Phytophagous insects transform leaves into a conducive environment for Salmonella enterica

The ultimate goal of our research is to fill the knowledge gap of how phytophagous insects facilitate S. enterica survival on agricultural crops pre-harvest that consumers intend to consume raw and what measures growers, or plant protection scientists, could use to limit the risk these insects pose for food safety. Objective 1 will define specific mechanisms by which insect feeding increases S. enterica survival on leaves.Objective 2 will identify and characterize bacterial functions that enable phytophagous insects to become biological vectors.