CHADDS FORD, PA — Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) has teamed up with MOBILion Systems, Inc., setting the stage for significant advancements in food safety testing. This collaboration aims to develop innovative methods and tools designed to swiftly pinpoint contaminants in food, thereby enhancing the current standards for detection and ensuring the availability of safe, nutritious products for consumers.
At the helm of this initiative are two distinguished figures: Professor Chris Elliott, the visionary behind the renowned ASSET Technology Centre at QUB, and Nick Birse, a respected Lecturer in Mass Spectrometry at the Institute for Global Food Security and School of Biological Sciences. Their expertise is instrumental in driving efforts to refine the detection of hazardous substances such as mycotoxins and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances), leveraging QUB’s vast sample libraries and deep knowledge base to establish new benchmarks in food safety protocols.
Central to their research is the MOBIE platform, a cutting-edge system lauded for its exceptional resolution, enhanced throughput, and unparalleled reproducibility. The installation of the first MOBIE instrument in the UK—and the second in Europe—within QUB’s state-of-the-art ASSET Technology Centre, marks a pivotal moment in the quest for improved food security. Nick Birse underscored the instrument’s transformative potential, noting, “The MOBIE system can accelerate testing by up to 60-fold, enabling us to analyze more samples and significantly increase our chances of detecting contaminants.” This leap in efficiency and accuracy promises to fortify consumer confidence in the safety of food and feed.
This venture not only underscores the commitment of both QUB and MOBILion to elevating public health standards but also reinforces QUB’s status as a leader in agriculture, veterinary, and food science research. By collaborating with industry partners like MOBILion, QUB continues to push the boundaries of scientific inquiry, fostering connections with global collaborators across both academic and commercial spheres.
The partnership is set to produce a wealth of joint publications, conference presentations, and webinars aimed at sharing their findings with industry stakeholders and regulatory bodies. Through these efforts, QUB and MOBILion are not just advancing the science of food safety testing—they are actively contributing to the creation of a safer, healthier food supply for all.
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