Source: Food Safety News
The North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine has launched a new dry laboratory to support Dr. Gustavo Machado’s research on preventing livestock disease outbreaks. At the lab’s core is the Rapid Access Biosecurity App (RABapp), a cloud-based program developed by Machado to help farmers, state authorities, and the USDA monitor and control disease spread in hog, poultry, and cattle operations. Since its 2019 launch, over 17,000 farms, 75 companies, and 36 state Departments of Agriculture have adopted the app.
With diseases like African swine fever posing risks that can cost farms hundreds of thousands of dollars, RABapp enables biosecurity planning, outbreak alerts, and efficient data sharing. The growing demand led NC State to centralize Machado’s 15-member team in one collaborative space, improving speed and efficiency. Continuous updates, infrastructure optimization, and user trust remain top priorities, with the lab’s mission extending beyond livestock health to safeguarding public health.