PROJECT SUMMARY- METHOD DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION SPECIAL PROJECT FDA LFFM: Discipline-Special Projects; Method Development and Validation at CT AES Project Summary- This proposal is being submitted in response to RFA-PAR-20-105 Laboratory Flexible Funding Model (LFFM)(U19). The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CT AES) has a 145-year history of food safety research, including 15 years as a member of the FDA Food Emergency Response Network (FERN) Chemistry Cooperative Agreement Program (cCAP), and 8 years of funding under 4 different FDA ISO food safety CAPs. For this Method Development and Validation Project, the goal is conduct preliminary, short-term or exploratory investigations that focus on the feasibility of a new method and/or technology. We propose 9 projects that include activities such as proof of concept for new analytical approaches, method development for representative food matrices, single laboratory validations of methods, matrix or platform extensions or multi-laboratory validation research studies. Some of these projects could become multi-year projects, dependent on results and FDA approval. We also recognize that project opportunities may change annually, as requested by FDA. These projects are: 1) Single laboratory validation of LC-MS/MS methods for pesticides in new matrices. 2) Multi-laboratory validation of Elemental Analysis Manual method EAM 4.12: analysis of bottled water by ICP- MS. 3) Protein analysis by LC-HRMS and LC-MS/MS. 4) Portable Hand-Held X-Ray Fluorescence Determination of Toxic Elements EAM 4.9. 5) Multi-laboratory validation of method for Arsenic speciation in seafood using LC-ICP-MS. 6) Detection of PFASs in animal feed using LC-HRMS/MS. 7) Multi-laboratory validation LC/MS/MS method for vet drug residues in raw milk, milk, and powdered milk. 8) Non-targeted analysis of unknown toxins in food using LC- HRMS/MS, Compound Discoverer, and Hydrophilic Interaction Chromatography (HILIC). 9) Single laboratory validation of mycotoxins in hemp and hemp-derived products. The CT AES has demonstrated the expertise, capability, and adaptability to fully meet the objectives of this RFA through our successful participation in a number of FDA CAPs. Receipt of this new award from FDA will significantly enhance the ability of the CT AES specifically, and CT in general, to meet the program goals laid out in the RFA, and as described by the President’s Food Safety Working Group, the Partnership for Food Protection and the Food Safety Modernization Act. 1