# Discipline C: Radiochemisty, Analytical Track 1: Food Defense

> **NIH FDA U19** · UNIVERSITY OF IOWA · 2020 · $250,000

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract - Discipline C: Radiochemistry 
 Analytical Track 1: Food Defense 
The State Hygienic Laboratory’s (SHL) participation in this project contributes to the overall objective of the 
grant by maintaining and enhancing the capacity and capabilities of SHL to respond to foodborne radiological 
threats as part of an integrated food safety system. This project will strengthen and improve the collaboration 
on surveillance testing activities between the FDA and SHL, and contributes to building a nationally integrated 
laboratory science system, while increasing national food testing capacity for radiological threats. 
The specific aims of this project are to: 
1. Conduct surveillance testing on 50 juice samples for gamma-emitting radionuclides. 
2. Conduct gross alpha screening testing on 25 juice samples for alpha particle emissions. 
3. Participate in FDA-requested triage exercises, and/or surveillance activities to support and maintain 
readiness. 
4. Participate in national security event exercises, as available. 
5. Maintain preparedness to rapidly respond to a suspected or confirmed intentional contamination event 
 involving human food. This includes maintaining instruments and facilities, stocking reagents and supplies 
 for emergencies, and training staff to perform analyses. 
SHL will collect juice samples and, during the first six months of the grant period, will analyze 25 samples for 
gamma-emitting radionuclides. In a concurrent project, SHL will also be implementing microwave digestion to 
improve its capacity to rapidly screen samples for alpha emitters. In the final six months of the grant period 
SHL will collect and analyze 25 juice samples for gamma-emitting radionuclides and screen these samples for 
alpha particles. 
This project is also be beneficial to SHL by improving its capability and capacity to analyze juice (and by 
extension, other sugary products), providing training opportunities for staff in radiological food analysis, and 
working on various processes with Iowa Department of Inspection and Appeals, including sample collection 
and chain of custody, which are crucial during foodborne threat events.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10176089
- **Project number:** 1U19FD007100-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
- **Principal Investigator:** Dustin May
- **Activity code:** U19 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** FDA
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $250,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-09-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10176089

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10176089, Discipline C: Radiochemisty, Analytical Track 1: Food Defense (1U19FD007100-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10176089. Licensed CC0.

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