Abstract PROJECT FOUR: Capacity Expansion: Texas Whole Genome Sequencing of Isolates from Animal Food Office of the Texas State Chemist (OTSC) has the ability to screen and/or confirm the following organisms: Salmonella spp. in animal food, animal food ingredients, biosolids, human food; Shiga like toxin producing E.coli (STEC) O157:H7 and non-O157 in animal food, animal food ingredients and human food; Listeria monocytogenes in raw milk, animal food and animal food ingredients, human food; SEB in raw milk, Brucella spp. antigen in raw milk, ricin toxin via Tetracore ELISA, Shigella spp. in human food, Bacillus anthracis sterne in human food, Staphylococcal enterotoxins in human food, T-2 toxin and alpha- amanitin by LCMSMS. The microlab received BSL3 training in screening methodologies of Bacillus anthracis and Yersinia pestis at USAMRIID facility, Ft Detrick, MD in 2018 and are moving forward to establish this method (screening and confirmatory) at OTSC facility. The OTSC whole genome sequencing capability development project includes: 1) purchasing MiSeq sequencing platform and necessary instruments, 2) completing and passing competency assessment, 3) expanding the OTSC ISO/IEC 17025.2017 scope to include genome sequencing. As an outcome of the Capacity Expansion: Texas Whole Genome Sequencing of Isolates from Animal Food project, OTSC will begin DNA sequencing using a MiSeq internally within the lab for Listeria and Salmonella DNA, which will strengthen disease surveillance and epidemiology.