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Diagnostic Technologies for On-Farm Decision Making and Laboratory Surveillance in Dairy Systems

Principal Investigator: Matthias Wieland

Co-PI: Craig Altier; Parminder Basran; Diego Diel; Renata Ivanek; Erin Goodrich

Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences
Sponsor: Office of the Vice Provost for Research-FAAI
Grant Number: 3074
Title: Diagnostic Technologies for On-Farm Decision Making and Laboratory Surveillance in Dairy Systems
Project Amount: $700,000
Project Period: July 2026 to June 2028

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant):

This project will establish a collaborative and integrated, AI-enabled diagnostic and surveillance platform to advance disease management, antimicrobial stewardship, and decision-making in American agriculture. By combining on-farm diagnostics, high-throughput laboratory assays, and real-time data integration, it addresses critical barriers to timely and accurate pathogen detection and identification that limit pathogen-based treatment and prevention strategies for America’s farmers. We will deploy a computer vision system to automate the interpretation of on-farm bacterial cultures for rapid, standardized mastitis diagnostics and integration into herd management software to support treatment decisions. In parallel, we will develop multi-pathogen PCR and PCR– next-generation sequencing assays to enable rapid, high-throughput detection of pathogens across major disease syndromes. These diagnostic streams will be integrated through an AI-enabled surveillance dashboard that aggregates de-identified data to visualize disease trends, detect anomalies, and support coordinated responses among farmers, veterinarians, and animal health officials. By accelerating access to actionable information, the platform will improve treatment decisions, reduce unnecessary antimicrobial use, lower production costs, and strengthen the efficiency, resilience, and global competitiveness of American agriculture.