Impact of substrate microbiomes on biofilm formation and persistence of Listeria monocytogenes in hydroponic systems

To determine how microbial communities associated with hydroponic substrates influence the formation of multispecies biofilms and the growth and persistence of Listeria monocytogenes in hydroponic systems, in order to inform targeted strategies to mitigate pathogen contamination and improve food safety in controlled environment agriculture.1. Objective one of this project aims to analyze the microbiota associated with commonly used hydroponic substrates to enhance our understanding of the microbial communities present in these systems. Furthermore, it is essential to determine whether these bacteria form biofilms and how they affect the Listeria monocytogenes growth and survival.2. Objective two will evaluate the biofilm formation capacity of bacteria identified in Objective 1 and assess their impact onListeria monocytogenesgrowth and survival in multispecies biofilms.3. Objective three will explore the interactions between these biofilms and Listeria monocytogenesgrowth in a deep water culture system with and without plants. This research will ultimately provide insight into the behavior ofListeria monocytogenesin complex hydroponic environments, which is needed for the development of targeted intervention strategies to mitigate contamination in hydroponic systems to enhance food safety.