Adaptations and control of bacterial foodborne pathogens in food and agricultural ecosystems

The long-term goal of the research is to enhance our understanding of the ecology and adaptations of bacterial foodborne pathogens in order to further guide the development of science-based intervention strategies. To contribute to this long-term goal we will pursue the following specific objectives:Objective 1. To develop and validate the utilization of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for electronic-sensor-based detection of foodborne bacterial pathogens on leafy greensObjective 2: To characterize the fate of Listeria on apples and other fresh produceObjective 3: To characterize genetic diversity, unique genomic attributes and virulence of Listeria in natural reservoirsObjective 4: To assess emergence, spread and persistence of antimicrobial resistance in Campylobacter Objective 5: To characterize survival and virulence of Salmonella in low-moisture foods and on dry abiotic surfaces