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

A method is described for tracking a material in a supply chain by applying a DNA taggant set to a first batch. The recorded location at which an application device applies the DNA taggant set is used to identify that the DNA taggant set corresponds to a tag string of a first supplier, and after the first batch is received at a processing facility, the recorded location is compared to a geographic coordinate to verify that the location is expected.

A sample is selected from the first batch and tested to determine a sample DNA taggant set. The document further describes verifying bar code structure by using a DNA taggant set that includes at least N unique pieces of DNA, where each piece represents a value of a digit of a bar code. A derived bar code is generated from detected DNA pieces and is compared to a predetermined bar code corresponding to the first batch.

For agricultural product, a DNA-tagging workflow is described from a geographically defined harvesting location to a processing facility. The method estimates an issued DNA taggant set amount based on an estimated amount of agricultural product, issues an applicator containing the estimated amount with a corresponding issued bar code, and applies the issued DNA taggant set by actuating the applicator. The applicator stores time and location of actuation in a database, and the method verifies that the location is within the harvesting area, that the time is within an expected time range, and that a bar code corresponding to the applied DNA taggant set matches the issued bar code.

Claims Coverage

Two independent claims are identified. The claims cover DNA taggant set application and tracking with location/time verification, sampling and testing to determine a DNA taggant set, and bar code encoding and validation using N unique DNA pieces.

Across the two independent claims, the core claim coverage is directed to DNA taggant set application tied to supplier identity or issued bar code, verification using recorded location against a geographic coordinate and time against an expected time range for agricultural product, and bar code validation by comparing a bar code derived from detected DNA pieces to a predetermined bar code or to an issued bar code.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications