Microbial Food Safety Research Unit

Dr. John B. Luchansky, Research Leader
Rosemary T. Martinjuk, Unit Secretary
Voice:  (215) 233-6620
Fax:  (215) 233-6581

Mission

The Microbial Food Safety Research Unit maintains a commitment to high quality basic and applied research on pathogenic bacteria and viruses to ensure a safe food supply. Research addresses high priority U.S. national needs by developing technical information and technologies needed by federal regulatory agencies, the food industry, consumers, and the international scientific community. The research program is directed in four overlapping areas: 

• Develop strategies and technologies to prevent bacterial and viral pathogens from entering the food chain or to cause their destruction if present; 
  
• Exploit functional genomics/proteomics to detect and type pathogens and to analyze genes involved in their regulation or manifestation of resistance, viability, and/or virulence; 
  
• Develop risk assessment strategies and mathematical models to predict the growth, survival, and death of pathogens; 
  
• Investigate the effect of food environments on pathogen survival succession, virulence, and detection/enumeration. 
  

Research is conducted principally at ERRC, but poultry and aquaculture research are conducted at work sites located at Princess Anne, Maryland and Dover, Delaware, respectively.

The Unit cooperates and consults with other Center Units, with other entities in ARS and USDA, and with governmental, research and commercial facilities worldwide.