DNA Methylation Profiling for Geographic Origin Authentication

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for tracing the geographic origin of livestock and ensuring sustainable food production are inadequate due to tampering risks and lack of tampering-resistant certificates, necessitating a reliable method to identify and verify the geographic origin of animal products.

Innovation Solution

The method involves DNA methylation profiling to generate 'epigenetic fingerprints' that are specific to geographic origins, allowing for the identification and verification of the geographic origin of organisms by comparing test methylation profiles with predetermined reference profiles.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional certificate-based tracing methods are used, then consumer information and traceability are provided, but the system is easily tampered with and lacks reliability

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetraceability reliabilityVSAvoidcertificate system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces mechanical certificate-based tracing systems with epigenetic biomarker analysis. DNA methylation patterns and other epigenetic modifications serve as natural, tamper-proof identifiers that inherently encode geographic origin information, eliminating the need for external certification infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The organism's own epigenetic machinery generates the tracing information. During development, environmental exposures induce specific DNA methylation and histone modification patterns that automatically record geographic origin data in the organism's genome, requiring no external tagging or certification processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If epigenetic profiling methods are implemented, then tampering-resistant geographic origin identification is achieved, but measurement and detection complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegeographic origin verificationVSAvoidepigenetic marker detection

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and focuses on specific epigenetic markers (DNA methylation at particular CpG sites, histone modification at specific gene regions) rather than analyzing the entire epigenome. This targeted approach to a subset of informative markers simplifies detection while maintaining geographic origin discrimination capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The epigenetic profiling system serves multiple functions simultaneously: it identifies geographic origin, verifies authenticity, provides environmental exposure history, and enables species identification. This multi-functionality justifies the measurement complexity by delivering comprehensive quality control in a single analytical framework.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Reliability

If comprehensive surveillance of farming practices is implemented, then quality control improves, but the system becomes vulnerable to tampering by moving livestock between farms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequality controlVSAvoidfarming practice flexibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The epigenetic markers are established during the organism's early development and growth phases, recording environmental exposures and geographic origins before the organism can be moved or transferred. This preliminary encoding of origin information occurs naturally during development, creating an immutable historical record that cannot be altered by subsequent farm transfers.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach provides a tampering-resistant means to authenticate the geographic origin of animal products, ensuring quality control and traceability, thereby enhancing consumer trust and sustainability in the food industry.

Implementation Method 1

The invention is based on the finding that specific panels of genes provide a source for the generation of DNA methylation profiles which are specific for a geographic origin of organisms

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectDNA methylation:

Data Source

PatentUS20230257829A1DNA-methylation-based quality control of the origin of organisms

Publication Date: 2023.08.17 EVONIK OPERATIONS GMBH

AI summary

The invention pertains to a method for the identification of the geographic origin of an individual test subject or of an individual group of test subjects, the method comprising the comparison of a test methylation profile obtained from genomic material of the individual test subject or of the individual group of test subjects with one or more predetermined reference methylation profiles each being specific for a distinct geographic origin.