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Three doctoral level USDA Fellows are trained in the national targeted expertise shortage area of food safety and security. Development of outstanding graduates to meet future needs is our primary objective. The Ohio State University (OSU) is a major land grant institution with recognized strength in industrially relevant microbiology and food safety engineering. This team has made great strides in emerging food safety issues such as pathogen resistance to processing and persistence in food and the environment. Doctoral training is capably achieved by the principal investigators who collaborate effectively with the faculty of both the Department of Food Science and Technology (FST) and the Department of Microbiology. Doctoral level training in emerging food safety issues is needed to confront the national shortage of scientists addressing this vital area. Three doctoral Fellows will receive excellent training in nationally recognized food safety laboratories that connect several academic disciplines at OSU. OSU has a successful track record of partnership with industry and prior USDA Fellow training. It has earned a national reputation for excellence in the safety of emerging technologies, for training that is relevant and responsive to the needs of the food industry, and for specialization in persistence and resistance of food pathogens. OSU Fellows gain in-depth knowledge of stress adaptation, biofilm formation and nonthermal processes to control pathogens from the faculty who have authored definitive texts in these specializations, and from industry mentors who apply these results. Ph.D. training will include specialization in food pathogen research with a broad view of the importance of diversity and the role of science in society. These fellows gain important skills in science communication, classroom teaching, leadership development, and industrial networking. OSU scientist trained within this area should be able to respond quickly to public and media inquiries, such as the 2006 E. Coli in bagged fresh spinach scare. Fellows will gain multidisciplinary perspectives from an OSU Targeted Investment in Excellence (TIE). This TIE program connects six colleges in a team effort for public health preparedness. Fellows will learn the food safety and public health perspectives in disciplines including but not limited to infectious diseases, epidemiology, microbiology, food science, public health, pharmacy and food animal health. OSU has successfully placed 66 food science doctoral graduates in the last ten years in academic (27%) and industrial (35%) positions. Half of the faculty in OSU food science are from traditionally under represented groups. This helps us recruit, retain and inspire minority scientists at the doctoral level. We initially focus on Hispanic-American doctoral scientist development. Partnership with industry gives each Fellow highly relevant experience. OSU's well-evolved Fellow program develops the human capital to address future needs in food safety and significantly lower the estimated 5,000 deaths per year from food borne illness in the U.S. today.
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: With 5,000 deaths per year in the US attributed to food borne illness, food safety is a high national priority. There is a shortage of doctoral expertise in this critical national needs area of food safety. There is a shortage of minorities trained in food science or food safety. We hypothesize a significant reduction in this annual death rate is possible within the next generation of science. Our objective is to provide the requisite tools to the next generation of scientists who are inspired to impact the world of food safety. We will train three doctoral students to contribute directly to our nations critical needs in a safe wholesome food supply. We will recruit and retain Hispanic Americans or other minorities to directly address the science of food. <P>
APPROACH: Excellent doctoral training in emerging food safety issues is assured through mentorship provided by the food safety faculty, staff and senior graduate students, and through formal course work. Early in the program, the Fellow enrolls in Food Microbiology Lecture (636.01), Food Microbiology Laboratory (636.02), and Advanced Food Microbiology (736). These are popular courses that are cross-listed in Food Science and in Microbiology, and are taught by the co-PI's of this proposal. Our proposed curriculum ensures a balance between the lecture and laboratory courses and between learning and teaching experience. Upon entering our graduate program, you will do five-week rotations in three laboratories of your choice. These rotations will expose you to a variety of researchers, their laboratories, and their specializations and should enable you to select an adviser who best suits your interests. Once you have selected your dissertation adviser, generally within the first three months, you will work with your Ph.D. adviser to design a curriculum that complements your research project. You will select courses from a broad spectrum of food science and microbiology, including microbial genetics and physiology, immunology, fermentation technology, pathogenic microbiology, and environmental microbiology. You can also enroll in a variety of courses offered anywhere at OSU such as biochemistry, molecular genetics and chemistry. Your course work will be supplemented by participation in informal laboratory group meetings, journal clubs, and our departmental seminar series that features prominent research scientists at academic and industrial laboratories from OSU and around the world. You will have the opportunity to meet with these scientists and discuss your research projects with them. To help you develop communication skills, we offer a one year, three seminar progression that teaches technique, practice in presenting, peer critique, culminating in a public colloquium that you help plan and evaluate. Each graduate student has several opportunities to present research papers at national or international meetings. Annual research competitions give you the opportunity to present your research to a wider audience and to compete for awards that honor the best presentations.
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PROGRESS: 2006/11 TO 2007/11<BR>
This USDA National Needs Graduate Fellowship in Food Safety is in its first year of five. We are pleased to report two highly qualified doctoral students have been identified and appointed in the first year. The first student (Andrew Wassinger) is directed by Associate Professor Hua Wang. Andrew has compared the biofilm forming capability of several Listeria monocytogenes strains and studied their growth compatibility in TSB. The pattern of gene transcription of a ScottA mutant strain with attenuated biofilm forming ability will be compared with that of the parental strain by microarray for potential biofilm determinants. The second student (Elizabeth Grasso) is directed by Professor Ken Lee. Elizabeth investigating innovative new biosensors for food as identified in a recently completed proprietary food sensor roadmap. The roadmap was developed in partnership with the food industry and the engineering staff of Rockwell Automation. A third doctoral stipend remains available under the direction of Professor Ahmed Yousef. <BR>
PRODUCTS: In the first year of the Fellows project there are no products. Two students are successfully recruited into the food safety program. OUTCOMES: In the first year of the Fellows project there are no outcomes. Two qualified students are now working on highly relevant food safety doctoral theses. <BR>
DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES: In the first year of the Fellows project there are no dissemination activities. <BR>
FUTURE INITIATIVES: The USDA National Needs Fellows will produce research manuscripts for publication in top tier journals and present the preliminary results of their work at national meetings. The Fellows will assist the principal investigators in developing new hypotheses for future extramural funding by state, federal and private sector organizations. The Ohio State University food safety center is recently renewed from its initial two year period, with the goal of developing food safety technologies of relevance to the private sector. A third fellowship remains in active search, meaning it is likely to fill within the next year under the direction of Professor Ahmed Yousef. <P>
IMPACT: 2006/11 TO 2007/11<BR>
In the first year there are no immediate impacts. In future years the impact will include peer reviewed research manuscripts for publication in top tier journals and presentation of preliminary results that advance our fundamental knowlege of food safety. This project may also result in development of new hypotheses for future extramural funding by state, federal and private sector organizations. An OSU food safety center has the goal of developing food safety technologies of relevance to the private sector for potential commerical impact.