Getting a Better Handle on Cattle Stress
Titre de Projet
Wearable Electrochemical Biosensor Patch for Real-Time Cortisol Monitoring in Cattle
Des Cherchers
Amir Sanati Nezhad (University of Calgary) [email protected]
Ghader Manafiazar (Dalhousie University)
| Le Statut | Code de Project |
|---|---|
| En cours. Résultats attendus en January, 2027 | POC.12.25 |
Background
Stress negatively impacts immunity, fertility and performance in cattle. Researchers measure changes in cortisol, a hormone in the blood or saliva, to evaluate the animal’s stress response to painful procedures, transportation and other management practices. Handling cattle and collecting saliva or blood samples increases stress, making it difficult to determine whether increases in cortisol are due to the management practice being studied or to the stress of sample collection. Wearable cortisol sensors have been developed for people. This technology will be adapted for use in cattle research studies.
Objectives
- Design a dental retainer (molar and premolar region), fabricate using 3D printing, that is capable of real-time monitoring of cortisol levels through the saliva of cattle
- In vitro (lab-based) validation of the integrated cortisol sensing device using synthetic buffer solutions and bovine saliva samples
- In-vivo (on-farm) testing of the biosensors
what they will do
This team will design, build and validate a sensor in a dental retainer that can be installed in the animal’s mouth, near the molars where saliva accumulates. The sensor will continuously measure cortisol levels and transmit the results in real time via Bluetooth. The sensor will be tested in the lab with known cortisol levels under controlled conditions (e.g., expected ranges of pH, viscosity, enzymes, etc.) and tested to ensure it will remain in place and be able to withstand the bite forces of chewing. The prototype will then be tested and validated in cattle.
This will allow researchers to obtain a more precise, reliable and non-invasive measure of changes in the animal’s stress level over a 24-hour period.
Implications
This is not intended to be an on-farm tool, but a non-invasive method to continuously measure cortisol levels. This would help researchers get a more precise picture of how stressful a particular practice is to the animal, without it being obscured by handling and sampling.