# Wadsworth Center's Radiochemical, Microbiological and Chemical Testing for Food Defense and Capability Development (Discipline A: Microbiology, Analytical Track 1: Food Defense and Maintenance)

> **NIH FDA U19** · WADSWORTH CENTER · 2020 · $167,062

## Abstract

ABSTRACT 
The goal of this project is to enhance the ability to analyze for microbiological threat agents utilizing FERN and 
other methods to improve laboratory capacities for food defense assignments and outbreak response. As a 
Tier 1 Select Agent registered facility with both Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) and Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) 
laboratories, our highly experienced staff is capable of performing more than 500 analyses per month for 
biothreat agents and toxins. 
The Wadsworth Center plays an active role in food testing in NYS. Our laboratory is involved with food 
outbreak investigations, routine food surveillance, and a resource for confirmatory testing for other state and 
federal agencies involved in the regulation of food. We perform identification and characterization on 
organisms isolated from human specimens as well as associated implicated food sources using methods such 
as classical microbiological methods, in-house developed rtPCR, DNA sequencing, molecular strain and 
serotyping, and DNA fingerprinting. In addition to the FERN and LRN, the Wadsworth Center also participates 
in the Emerging Infectious Program funded by the CDC which includes FoodNet, PulseNet, and the National 
Resistance Monitoring System. The Wadsworth Center works very closely with the NYS DOH Bureau of 
Communicable Disease Control and Bureau of Food Protection as well as other state and federal partners 
including Department of Agriculture and Markets and the FDA and USDA to assist in providing expertise in the 
isolation and identification of select agent microbes and toxins in food products and a timely, coordinated 
response to food related outbreaks. 
Staff in the Biodefense Laboratory have attended FERN sponsored trainings as well as developed and 
delivered several trainings as subject matter experts. The most recent training that was led by members of our 
laboratory was a MALDI-TOF MS applications course for biothreat agents and toxins. The MALDI-TOF MS 
methods are being adopted by many state and federal agricultural and public health laboratories. Our 
laboratory is currently assisting other state and federal agencies validate and implement these new methods in 
their laboratories as well as participate in a monthly Clostridium botulinum harmonization conference call with 
members of the FDA, USDA, and CDC where we are the only public health laboratory member. The expertise 
of our laboratorians has allowed for the development and validation of multiple new methods that are currently 
being used to screen food commodities for high risk pathogens and toxins. 
The expected outcome of this project is to ensure that FDA distributed food commodities are safe to consume 
for the general public and to provide enhanced capabiity and capacity for FERN. Additionally, it is expected 
that the food supply will be safe from intentional contamination during large gatherings and events, such as 
political conventions, inaugurations, and the Super Bowl.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10173138
- **Project number:** 1U19FD007089-01
- **Recipient organization:** WADSWORTH CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Christina Egan
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** FDA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $167,062
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10173138

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10173138, Wadsworth Center's Radiochemical, Microbiological and Chemical Testing for Food Defense and Capability Development (Discipline A: Microbiology, Analytical Track 1: Food Defense and Maintenance) (1U19FD007089-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10173138. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*