Microfluidic Chip-Based Sensors for Real-Time Monitoring of Livestock Health and Disease: Paving the Way for Enhanced Precision Livestock Farming
Wei Zhang
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Huazhong Agricultural University
Li Hua
South China Agricultural University
Keywords: Microfluidics, Biosensors, Livestock, Precision agriculture, Point-of-care testing, Biomarkers
Abstract
Precision livestock farming aims to enhance productivity and sustainability in animal agriculture through the real-time monitoring of livestock health and wellbeing. However, traditional methods of assessing livestock health are labor-intensive, intermittent, and disruptive to animals. Microfluidic biosensors offer a promising solution, enabling continuous, non-invasive analysis of biomarkers predictive of disease, stress, reproductive status, and production metrics. When integrated into wearable or ingestible formats, microfluidic sensors allow mobile, animal-centric monitoring to promote early disease detection, support treatment decisions, and provide insight into individual animal variation. This review summarizes recent advances in microfluidic sensors tailored to livestock monitoring applications. First, we provide background on the need for precision health tools in animal agriculture. Next, we introduce microfluidic sensing principles and formats amenable to livestock deployment. We then surveyed the literature on microfluidic devices designed to detect key health biomarkers in saliva, milk, blood, and other specimens. Finally, we discuss opportunities to integrate microfluidic sensors into precision livestock farming systems that translate real-time health data into management actions that optimize animal health, wellbeing, and productivity. Overall, microfluidic biosensors show immense promise to enable the continuous, individualized monitoring needed for 21st century digital livestock farming. Continued research in this interdisciplinary area will bring us closer to real-time phenotypic monitoring of livestock via minimally invasive “lab-on-a-chip” technology.
Author Biography
Li Hua, South China Agricultural University
