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The purpose of the Poultry Microbiological Safety Research Unit is to further reduce
or eliminate bacterial pathogen contamination in poultry operations and the following
objectives are to: <ol> <li> Assess the effectiveness and further development of
bacteriocins (anti-bacterial peptides) and bacteriophage by in vitro bacterial growth
inhibition in culture and in vivo experimentation via challenge in chickens. <li>
Reduce bacterial populations in chicken litter by monitoring poultry houses for
bacterial pathogens carried by chickens during use of intervention technologies.
Decontamination techniques, such as in-house foam applied disinfectants will be
examined for reduction of Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., Clostridium
perfringens and Listeria monocytogenes. <li> Improve cultural methods for Campylobacter
spp. in poultry in further support of FSIS needs, including the improvement of
recovery. <li> Use microarray expression analysis under various cultural conditions to
identify nutrients necessary for optimal growth, colonization and culture of
Campylobacter spp.</ol>
Approach: New antimicrobial agents will be developed that are usable by the poultry farmer on a large scale to reduce Campylobacter spp. and salmonellae by applying in feed at the appropriate times before slaughter. Also, new means for the drug-free production sector to control clostridial disease without relying on antibiotics are the major expected approaches of Objective 1. Providing a science based source of data to better dispose of spent poultry litter without major energy or financial inputs is the approach for Objective 2. A more reliable and quantitative method to routinely culture Campylobacter spp. from food and environmental samples is the approach of Objective 3.