Graduate Training in Food Safety and Human Nutrition: An Approach that Integrates Diagnostics, Nutrition and Risk Analysis

<p>NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:<br/> This proposal addresses the TESA ""Sciences for Agricultural Biosecurity"" in the Discipline of Food Science/Technology/Manufacturing/Safety (F). It will involve Graduate Training of Minorities (MS and PhD) in Integrative Biosciences as well as research in food safety, nutrition and risk analysis. The severity of recent food-borne disease outbreaks, the emergence of new pathogens, the association of a commodity or specific product and product recalls due to microbial contamination, whether real or perceived, has been negatively affecting the producer, the industry and the consumer. At the same time, the impact of good nutrition and the use of food as an alternative means to encourage good health are becoming increasingly important. Both public and private sectors indicate an urgent need for food safety, better and faster pathogen detection
methods, and analytical capability, particularly risk assessments, to address the challenges of biosecurity and integrity of the food safety systems and nutrition. The available numbers of such specialists is presently limited, but are absolutely necessary for the permanently changing and highly complex food production, processing and distribution systems that meet the need of the human nutrition. Our long-term goal is to strengthen Tuskegee's and in particular our Center for Computational Epidemiology, Bioinformatics and Risk Analysis (CCEBRA) and the department of nutrition sciences in the area of food safety risk analysis and nutrition. Our immediate focus will be to train students, three MSc and one Ph.D in Integrative Biosciences, especially minorities, to address a critical shortage of underrepresented minority scientists trained in food safety microbiology and risk analysis. The
program includes: (i) multidisciplinary training that bridges the disciplines of microbiology, nutrition and quantitative microbial risk assessment, (ii) internship related to Food Safety, nutrition in national and state agencies, and (iii) focus on recruiting students from minorities specifically African Americans. Plan of operation and methodology: the Ph. D. Fellow's research will integrate microbial food detection, risk analysis and nutrition. Each of the three MSc students will be working on microbial food detection, risk analysis and nutrition; and all will be exposed to research in these three areas while they take a course that integrates these three disciplines in their first year. During the Summer Break, the Fellows will spend at least four weeks of intensive training: two weeks in Athens at the USDA/ARS Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory; a week at the National Food Safety
Institute at the University of Maryland and FDA; and one week at USDA where they will learn regulatory issues and how to formulate a science-based policy, and the role that new knowledge gained from their research plays in the larger arena of the Sanitary Trade Issues Team at USDA/APHIS. Their unique training and exposure in these three areas will prepare the Fellows for leadership positions where they will be able to improve the pipeline of well-trained minority students into industry, government or academic careers in food safety.

<p>APPROACH:
<br/>Plan of operation and methodology: the Ph. D. Fellow's research will integrate microbial food detection, risk analysis and nutrition by rotating through the laboratories of the PI's. Each of the three MSc students will be working on microbial food detection, risk analysis and nutrition; and all will be exposed to research in these three areas while they take a course that integrates these three disciplines in their first year. During the Summer Break, the Fellows will spend at least four weeks of intensive training: two weeks in Athens at the USDA/ARS Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory; a week at the National Food Safety Institute at the University of Maryland and FDA; and one week at USDA where they will learn regulatory issues and how to formulate a science-based policy, and the role that new knowledge gained from their research plays in the larger
arena of the Sanitary Trade Issues Team at USDA/APHIS. Their unique training and exposure in these three areas will prepare the Fellows for leadership positions where they will be able to improve the pipeline of well-trained minority students into industry, government or academic careers in food safety.
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<p>PROGRESS:
<br/>2012/01 TO 2012/12
<br/>OUTPUTS: This project is to educate three MSc and one PhD students. During this time period the PI's have focused on recruiting the PhD graduate student for the program. The PhD Fellow's research will integrate microbial food detection, risk analysis and nutrition through rotations in the laboratories of the PI's. Each of the three MSc students will also be working on microbial food detection, risk analysis and nutrition. All the four students participated in research activities in the three areas and took a course that integrated the three disciplines in their first year. 1) The first recruited MSc graduate student; Ms. Krista Stewart, was supported for one year by this grant and she completed all her work with a concentration in food safety risk assessment and nutrition. She will participate in the spring commencement ceremony.
Currently Ms. Stewart is at FDA as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Research scholar for one year. 2) The second recruited MSc graduate student; Jacqueline Mack her concentration is in food safety and diagnostics and she has already started working on her thesis. The third recruited MSc graduate student who was enrolled in the integrative FNS MS program, Vander Himmons, dropped out of the program this semester due to family concerns. We are in the final stage of selecting the PhD student who will participate in this research. The following are brief descriptions of the graduate students outputs for the past year. PARTICIPANTS: One of the MSc graduate students, Krista Stewart, completed all the required work with a concentration in risk analysis. The objective was to quantitatively assess the likelihood of developing obesity in adult African Americans of Macon
County, AL. The research project was done by using the Epidemiologic Problem Oriented Approach (EPOA) model to analyze and predict potential weight gain, possibly leading to obesity over time, using food intake data, BMI, physical activity levels, age, and gender as diagnostic tools. Currently she is at FDA as an Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) Research scholar for one year. The second fellow, Jacqueline Mack, with concentration in food safety and diagnostics has already started working on her thesis. The primary approach of Ms. Mack's research is to apply phage-based biosensors to romaine lettuce as a rapid detection method for S. typhimurium. Attachment of S. typhimurium to lettuce leaves has been established in recent research; nonetheless limited biosensor detection methods have been explored on romaine lettuce. The third recruited MSc graduate student who was
enrolled in the integrative FNS MS program, Vander Himmons, dropped out of the program this semester due to family concerns. TARGET AUDIENCES: Three graduate students Ms. Krista Stewart with a concentration in risk analysis, Ms. Jacqueline Mack with a concentration in food safety, and Vander Himmons, who dropped out this semester due to family concerns, have all taken the necessary courses. The PhD student recruitment has been completed and we will soon decide whom to accept.
<br/>PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.</p>

<p>PROGRESS:
<br/>2011/01/01 TO 2011/12/31
<br/>OUTPUTS: This project is to educate three MSc and one PhD students. During this time period the PI's have focused on recruiting the PhD graduate student for the program.
<br/>Activities: The PhD Fellow's research will integrate microbial food detection, risk analysis and nutrition through rotations in the laboratories of the PI's. Each of the three MSc students will also be working on microbial food detection, risk analysis and nutrition. All the four students participated in research activities in the three areas and took a course that integrated the three disciplines in their first year. We were able to recruit the three MSc. Students 1) The first recruited MSc graduate student; Ms. Krista Stewart, will focuses her work in risk analysis and nutritions, and she has already started working on her course work and she is taking the
courses in nutrition. 2) The second recruited MSc graduate student is Ms. Jacqueline Mack, with concentration will be in food safety and diagnostics. 3) The third recruited MSc. graduate student is Mr. Carl Cameron, whose work will concentrate in nutrition.
<br/>PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project.
<br/>TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project.
<br/>PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.</p>