Serotype-specific Acid-adapted Salmonella Response During Macrophage Survival and Host-pathogen Interactions

The objective of this collaborative research project is to determine how prior exposure to moderately acidic conditions influences the ability of Salmonella to invade, survive, and replicate within bovine macrophages, and to define how these changes affect host cellular and transcriptional responses. The project will compare acid-adapted and non-adapted Salmonella across multiple serotypes relevant to cattle and food safety to identify serotype-specific differences in association, invasion, and intracellular persistence. A second objective is to characterize bacterial and host transcriptional responses using dual RNA-seq, focusing on stress-response pathways, virulence-associated genes, and inflammatory responses. This analysis will determine whether acid adaptation alters the regulatory programs of Salmonella or modifies macrophage immune signaling. A third objective is to integrate phenotypic outcomes with transcriptomic data to identify mechanisms through which acid adaptation influences intracellular survival and host-pathogen interactions. The results will support improved understanding of serotype-specific persistence in bovine systems and inform future strategies aimed at reducing Salmonella risk in livestock populations.