Product tracking and rating system using DNA tags

Inventors

Zografos, Antonios • Clotilde, Laurie M.

Abstract

Material in a supply chain is tracked by a method of applying a DNA taggant set to a first batch of the material produced by a first supplier of the material. The DNA taggant set corresponds to a tag string corresponding to the first supplier. The first batch is aggregated with a second batch to create an aggregated lot. A sample is selected from the aggregated lot and tested to determine a DNA taggant set of the sample. After selecting a sample from the aggregated lot, the sample may be labeled with a grade and then placed in a receptacle corresponding to the grade.

Core Innovation

The invention provides a method of tracking a material in a supply chain by recording an application location of an application device where the application device applies a DNA taggant set to a first batch. The DNA taggant set corresponds to a tag string corresponding to a first supplier, and after the first batch is received at a processing facility, the application location is compared to a geographic coordinate to verify that the application location is expected.

The method selects a sample from the first batch if the application location is verified to be expected and tests the sample to determine a sample DNA taggant set. In related implementations, the application location verification is supplemented with recording a time when the application device applies the DNA taggant set and verifying that the recorded time falls within an expected time range.

In agricultural tracking from a geographically defined location, the invention provides a DNA taggant set comprising a taggant material including at least N unique pieces of DNA representing N digits of a bar code, with N being a positive integer greater than 1. The method estimates an amount of issued DNA taggant set based on an estimated amount of agricultural product, issues a sprayer containing the issued DNA taggant set having a corresponding issued bar code, and applies the issued DNA taggant set by actuating the sprayer.

The sprayer tracks a time and location of actuation by storing the time and location in a database, verifies that the location is within the harvesting location and the time is within an expected time range, and verifies that a bar code corresponding to the applied DNA taggant set matches the issued bar code after delivery to a processing location. The disclosed embodiments further relate DNA taggant encoding and decoding to derived bar codes by detecting DNA pieces applied to batches or products and deriving a bar code from the detected DNA pieces for comparison to a predetermined or issued bar code.

Claims Coverage

The partial content identifies three independent claims covering DNA-tag based supply chain tracking using device-recorded geographic and temporal verification and DNA-based bar code confirmation, including parameterized DNA encoding using N unique DNA pieces representing N bar-code digits.

Across the identified independent claims, the inventive coverage centers on applying DNA taggant sets tied to supplier or issued identifiers, verifying expected geographic and temporal parameters using coordinates, time ranges, and recorded actuation data, and confirming identity by testing to determine a DNA taggant set and verifying that derived or corresponding bar codes match expected or issued bar codes, including encoding bar codes using at least N unique DNA pieces representing N digits.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications