CAPACITY FOR ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY TESTING AND BACTERIAL SEQUENCING AT CORNELL AHDC

Project Summary/AbstractThere is a growing need for monitoring antimicrobial resistance in animals in order to protect the safety ofpeople and animals. Improving capacity for isolate banking, accredited antibiotic susceptibility testing, andbacterial whole genome sequencing in veterinary diagnostic labs thus supports the mission of FDA to ensurethe safety of our nation's food supply and protect public health. In this proposal, we request critical equipmentneeded to strengthen capacity in the Cornell Animal Health Diagnostic Center. The capacity to performadvanced molecular characterization of bacterial isolates in a reliable manner is critical to our ability to respondquickly to suspected microbiological contamination and monitor antimicrobial resistance in animals and feed.The proposed studies will have important impacts for both human and veterinary health and will improve thecapabilities of the Vet-LIRN to perform effective surveillance for food-borne pathogens.