# Ga. Dept. of Agriculture - NARMS

> **NIH FDA U01** · GEORGIA STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE · 2023 · $190,000

## Abstract

NARMS - Project Summary/Abstract
 The Georgia Department of Agriculture (GDA) is the state agency responsible for regulation of
food manufactured facilities and retail establishments. GDA Laboratories (Lab) are the primary servicing
laboratories for the regulatory programs and are focused on food analysis for chemical and
microbiological contaminants. Since 2011, GDA has pursued FDA grants and cooperative agreements to
improve and harmonize our state regulatory and testing capability. Through these grants the Lab
achieved accreditation to ISO 17025 international standards which allows our regulatory agencies to
perform contractual work on behalf of FDA. Since GDA is Georgia’s regulatory authority over food retail
establishments, the agency has inspectors positioned all throughout The State of Georgia. These
inspectors are trained to collect samples and return them to our lab for testing that can support
regulatory enforcement.
 Since GDA already has infrastructure designated for sample collection at retail establishments
and the analysis of microorganisms by the Lab, this award opportunity NARMS (National Antimicrobial
Resistance Monitory System) should make a good fit to be implemented by GDA. The Georgia
Department of Public Health (GDPH) Laboratory is currently awarded this grant but has contacted GDA
to request assistance or taking it over since the COVID 19 pandemic has become their top priority.
 In summary, GDA inspectors will collect the samples and send them to the Lab per routine
protocols. The Lab will screen the samples for the target organisms suggested in the Funding
Opportunity Award (FOA). The Lab will utilize methods described in the project protocol in addition to
screening by approved and validated ELISA or PCR platforms. Isolates showing typical characteristics will
be further examined and confirmed or sent to FDA for further evaluation. As needed, GDPH has agreed
to also assist in in Whole Genome Sequencing of the isolates, since GDA does not currently have that
ability, in addition to mentoring of the methods and program until fully established.
 The Lab has developed and demonstrated successful relationships with their regulatory partners
and the GDPH Lab, which should indicate its ability to fulfill this objective. The Lab also routinely
performs thousands of microbiological analyses on retail food samples annually. If awarded, GDA will be
capable of enhancing and strengthening antimicrobial resistance surveillance data. This in turn can be
used to inform public health stakeholders about populations of resistant strains and if current policy and
practices are adequate for overall safety of consumers.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10693187
- **Project number:** 5U01FD007452-03
- **Recipient organization:** GEORGIA STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
- **Principal Investigator:** Carrie Crabtree
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** FDA
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $190,000
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-09-01 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10693187

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10693187, Ga. Dept. of Agriculture - NARMS (5U01FD007452-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10693187. Licensed CC0.

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