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Understanding the Role of the Produce Surface Waterscape on the Dispersion and Removal of Nanomaterials and the Impact on Food Safety

Objective

We will conduct an assessment of the phyllotelma as it relates to processes by which nanomaterials (NMs) and their microbial targets disperse on leaf surfaces, overlap in their dispersal and interact, and resist removal from the leaf surface. This assessment will include microbial pathogens that are by definition NMs themselves. A more fundamental understanding of the role of the phyllotelma in the fate of NMs will contribute towards the safe use of NMs on produce specifically and in agricultural applications in general. The overall goal of this project is to describe, understand, and predict the interactions between NMs, microbial pathogens and produce surfaces, using the phyllotelma as an explanatory factor.The specific objectives of this research are to:Describe how the size, shape, and surface properties of NMs and their microbial targets correlate with their behavior and distribution in the phyllotelma of produce with different surface topographies and chemistries;Determine if and to what extent the phyllotelma may be manipulated to maximize exposure of microbial targets to NMs; andQuantify the role of the phyllotelma in the resistance of inorganic and organic NMs to removal from produce surfacesThis project will describe the dispersion of NMs and their bacterial/viral targets in the context of the phyllotelma, determine the efficacy of neutralization of pathogenic targets by NMs in relation to the phyllotelma, and establish the removability of NMs from produce. Through an enhanced mechanistic understanding of the relationship between NMs, pathogens, and the phyllotelma we can establish a baseline for which the benefits of deploying NMs outweighs the difficulty in nanomaterial removal from produce. In addition, by modeling the movement of NMs and pathogens via the phyllotelma we can predict the interaction of NMs with their microorganism targets. Ultimately, these data can be utilized to improve the safety of produce.

Investigators
Lucey, Bridget
Institution
University of California - Davis
Start date
2020
End date
2023
Project number
CA-D-FST-2596-CG
Accession number
1022625