The proposed research project was initiated at the Department of Defense (DoD) Collaborative Collision and conceived in subsequent meetings. The effort synergistically combines the expertise of each team member: Hallinan in nanoparticle synthesis and functionalization, Liang in nanoparticle characterization and Raman spectroscopy, and Rao in antibody development and biological detection. The goals of the project period are 1) to synthesize and functionalize iron oxide-gold core-shell nanoparticles with antibodies for immunodetection and ligands to prevent non-specific binding and 2) to calibrate and validate the detection capability of the nanoparticles in model solutions and in meat/blood. This research directly impacts food safety by creating a rapid pre-screening technology, amenable to use in the field via a handheld Raman spectrometer, that can detect low-level adulterants that pose a threat to human health. With future effort, planned to be supported with funding from the DoD, the technology could also impact human/soldier health by monitoring for pathogens in water and even used for rapid screening of blood samples for viruses, bacteria, and other harmful components. Rapid, portable, and sensitive detection in biological media is not currently available because it requires expertise across fields with limited interaction: materials engineering and biology. The team submitting this proposal has all the expertise necessary to address this high-impact need.