October 2025

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 30 oct 2025

Fresh produce has to be tested for contamination and ensure food safety. But, it has a limited shelf life and fast sample-to-results testing is a necessity to overcome waste and spoilage. Lab-based nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) require transportation to centralized testing labs, are sensitive and expensive, and need expert technicians. Multidisciplinary team of researchers from Purdue University [Jiangshan Wang; Simerdeep Kaur; Ashley Kayabasi; Mohsen Ranjbaran; Ishaan Rath; Ilan Benschikovski; Bibek Raut; Kyungyeon Ra; Nafisa Rafiq; Mohit S. Verma] in their research 'A portable, easy-to-use paper-based biosensor for rapid in-field detection of fecal contamination on fresh produce farms', published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics September 2024 (ScienceDirect.com), explain the development of a portable, paper-based loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) testing platform for on-farm applications, capable of detecting Bacteroidales as a fecal contamination biomarker. Prof. Mohit Verma says, 'We demonstrated the implementation of FARM-LAMP in the back of a van on a farm. This innovative platform seamlessly integrates key components—fluid handling, precise reaction heating, and automated colorimetric imaging analysis - into a compact, user-friendly device. FARM-LAMP demonstrated high sensitivity, detecting as few as 3 copies of Bacteroidales per square centimeter, a performance comparable to conventional laboratory-based testing methods (e.g., qPCR). Notably, when deployed directly on commercial lettuce farms, our device showed a 100% concordance rate with results from qPCR tests conducted in the lab...This study represents the first successful field demonstration of a portable biosensing technology for fresh produce farming, paving the way for broader adoption of rapid, on-site microbial safety testing.' According to Prof. Verma, 'This research addresses important global issues related to food safety and public health. Microbial contamination, particularly fecal contamination, remains a major public health threat, causing frequent foodborne illness outbreaks linked to fresh produce. These outbreaks not only pose serious health risks to consumers but also result in economic losses for farmers and retailers, as well as significant food waste. Our research offers a practical, scalable solution by enabling rapid, accurate, and cost-effective contamination testing directly at farm sites.' Read on...

Purdue University Research Blog: A field test for fresh produce safety
Author: Mohit Verma

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 22 oct 2025

The World Economic Forum's 'The State of Social Enterprise 2024' report finds that there are 10 million hybrid social ventures globally, and they generate US$ 2 trillion in revenue and create 200 million jobs. Moreover, women lead 1 of every 2 hybrid social ventures in the world, contrary to their 1 in 5 ratio in traiditonal businesses. According to the research study, 'Gender and social entrepreneurship fundraising: A mission drift perspective' (Authors: Yanhua Bird of Boston University; Junchao (Jason) Li of The State University of New Jersey; Yiying Zhu of Montclair State University; Zhenyu Liao of Northeastern University), published in Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes May 2025 (ScienceDirect.com), 'Female entrepreneurs are better positioned to alleviate funders' concerns over mission drift (i.e., entrepreneurs prioritizing financial gain at the expense of social missions) as they are perceived as having stronger prosocial motivation. As a result, they will garner more financial support for their early-stage hybrid social ventures relative to their male counterparts.' The research looked at archival data on social entrepreneur projects from crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. But this data only provided the relationship between funding and the gender of the entrepreneur. So researchers conducted an experiment where they presented investors with potential investments to see which ones they would invest in. Prof. Liao says, 'Ultimately, we found women tend to be perceived as having a higher pro-social motivation. Those kinds of higher social motivations will translate it into stronger confidence among those investors that those women entrepreneurs are more likely to commit to those social goals in their social, entrepreneurial projects...Women entrepreneurs have some unique advantages in certain domains. These can be really powerful. (I hope this paper) shines a hopeful light on this.' Read on...

Northeastern Global News: Female entrepreneurs have an advantage when it comes to funding social enterprises, new Northeastern research finds
Author: Erin Kayata

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 21 oct 2025

Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI/Gen AI) is impacting businesses and its application in marketing is transforming. Prof. Mohanbir Sawhney of Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, considers GenAI as a natural fit for marketing as both are centered around human interactions - conversations, content and engagement. He says, 'When you look at the customer experience lifecycle - from insights and segmentation to offer creation, campaign execution, and performance analysis - generative AI enhances productivity and quality at every stage.' Some of the AI applications in industry are - AI-powered wealth advisors in financial services; Use of digital twins in retail leading to 'bot-to-bot commerce'; Image recognition tools to diagnose equipment malfunctions to reduce costly technician visits; Contract lifecycle management tools to streamline proceses; Transcription tools to auto-populate electronic health records to streamline doctor-patient interactions; Drones with image analysis tools can assess soil health, detect pests, and optimize harvesting schedules. Prof. Sawhney emphasized that these AI applications are not standalone solutions but are part of a broader AI ecosystem, that combines traditional machine learning, deep learning and generative AI to deliver optimal results. For startups he advises, 'Instead of investing in an array of specialized tools, startups should choose a platform-based approach - leveraging AI capabilities within robust ecosystems like Salesforce, Adobe, or Microsoft Dynamics.' He also raises concerns about the ethical and security aspects of AI technologies, and cautions, 'The more AI knows about you, the greater the privacy risks. If a digital twin is hacked, it's not just data theft - it's identity theft at an unprecedented level.' Key legal and ethical issues arising in AI age - intellectual property and copyright; perpetuation of biases present in training data; inaccurate or misleading content can have serious consequences in fields such as healthcare and finance. Prof. Sawhney suggests three key aspects to consider for students and early-career professionals in AI - (1) Understand core disciplines like linear algebra, statistics, and computer science; Active use of AI tools will provide hands-on experience and practical knowledge; Critical thinking, inquiry skills and curiosity are more valuable for learning and growth. Read on...

Forbes: The AI Revolution In Business: Insights From Kellogg Professor Sawhney
Author: Taarini Kaur Dang

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 20 oct 2025

Marketing function of businesses is already seeing evolution with the advent of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI or Gen AI). Customer service and content development saw the early impact, but now, market research is headed for major transformtion. Researchers Jeremy Korst of GBK Collective, Prof. Stefano Puntoni of The Wharton School at the University of Pensylvania and Prof. Olivier Toubia of Columbia Business School at Columbia University, explore the role of GenAI in revolutionizing market research, how organizations can make the best use of the technology, what it can and can't do and the ethical considerations. Researchers say, 'When properly deployed, the technology offers firms unprecedented opportunities to understand and engage with customers, better assess the competitive environment, and extend data-driven decision-making deep into their organizations.' SURVEY HIGHLIGHTS - According to the survey of 170 market research and practitioners and users, researchers found: 45% were already employing gen AI in their current data and insights activities; Another 45% were planning to do so in the future; More than 70% of respondents reported concerns about the possible side effects and challenges of gen AI; More than 70% had concerns about gen AI's potential to create skill gaps and even replace human data and insights professionals; 62% of those currently employing gen AI in their work were using it to synthesize lengthy interview transcripts and other documents; 58% were using it to analyze data; 54% were using it to write reports; More than 80% agreed that it has the potential to significantly enhance personal productivity and efficiency and that integrating it into their work processes is critical for staying competitive; More than 80% believed that it will positively affect their industry overall by improving their jobs and driving significant innovation; 81% of the respondents already use or plan to use gen AI to create synthetic data; Only 31% rated the value of data produced by gen AI as "great"; 30% of respondents said that their company had used gen AI to guide decision-making that previously wouldn't have leveraged external data and insights; 81% of respondents reported using or planning to use gen AI to "listen to the market" and keep their organizations informed about the competitive environment; More than 40% are already experimenting with digital twins; 42% said that they planned to experiment with digital twins in the future; 77% have concerns about the potential for biased results Researchers identified the following four distinct classes of opportunities - (1) Supporting Current Practices: Apply the four core capabilities of gen AI - synthesis, coding (computer programming), human interaction, and writing - to each stage of the market research process; Makes the process faster, cheaper, or easier to scale up. (2) Replacing Current Practices: Leveraging synthetic data (data about people's preferences or behavior that's created by AI and not gathered through surveys or interviews). (3) Filling Existing Gaps in Market Understanding: Obtaining insights and evidence that aren't available in conventional data.(4) Creating New Types of Data and Insights: Creating "digital twins"; Gen AI can conduct insightful interviews of the synthetic respondents it has created. Read on...

Columbia Business School: How Gen AI Is Transforming Market Research
Authors: Jeremy Korst, Stefano Puntoni, Olivier Toubia

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 18 oct 2025

Artificial intelligence (AI) is bringing shift in interior design and architecture practice. Industry associations and organizations are observing and evaluating all aspects of AI use and providing advisories and directives for effective adoption and adaption of this technology. In June this year, the American Institute of Architects (AIA) passed industry policies on AI use at its Annual Business Meeting emphasizing - 'A formal establishment of AI Usage Policies, an AI Education & Exchange Platform, an AI Ethical Framework (AI's Integration into the Code of Ethics) and incorporating AI into the next AIA 5-Year Strategic Plan.' In July, Houzz released its inaugural report '2025 U.S. Houzz State of AI in Construction & Design' that mentions - Nearly 1/3rd of design businesses use AI tools; Firms using AI regularly report saving more than 3 hours of time per week. But, the U.S. State of AI in Construction and Design report noted that 94% of designers who participated stated they have no training or guidance in AI tools. Maria Marting, founder of Design Appy, voices her concern and cautions, 'How private is what you're doing and those platforms that you're using? It's the idea of what's your creative value, and then what's the privacy policy of the platform. Do those two things align?' But she also says in positive tone, 'When we're looking at AI and how it works for designers, it's really just a super powerhouse for them for the business side of things.' Dawn Haynie, Research Fellow at American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), says, 'Firm principals tend to use AI for streamlining communications, scheduling, and project management. More tech-savvy designers are more likely to use AI for concept development, renderings, and drafting specifications - tasks where efficiency and speed can significantly enhance output.' Rob Bischoff of Gensler says, 'We're also exploring how AI can deepen the storytelling behind our designs by bringing them to life quickly, and in more immersive formats that help convey the full design approach and human-centered experiences.' Robin Anderson, ASID's Director of Education, says, 'The profession should proactively learn from other industries that have already navigated AI's impacts. Often, best practices originate outside the design field.' Read on...

I+S Design: Navigating AI Opportunities, Risks, and Strategies for Interior Design
Author: Valerie Dennis Craven