAKS

     In the past, deliberate introductions of harmful pathogens into the agriculture industry have proven to be successful. During World War I, the Germans swabbed the muzzles of horses and mules with infectious agents such as anthrax before they were shipped to the Allies from German ports. Under the ships’ confined conditions, the anthrax spread rapidly. These host animals brought devastation to the local workforce, food supply, and American citizens.

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