Today FDA announced the winner of the 2014 Food Safety Challenge. The Purdue University team snagged the $300,000 grand prize for its physical method for concentrating Salmonella to detectable levels via automated microfiltration. The technique can potentially reduce sample preparation time from 24-48 hours to a two- to three-hour timeframe.

Runner-up  Pronucleotein received $100,000 for its portable device that enables rapid pathogen screening via DNA aptamer-magnetic bead sandwich assays.

For more details about the technology, view Food Safety Tech’s coverage: FDA’s Food Safety Challenge a Big Deal for Agency and Industry.