Source: NAVAJO TECHNICAL COLLEGE submitted to NRP
ADDRESSING FOOD SECURITY AND WORKFORCE NEEDS IN NAVAJO NATION VIA THE DEVELOPMENT OF FLEXIBLE ELECTROCHEMICAL GAS SENSORS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1031646
Grant No.
2024-38424-41474
Cumulative Award Amt.
$650,000.00
Proposal No.
2023-07089
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Nov 15, 2023
Project End Date
Nov 14, 2026
Grant Year
2024
Program Code
[ZY]- Tribal Colleges Research Grants Program
Recipient Organization
NAVAJO TECHNICAL COLLEGE
PO BOX 849
CROWNPOINT,NM 87313
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Navajo Nation's Food Insecurity and Need for Gas SensorsThe Navajo Nation Reservation is a rural area classified as a food desert by the United States Department of Agriculture. About 13 grocery stores offer fresh fruit, vegetables, and basic supplies in the Navajo Nation. These grocery stores are only in high-population areas in the Reserve. Unlike off-reservation stores, the products sold here are of poorer quality and cost more. Then, there are trading posts, convenience stores, and gas stations across the Nation that offer highly processed, canned, dry, and unhealthy foods. Precision farming and environmental control technologies have allowed the development of vertical farms that have been reported to use 95% less water, no soil, no pesticides, and 50% less fertilizer than traditional farms while producing 75% more crops per square foot. Hydroponics is a sustainable food production system that uses less water than traditional field crop watering methods, produces higher yields of plants in a shorter time frame, uses less space (as it can be grown vertically), and does not require soil. Using these systems does not contribute to the destruction and disruption of topsoil, whereas industrial agriculture has severely depleted topsoil integrity and biodiversity in the US. Hydroponic systems can provide a reimagined food source for the Navajo Nation in the American Southwest while being water-conscious.The internal environment of indoor farms must be monitored and controlled, as the closed spaces build up gases such as ethylene or deplete gases like carbon dioxide and oxygen. These are problems that do not exist in open fields. There is a strong need inside the reservation to fabricate the sensors to detect these gasses. Through these project activities, we will train our students to fabricate gas sensors to detect these gases. In particular, the flexible ammonia sensor will be of critical use in post-harvest applications with a focus on producing refrigeration and transportation, breathe analysis to screen chronic kidney disorders, leak detection in fertilizer industry, and detection of trace explosives such as trinitrotoluene in cargo. This project allows us to work together to educate the next generation of Tribal scientists, sensor engineers, and growers who will lead the future of controlled environment agriculture.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
30%
Applied
50%
Developmental
20%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1027310200065%
4027299202035%
Knowledge Area
102 - Soil, Plant, Water, Nutrient Relationships; 402 - Engineering Systems and Equipment;

Subject Of Investigation
7310 - Experimental design and statistical methods; 7299 - Research equipment and methods, general/other;

Field Of Science
2020 - Engineering; 2000 - Chemistry;
Goals / Objectives
Goals and Supporting ObjectivesThe goal of the TCRGP project is to address food security challenges and workforce needs in Navajo Nation through the development of flexible electrochemical gas sensors. The collaborative project intends to remove barriers to sustainable food production and food spoilage with a dual intent of preparing students for agricultural and related workforce rooted in leadership, knowledge, and competency. In this context, the project objectives are to (a) develop flexible carbon dioxide, ethylene, and ammonia gas sensors on paper substrate, (b) explore surface modification of the sensors to withstand the harsh conditions prevalent in a controlled atmosphere, (c) perform benchmark verification and field testing of the sensors to observe the long-term performance, (d) integrate the research results in to existing courses in Navajo Technical University (NTU) and Washington State University (WSU), (e) train students on low-cost and advanced fabrication techniques towards gas sensors and antenna implementation, and (d) build research capacity at NTU via infrastructure enhancement and training on implementing Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The proposed research directly addresses NIFA's strategic goal 3 (Foster an Equitable and Competitive Marketplace for All Agricultural Producers), strategic goal 4 ( Provide All Americans Safe, Nutritious Food) and strategic goal 5 (Expand Opportunities for Economic Development and Improve Quality of Life in Rural and Tribal Communities).
Project Methods
Efforts:1. Develop flexible gas sensors on paper or a suitable substrate. Train students at NTU and WSU and provide them with hands-on experience in fabricating these sensors2. Explore surface modification of these sensors in a controlled atmosphere3. Build a research capacity at NTU via training and implementing IoT devices4.Integration of research results into ECE 101 ECE 576, and CHEM 1225C5. Expand the outreach activities (through presentations) in the Navajo Nation.

Progress 11/15/23 to 11/14/24

Outputs
Target Audience:Navajo students were trained in gas sensor research focusing on food safety and security, developing expertise in sensor reproducibility studies to ensure reliable and consistent performance. This training program emphasized studying research articles related to sensor fabrication techniques, data analysis, and quality control, equipping students with the skills needed for advanced sensor development. Their research efforts led to significant contributions in the field, culminating in two peer-reviewed publications highlighting their work on improving sensor reliability for detecting foodborne contaminants. This initiative advanced scientific knowledge and strengthened Navajo students' research capacity in sensor technology, fostering a pipeline to move forward and initiate research on future innovationsin food safety applications. Changes/Problems:WSU encountered problems with the inkjet printer and the control electronics. The inkjet printer was returned to Fujifilm, which took around three months to fix. Due to space constraints and an industry reset, the new printer is immediately unavailable for NTU and issubjected to optimization routines. Hence, some of the tasks proposed in the first year have been delayed. Therefore, the researchteam decided tohire more research students and assistants in 2025. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The PDs played an active role in the Sensors Division at the Electrochemical Society. The PDs and NTU students attended the 245th ECS meeting in San Francisco andthe ECS PRiME 2024 meeting. In addition, students from WSU and NTU have published their investigations in the ECS Sensors Plus journal. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The research studies have been published in related journals. 2. P. K. Sekhar, W. Willey, M.Begay, B. Thomas, C. Woody, and T.Soundappan, "Sensor Reproducibility: Challenges and Potential Solutions", ECS Sensors Plus, (2025). 1. S.Kogularasu, B.Sriram, G-P.Chang-Chien, S-F.Wang, Ahammad, W.Billey, J.Platero, T.Soundappan, and P.Sekhar, "Advancements in Electrochemical Sensor Technology for Enhancing Food Safety and Security: A Review (Editor's Choice)," ECS Sensors Plus, 2, 020605 (2024). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?The goals for the next reporting period include: - Coating the paper substrate to reduce humidity effects - Fabricating and testing devices to sense CO2 - Building infrastructure by purchasing an inkjet printer, a gas sensor fixture, and an automated gas dilution and dispensing system

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? In the first year, we investigated the impact of humidity and temperature cycling on the surface topography, printed functionality, and dimensional stability of paper substrate. Further, we explored how to build research capacity at NTU via infrastructure enhancement and training on sensor reproducibility. Highlighting the last three years, we reviewed the indispensable role of electrochemical sensors in boosting food safety and security and the need for ongoing innovation and cross-disciplinary cooperation to advance this area. With 90% relative humidity, the inkjet-printed device preserved electrical conductivity for two days. However, slight degradation was observed on the third day, necessitating a protective coating before building the sensor. Further, temperature cycling ( 1100F to 300F) revealed stability at high temperatures and fragility at low temperatures, indicating close monitoring of device performance at low temperatures. In terms of building capacity at minority-serving institutions, the PDs discussed (a) open source data management frameworks in alignment with Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse (FAIR) principles to facilitate sensor reproducibility; (b) suggestion for journals focused on sensors to incorporate a reproducibility editorial board and incentivization for data sharing; (c) practice of reproducibility by targeted focus issues; and (d) education of current and the next generation of diverse student and faculty community on FAIR principles. The PDs also investigated the importance of regulations and standardization in sensor adoption for food safety and security. Integrating computational tools, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning algorithms, with sensor data revolutionizes the analysis and interpretation of complex datasets. This enables more accurate, reliable, and rapid detection of contaminants. Additionally, advances in microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip technologies drive the miniaturization and portability of sensors, enabling on-site testing and real-time monitoring without the need for specialized laboratory facilities.

Publications

  • Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Kogularasu Sakthivel et al 2024 ECS Sens. Plus 3 020605
  • Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Praveen Kumar Sekhar et al 2024 ECS Sens. Plus 3 046401