Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

The meeting was organized by the current committee chair, Anhong Zhou. Each participant delivered a station report describing completed and ongoing research.

Administrative updates were provided by James Dobrowolski of USDA-NIFA and project administrator Steve Lommel (NC Station). Dr. Dobrowolski gave an overview of NIFA’s mission, vision, leadership, and 2024 budget. He also summarized NIFA’s investments in nanotechnology R&D and education from 2003 through 2024, highlighted NIFA’s fiscal year 2025-26 plans, and explained the priorities of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) Program Component Areas. Among others, the mentioned funding opportunities relevant to nanotechnology within the NIFA AFRI Foundational and Applied Science Program notably included Nanotechnology for Agricultural and Food Systems (A1511) and Social Implications of Food and Agricultural Technologies (A1642). Finally, Dr. Dobrowolski provided an update on the current funding situation and answered questions from members of NC-1194. Dr. Lommel provided an update on Hatch funding and reminded the group that the renewal proposal for the 2026-31 multistate project is due on December 1, 2025. He described the proposal-review process, shared his thoughts on proposal development, and encouraged the team to coordinate proposal writing during the annual meeting.

The above-mentioned presentations were followed by the election of officers for 2025-26, i.e., Yi-Cheng Wang (IL) as the chair, Amie Norton (KS) as the vice-chair, and Diana Vanegas Gamboa (SC) as the secretary, all of whom took up their posts immediately. The remainder of the meeting focused on planning for the renewal proposal; potential collaborations, joint publications, and grant applications; options for the 2026 meeting; and the potential resubmission of a conference proposal to NIFA. Full meeting minutes are available on the NIMSS website under Reports.

The accomplishments of the NC-1194 group during the reporting period in relation to each of this project’s objectives are summarized below. Publications associated with this project and authored by members of the NC-1194 group are listed at the end of this report.

Objective 1: Develop new technologies for characterizing fundamental nanoscale processes and fabricate self-assembled nanostructures

Outputs: A scalable emulsion-based nanogel system was developed and optimized for fluopyram delivery to improve red crown rot control in soybeans (IL). Spectroscopic imaging methods were developed to analyze interactions between protein and nano-plastics, along with approaches to better understand soil-amendment mechanisms that can be expected to reduce continuous-cropping obstacles in potatoes (IA). In addition, new methods for environmental monitoring and risk assessment of nano- and microplastics were established (IA). Nano-formulated antibiotics and essential oils were developed, and demonstrated significantly greater efficacy than their non-nano counterparts against citrus greening and fungal dis-eases of tomato, leading to enhanced fruit production and reduced leaf-infection severity (IN). Various nanocarriers—including electro-responsive PEDOT nanoparticles, and solid lipid nanoparticles—were developed for topical and/or transdermal delivery of bioactive molecules for therapeutic applications (MS). The relationship between high hydrostatic pressure processing and enzyme structure, as well as the correlation between enzyme cavity size and pressure- or temperature-induced inactivation, has also been investigated (FL). Advances were also made in the fabrication and performance of laser-induced graphene and microfluidic nanostructures (SC). Hierarchical clustering approaches were developed for high-throughput laser-induced graphene electrode fabrication, and fundamental studies conducted on electrokinetic and dielectrophoretic transport in microchannels (SC). A fabrication process for lipid/polymer hybrid nanoparticles was developed, and the in vivo toxicity of their nanostructure studied (VA). A biofilter to agglomerate and capture extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli was developed by electrospinning a mixture of cranberry proanthocyanidin and polycaprolactone (WI).

Objective 2:  Develop devices and systems incorporating nanotechnology and data-driven analytics for detection of biological/chemical targets, with an emphasis on detection of infectious diseases in plants, animals, humans, and the environment

Outputs: Nanomaterials-based intelligent packaging for food-quality monitoring (IL) and functional foods incorporating controlled nutrient-delivery systems were developed (IA). AI-driven diagnostics, portable COVID-19 immunosensors, laser-induced graphene-based environmental biosensors, and chitosan-platinum systems for pathogen detection represented important advancements in sensing (IA, SC). New biosensors based on various mechanisms and platforms (e.g., surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, smartphones, and triboelectric-, colorimetric-, fluorometric-, and electrochemical-based approaches) were also created for the detection of Salmonella, Listeria, pesticides, heavy metals, porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, and E. coli, among other targets (AZ, IA, IL, KS, MS, MI, MO, SC, VA, WI). Additional technologies included aptasensors for plant-stress monitoring (IA); magnetic enrichment of pathogens (MI); and wireless intravaginal sensors for drug delivery and health monitoring (MS). Nanocomposite membranes for PFAS remediation and nanoscale fertilizers were engineered using safe-by-design toxicity assessments (KY).

Objective 3: Advance the integration of novel sensor networks, information systems, and artificial intelligence for effective risk assessment and decision support for food security and safety

Outputs: A smartphone-based multispectral autofluorescence analysis system was employed to characterize micro- and nanoplastics that had been passively collected from aerosols on glass substrates (AZ). An existing platform for smartphone-based measurement of capillary flow ve-locity was further expanded to detect bacterial mixtures in environmental water samples (AZ). AI-assisted methods for characterizing protein/nanoplastic binding were also developed (IA). A comprehensive review and data synthesis were conducted on phosphate-binding mech-anisms and biotechnology relevant to sustainable phosphorus management (SC). Guidance for evaluating novel materials in environmental matrices was developed through a risk-assessment framework (SC). The same work also established a foundation for AI-assisted modeling of nutrient recovery and environmental risk (SC).

Objective 4: Develop and update education and outreach materials on nanofabrication, sensing, systems integration and application risk assessment.

Outputs: Through an NSF-funded Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site, the IA Station trained community college and high school students in wearable graphene-based stress biosensor development during the summers of 2025. The IN Station is preparing an extension publication, in collaboration with extension specialists in CA and FL, to disseminate its findings. The MI Station hosted the GARD Forum virtually on March 20-22, 2025. A total of 530 participants from 37 countries across five continents registered for the event. At the SC Station, an educational and outreach-oriented review of biofertilizer regulation and adoption was developed to support knowledge dissemination to students, stakeholders, and the wider public. In addition, its conceptual synthesis titled Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi as Inspiration for Sustainable Technology is being incorporated into sustainable nano-technology teaching materials. Beyond scientific investigation, the project has provided structured mentorship and supported a range of educational outreach activities at the MS Station including summer camps, and high school STEM research mentorship programs, helping inspire the next generation of researchers and healthcare professionals.

Objective 5: Increase the number academic-industry partnerships to help move the developed technologies to commercialization phase.

Outputs: The IA Station is collaborating with the four universities in an Industry-University Coop-erative Research Centers initiative focused on soil dynamics technologies. The IN Station has renewed its academic-industry partnership with BASF for an addi-tional two years through a sponsored project focused on developing organic nanocarriers and evaluating their ability to enhance the efficacy of fungicides and nematicides. Results from the same station’s research have led to preliminary discussions with six other companies—AgXelerators, Silvec, FourStar Services, Bayer, Corteva, and CRODA—regarding potential future sponsored projects. The SC Station conducted demonstrations of scalable electrochemical platforms, includ-ing LIG and NiO-LIG technologies, which are compatible with industrial sensor manufacturing. The same team continued building cross-institutional collaborations with USDA laboratories, universities, and industry partners in the fields of food safety and environmental monitoring, and directed efforts toward translating lab-scale prototypes into commercial or pilot-ready sensor architectures. 

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