| Affiliations: | |
| Project Leader: | Selma Gonzalez sgonzalez@cvm.tamu.edu Veterinary Integrative Biosciences |
| Faculty Mentor: | Keri Norman, Ph.D. |
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Meeting Times:
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T 9:30 AM – 12:00 p.m. |
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Team Size:
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3 (Team Full) |
| Open Spots: | 0 |
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Special Opportunities:
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Exploring the field of epidemiology of foodborne pathogens Learn to use high quality laboratory equipment (Nephelometer, BioScreen C Growth Analysis System, AriaMX, QiAcube HT, FLUOStar Omega, Fragment Analyzer, Illumina MiSeq) Will be trained on bacterial growth curves, DNA extraction, DNA absorbance, DNA fluorescence, whole genome sequencing, and RT-PCR Will be trained on how to analyze sequencing and growth curve data using the HPRC ADA Supercomputer and Stata® V14.0 Present at the 2019 Student Research Week Present at the 2018 Annual Pathways Symposium Present at the 2018 Texas Branch American Society for Microbiology Conference
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Team Needs:
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Must attend weekly meetings Biological Safety Level 2 (BSL2) Training Biosafety Cabinet Training Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) Training Biohazard Autoclave Training Standard Microbiological Practices
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Description:
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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported an increase in human foodborne illnesses related to multi-drug resistant Salmonella enterica serovar I 4,[5],12:i:- largely associated with the consumption of contaminated pork. The cause of the rapid emergence of Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:- is unknown. The overall objective of this study is to determine the virulence and antimicrobial resistance traits of Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:- in order to understand the genetic mechanisms that have allowed the evolution and clonal expansion of Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:- in swine and their environment. A three-tiered approach incorporating bacterial culture, phenotypic analysis, and genotypic analysis will be used to achieve the aims of this investigation for which the students will be responsible for. Methods include generating bacterial growth curves under different antibiotics, whole genome sequencing on an Illumina MiSeq platform and Oxford Nanopore MinION. This study is important to determining the characteristics of Salmonella I 4,[5],12:i:- that have led to an increased prevalence in swine for preventing salmonellosis linked to swine and pork products.
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