DETECH21 · Developing New Technologies to meet 21st Century Demands in Animal Forensics

DeTECH21 will provide through SME led and directed research new forensic testing services based on metabolomic profiling which will identify the misuse of prohibited and licensed chemicals in bovine and equine animals. The new services which the SME partners will obtain from the project will offer an innovative approach to drug analysis based on the monitoring of biological responses to drug use in animals rather than on the direct detection of compounds which forms the basis of current testing. The administration of both legal and illegal drugs to animals destined for food production and performance sport competition continues to be an enormous challenge. Current testing typically analyses individual samples for a single specific drug and thus is inefficient and costly. These limitations have become evident through sport anti-doping enforcement where similar testing has proved ineffectual with individuals proven to have continually evaded detection despite sustained testing. These challenges have been identified by SME partners as challenges to their long-term business sustainability. DeTECH21 aims to deliver new services to increase SME competiveness, service cost-effectiveness and market reach. This will be achieved through the use of the skills of RTD partners in innovative sample profiling techniques and the skills of SME partners in the commercial provision of analytical services. The uniqueness and innovation of the DeTECH21 project will lie in the construction of metabolomic databases which can be used to identify animals which have been exposed to exogenous substances and assist in the identification of administered compounds. This 2 year project brings into collaboration key partners from across Europe who have come together with the joint objective of delivering what will be the first commercially available forensic test service based on metabolomic analysis applicable to food safety and performance animal applications.