Saskatoon-based company creates portable disease detection device

PathoScan allows farmers to test the health of their crops in the field in under two hours. Until now, the only pathogen detection option was to bring plant samples to a government lab and wait days or weeks for results, according to Done.

“This time lag can mean the difference between farmers losing their crop or having the ability to save their plants by treating them for diseases quickly, which ultimately helps protect both their livelihood and Canada’s food supply, and brings the cost of food down. We’re harnessing our technology to make farming more efficient, sustainable and profitable.”

Done, who is currently pursuing a PhD in research and development tied to his business at the University of Saskatchewan, came up with the idea for a mobile testing device in 2022 as a University of Saskatchewan undergraduate while working in a government agricultural internship. Tasked with demonstrating the government’s pathogen testing service — a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test called Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) — at agricultural events, he said many farmers wanted to conduct tests on the spot, but the devices on display were for in-lab use only.

“I saw that there was a problem and I wanted to help, which is what sparked the idea for a solution that’s smaller, mobile, lightweight, and more affordable for the average producer,” he said.

With support from Mitacs — a national innovation organization that connects businesses and researchers with talent, financial support and partnerships — Done and Soomro piloted their device, the PathoBox, on select Saskatchewan farms last summer and received a positive response.

They have since refined the technology for the upcoming season and are developing an artificial intelligence component, due next year, to make the device even more accurate.

“Mitacs is the reason I’m able to work on this business full time and make the product better. As a company co-founder, it’s extremely hard to get funding for your salary and I’m very grateful that Mitacs has financially enabled me to focus on R&D so that not all our time has to be spent on sales,” he said.

To use the PathoBox — roughly the size of a lunchbox and weighing about a kilogram — producers fill a test tube with a chemical powder-water mixture, then add crushed pieces of plant. The tube is placed into the device, which heats the sample and uses a molecular technique to make millions of copies of any pathogen DNA that might be on the plant. If pathogen levels are high, indicating disease, the liquid in the tube changes colour. One PathoBox can test up to eight tubes at once, enabling farmers to calculate the percentage of their field that may be infected based on the combined sample results.

Mitacs CEO Dr. Stephen Lucas said partnerships like this demonstrate what is possible when there is investment in ideas, talent is embedded and market commercialization is accelerated for Saskatchewan and Canada’s startups.

“Mitacs is proud to be part of the PathoScan story. It’s a great example of innovation and Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan at work,” Lucas said.

In last summer’s pilot, Done said a producer was able to detect a pathogen early enough to treat it, preventing $240,000 in yield losses. The findings also allow farmers to take targeted action only where it is needed rather than applying pesticides broadly across their fields.

Once the AI feature is launched next season, the device will integrate vision technology to detect more specifically how much disease is in each plant sample. It will then send a complete disease report and treatment recommendations to the farmer by smartphone within minutes.

PathoScan’s breakthrough earned Done a third-place finish in this year’s Enactus Canada National Exposition, a student entrepreneur competition held in Montreal in May. The competition drew more than 100 submissions.

Weston Bohachewski, an agronomist with Melfort, Sask.-based Shark Ag Consulting, said PathoScan is an exciting tool to use with growers to determine whether a fungicide is needed and will hopefully bridge the gap in the disease triangle that has been missing for many years when it comes to deciding on fungicide use.

“We hope to see it as our number one tool in disease detection going forward, especially sclerotinia in canola for fast, reliable results,” Bohachewski said.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

by Pattison Media

Saskatoon-based company creates portable disease detection device

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