Intership Projects

The JIFSAN internship program allows undergraduate students at the University of Maryland, College Park to participate in research at FDA facilities, including the Harvey Wiley Building in College Park and the MOD1 & MOD11 facilities on Muirkirk Road in Laurel, MD. Internships require a time commitment of 8-10 hours/week during the semester and 30 hours/week during winterterm and summer. After 100 hours as an unpaid intern, JIFSAN interns become eligible to compete for a paid internship for subsequent semesters. Internship applications are available online or from the College of Chemical and Life Sciences Information Resource Center, 1317 Symons Hall. There are no application deadlines for these positions, however the application and security clearance process takes several weeks, so students should submit their applications at least two months in advance of their intended starting date.

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Animal Health
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Biological Sciences

JIP-184 (Old Project ID: JIP-167)

Project Title: Alexandrium fundyense blooms and associated offshore shellfish toxicity
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Etheridge, Stacey
Project Description: This project seeks to understand the link between surface blooms of toxic dinoflagellates and associated shellfish toxicity. Extensive areas of federal waters are subject to closure of shellfish harvesting due to Paralytic shellfish poisoning. Little is known about the temporal and spatial scales of PSP in offshore waters making it difficult to manage shellfish beds in that area. The safety of seafood harvested from fereral waters is within FDA's purview; closures and subsequent openings are requested by FDA through the Commissioner to the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). This project provides the scientific basis for this regulatory issue. This project is a collaborative project with NMFS, industry and academia. Together these researchers can address key questions that will assist FDA in making regulatory decisions. For example, it provides a way for FDA to obtain seafood samples from federal waters which is otherwise very difficult to obtain. It also provides ancillary information in concert with shellfish toxicity that may be used to determine predictive indicators of seafood toxicity.
Project Objective: The student will assist with: 1) sample preparations and shellfish toxin extractions, 2) analysis of samples for PSP toxins using a range of detection methods including HPLC, and 3) performing data analysis and reporting. There may be opportunities for the student to participate in research cruises to collect the samples.
Project Needs and Duration: The student should have an interest in biology, chemistry, and/or oceanography as well as an interest to perform laboratory work. The student should be extremely organized and able to work as a team as well as independently. The student should have taken basic biology and chemistry courses. Any laboratory experience would be advantageous as would familiarity with word processing (e.g. MS Word) and spreadsheet software (e.g. MS Excel). The student would need to work 10 hours per week during the fall and spring semesters and 30 hours per week during summer and winter break. Blocks equal to or greater than four hours preferred. Estimated length of time needed to complete project: One year. Project estimated target start and end dates: June 2008-May 2009
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD.

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Biology

JIP-150

Project Title: Bacterial identification using Microarray Technology
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Al-Khaldi, Sufian
Project Description: Due to rapid changes in our lifestyle, current and future food borne outbreaks require new technologies to provide low cost, fast, specific, often disposable, miniaturized instruments for the detection of potentially dangerous pathogenic bacteria. Several emerging high-throughput technologies for gene and bacterial identification have been introduced. Two technologies including DNA microarray and infrared microspectroscopic bacterial identification are currently the focus of my research. In molecular DNA microarray fabrication, small, nanoliter sized volumes are instantaneously printed so that simultaneous characterization of genes and bacteria can be achieved in a very short time. DNA microarray technology will be able to increase our capability to identify thousand of genes for different microorganisms. This lab is involved in building a DNA chip for most pathogenic bacteria that contaminate food.
Project Objective: The student will assist in building a DNA microarray chip. This will include: PCR amplifications, DNA fluorescence labeling, and chip hybridization. In regard of Infrared bacterial identification the student will assist in bacterial streaking and bacterial printing on infrared slide. This lab is a biolevel II research facility. The student will not work with any select agent bacteria. These objectives will aid in the identification of Virulence Genes in Foodborne Microorganisms. The infrared work will be done in collaboration with Dr. Magdi Mossoba.
Project Needs and Duration: The student will assist in printing DNA microarray chip. This will include: PCR amplifications, DNA fluorescence labeling, and chip hybridization. The student will also assist during infrared bacterial identification which will include bacterial streaking and bacterial printing on an infrared slide. The student will be involved in high level of data analysis using different software programs including Quant array and IR chemometric software programs. The student should have an interest in biology/molecular biology and be willing to perform laboratory work. The student should have taken basic biology and chemistry courses. Advanced courses in molecular biology would be an added advantage. The student should be prepared to perform basic PCR amplifications, DNA restriction enzyme analysis and DNA isolation. The student should be willing to work a minimum of 3 hours per day for 2-3 days per week. Estimated length of time needed to complete project: three semesters. Number of students requested: One
Location: Wiley Building, Room 3E-014

JIP-184 (Old Project ID: JIP-167)

JIP-170

Project Title: Evaluation of the 2-day hydrophobic grid membrane filter, Simplate yeast and mould color indicator, and Petrifilm dry dehydratable film methods for the enumeration of fungi from foods
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Tournas, Dr. Valerie
Project Description: Fungi (yeasts and moulds) can cause extensive decomposition of a wide variety of foods even under extreme conditions (e.g. very low pH and refrigeration temperatures) and, consequently, lead to vast economic losses. The presence of high numbers of these organisms in food commodities, in the best case scenario, indicates a low quality product. Of a greater concern, however, is the association of certain moulds with adverse health effects towards humans and animals due to production of mycotoxins, High numbers of toxigenic moulds are often indicatiive of the presence of mycotoxins. It is, therefore, important that such organisms be monitiored. Conventional culture methods are primarily used for the isolation and quantification of fungi from foods. One such technique is the FDA official method for the mycological analysis of foods (BAM, Chapter 18, Revision A, 1998). This method is labor-intensive and requires a 5-day incubation period. A more rapid method that can produce results equivalent or better than the BAM method is needed. In this study, three different methods will be tested against the BAM method to evaluate their efficacies for enumeration of moulds and yeasts from various food commodities. 1) The 2-day hydrophobic grid membrane filter method which gives results within 48-52 hrs; 2) the Petrifilm dry dehydratable film method, which, although it requires the same incubation time (5 days) as the FDA method, needs shorter preparation and inoculation times, therefore, is less labor-intensive; and 3) the SimPlate yeast and mould-color indicator (Y&M-CI) method which gives results within 72 hrs and requires less time for preparation and inoculation. Regulatory issues will be addressed by updating the BAM method for mould and yeast isolation and quantification to include new, more efficient techniques.
Project Objective: The student will: 1) perform mycological analysis of naturally-contaminated samples from the above food groups utilizing the SimPlate and the BAM (reference) methods; 2) analyze data and prepare presentations for international scientific conferences; and 3) perform literature searches to aid preparation of manuscript(s) for publication.
Project Needs and Duration: Some background (coursework and/or lab)in microbiology, biology, or food science and basic computer skills are required. Knowledge of microbiological/aspetic techniques and lab safety rules would be a plus. Two days/week, 5 hours each day (prefer Tuesdays and Thursdays). A poster presentation and the updating of the BAM method to include the Petrifilm technique are in progress. Estimated length of time needed to complete project: One year.
Location: Wiley Building (College Park)

JIP-186 (Old Project ID: JIF-151)

Project Title: Cloning and Characterization of Virulence Factors from Foodborne Pathogens like Vibrio Species and E. sakazakii
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Sathyamoorthy, Venugopal
Project Description: Fast, sensitive and reliable tests are needed to screen the nation's food supply for possible contamination with pathogenic microorganisms. Pathogenicity is generally correlated to the production of virulence factors such as toxins, proteases, hemolysins, pili etc. However, very little is known about the virulence factors produced by many food-borne pathogens. Hence, it is necessary to identify, purify, and characterize these virulence factors in order to develop rapid methods for detection of the pathogens that produce them. To assure the safety of the food supply, fast and reliable test methods need to be developed. Pathogens can be detected by virtue of their virulence factors that they produce in order to cause disease. Hence, it is essential to identify, purify and characterize these virulence factors and the genes that produce them. Based on the characterization data, detection methods can be developed. Availability of rapid and accurate detection methods will help in identifying and quickly eliminating contaminated foods from the nation’s food supply.
Project Objective: The student will assist with: 1) producing a mutation of the protease gene of a second strain of Cronobacter spp./Enterobacter sakazakii. Virulence of the mutant will then be characterized; 2) characterization of plasmids from Cronobacter spp./Enterobacter sakazakii; and 3) conducting mutation studies on the genes of virulence factors from Cronobacter spp./Enterobacter sakazakii and Vibrio species.
Project Needs and Duration: The student should have knowledge in biological sciences like molecular biology, microbiology, and biochemistry is preferred. The student should have a real passion for scientific research. The student should be able to work 10 hr/week during the semester and 30 hr/week during summer/winter. Length of time needed to complete project: One year.
Location: MOD1, Laurel, MD.

JIP-151

Project Title: Cloning, Expression, Purification and Characterization of Virulence Factors from Food-borne Pathogens
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Sathyamoorthy, Venugopal
Project Description: Fast, sensitive and reliable tests are needed to screen the nations food supply for possible contamination with pathogenic microorganisms. Pathogenicity is generally correlated to the production of virulence factors such as toxins, proteases, hemolysins, pili etc. However, very little is known about the virulence factors produced by many food-borne pathogens. Hence, it is necessary to identify, purify and characterize these virulence factors in order to develop rapid methods for detection of the pathogens that produce them. To assure the safety of the food supply, fast and reliable test methods need to be developed. Pathogens can be detected by virtue of their virulence factors that they produce in order to cause disease. Hence, it is essential to identify, purify and characterize these virulence factors. Initially, virulence factors will be characterized from vibrio species. Based on the characterization data, detection methods can be developed. Availability of rapid and accurate detection methods will help in identifying and quickly eliminating contaminated foods from the nations food supply.
Project Objective: The objectives of this project include: 1) cloning of hemolysin gene of Vibrio tubiashi in E. coli; 2) expression and characterization of E. coli cloned hemolysin gene of V. tubiashi; and 3) purification and characterization of CHO cell elongating virulence factor from V. vulnificus.
Project Needs and Duration: Knowledge in biological sciences like molecular biology, microbiology and biochemistry is preferred. The student should have a real passion for scientific research. The student should be willing to work a minimum of 3 hours per day for 2-3 days per week. Estimated length of time needed to complete project: 1 year
Location: Laurel, MD
Additional Information: The student will be taught different techniques in microbiology, molecular biology and biochemistry; these include agarose and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, protein purification system BioCad, the digestion of genomic DNA with restriction enzymes, Southern blotting, PCR amplification, detection of hemolysin gene by DNA probe using chemiluminiscence, Mini and Midi prep DNA extractions, DNA purification from agarose gels, CHO cell assay etc.

JIP-181

Project Title: Genome Wide RNAi Screens in C. elegans to discover Host Response Genes
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Cinar, Hediye
Project Description: Animal models are widely used in studies regarding mechanism of bacterial virulence and pathogenesis. Recently, new animal models employing genetically tractable simple organisms such as Drosophila melanogester and Ceanorhabditis elegans have been developed as alternative virulence models. C. elegans will be used to develop such models to study virulence and host-defense mechanisms of foodborne bacterial pathogens and biothreat agents. Discovery of new virulence factors and molecular understanding of virulence mechanisms will facilitate development of faster and more powerful detection assays to protect US food sources from pathogenic agents.
Project Objective: The JIFSAN intern will: 1)conduct experiments to optimize genome-wide RNAi screens using C.elegans genomic RNAi library; and 2)the student will also be involved in pilot and actual RNAi screens.
Project Needs and Duration: The student should have basic biology background. Knowledge of basic laboratory practices is student should be able to work 10 hr/week during the semester and 30 hr/week during summer/winter. Length of time needed to complete project: One year
Location: MOD1, Laurel, MD.

JIP-167

Project Title: Alexandrium fundyense blooms and associated offshore shellfish toxicity
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Etheridge, Stacey
Project Description: The Gulf of Maine (GoM) and its adjacent southern New England shelf is a vast region with extensive shellfish resources, large portions of which are frequently contaminated with paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) toxins produced by the dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense. The year 2005 was an historical one for A. fundyense and PSP dynamics in this area, with a bloom that was more severe than any seen in the last thirty years. This resulted in PSP toxins greatly exceeding the action level of 80 micrograms saxitoxin equivalents per 100 grams tissue. At the request of the US Food and Drug Administration, the US National Marine Fisheries Service closed approximately 15,000 square miles of federal waters in the northwestern Atlantic Ocean on 14 June 2005, a portion of which still remains closed to harvesting. There are significant challenges to the management of toxic shellfish in this extensive region. Toxicity monitoring of the sort used in coastal waters is impractical due to the difficulty of obtaining shellfish samples. Thus an alternative is required for biotoxin management, and prediction based on plankton observations is one alternative. Therefore there is a need to develop an understanding of the relationship between surface blooms and patterns in nearshore and offshore shellfish toxicity. This collaborative project with academia, government and industry represents a regional observation and modeling program focused on the GoM and adjacent New England shelf waters. The overall objective is to establish a comprehensive regional-scale understanding of A. fundyense dynamics, transport pathways, and associated shellfish toxicity and to use this information and relevant technologies to assist managers, regulators, and industry to harvest nearshore and offshore shellfish resources threatened by PSP, with appropriate safeguards for human health.
Project Objective: Project objectives include: 1) understanding the coupling between surface toxic algal blooms and offshore shellfish toxicity, 2) characterizing toxin transport to shellfish as well as accumulation and depuration, 3) evaluating commercially available toxin screening kits for their potential use in a dockside testing risk management program.
Project Needs and Duration: The student will assist with: 1) sample preparations and shellfish toxin extractions, 2) analysis of samples for PSP toxins using a range of detection methods including HPLC, and 3) performing data analysis and reporting. There may be opportunities for the student to participate in research cruises to collect the samples. The student should have an interest in biology, chemistry, and/or oceanography as well as in interest to perform laboratory work. The student should be extremely organized and able to work as a team as well as independently. The student should have taken basic biology and chemistry courses. Any laboratory experience would be advantageous as would familiarity with word processing (e.g. MS Word) and spreadsheet software (e.g. MS Excel). A minimum of 8-10 hours per week during the semester and a minimum of 30 hours per week during winter term and summer expected. Blocks of time equal to or greater than 4 hours at a time are preferred.
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD.

JIP-198 (Old Project ID: JIP-184)

Project Title: Study of shellfish toxicity off the coast of New England
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Etheridge, Stacey
Project Description: The Gulf of Maine (GoM) and adjacent southern New England waters represent a vast region with extensive shellfish resources, large portions of which are frequently affected by toxins. In particular, these natural toxins are produced by a certain species of algae (the dinoflagellate Alexandrium fundyense) and they may be transferred through the food chain to humans via molluscan shellfish (e.g. clams, scallops, mussels). The human illness caused by these toxins is known as paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), which may be fatal if patients do not receive medical attention. Management of this risk relies upon prohibiting shellfish harvest when toxin levels exceed a safe action level (80 micrograms per 100 g tissue). However, given the spatial extent of these shellfish resources biotoxin risk management is a challenge and more data is needed to craft a management approach. In this project, we will sample surface water, subsurface waters, and shellfish over a wide area and under varying conditions to assess algal populations and toxin distributions. This is a collaborative research project between FDA, academia, other government agencies and industry. Together we will use the results to develop a comprehensive regional-scale understanding of these algal blooms and associated shellfish toxicity. Ultimately this will improve the management of this PSP seafood safety hazard, which has implications not only to public health but also to fishermen and the economy.
Project Objective: Project objectives include: 1) understanding the relationship between surface toxic algal blooms and offshore shellfish toxicity, 2) characterizing toxin transport to shellfish as well as accumulation and depuration, 3) evaluating commercially available toxin screening kits for their use in an onboard screening dockside testing risk management program. The student will assist with: 1) sample preparations and shellfish toxin extractions, 2) analysis of samples for PSP toxins using a range of detection methods including HPLC, and 3) performing data analysis and reporting. The student will also be encouraged to participate in research cruises to collect the samples.
Project Needs and Duration: The student should have an interest in biology, chemistry, and/or oceanography as well as in interest to perform laboratory work. The student should be extremely organized and able to work as a team as well as independently. The student should have taken basic biology and chemistry courses. Any laboratory experience would be advantageous, although it is not required. Familiarity with word processing (e.g. MS Word) and spreadsheet software (e.g. MS Excel) would also be helpful. Estimated length of time: June 2009 May 2010.
Location: Wiley Bldg., College Park, MD.

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Botany

No projects available under Botany

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Entomology

No projects available under Entomology

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Microbiology

JIP-172

Project Title: Epidemiological Typing of Salmonella Enteritidis using Phenotypic
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Brown, Eric
Project Description: Since 1987, Salmonella Enteritidis has been one of the most frequently isolated serotypes associated with foodborne illness. S. Enteritidis is most often associated with illness derived from poultry sources including broiler chickens, eggs, and foods containing eggs. From a molecular epidemiological perspective, Salmonella Enteritidis presents a unique set of challenges. Due to its largely uniform genomic structure, S. Enteritidis has complicated the use of molecular genetic analysis to discriminate strains of this pathogen. Several reports have documented the limited number of highly clonal genotypes retained by S. Enteritidis strains. For example, multi-locus enzyme electrophoresis (MLEE) studies of a geographically disparate set of human and non-human source S. Enteritidis strains uncovered a single electrophoretic type (ET) that accounted for nearly 80% of the ETs for this serovar. Such studies reinforce the notion that the vast majority of S. Enteritidis strains are derived from a single endemic clone regardless of host source, geographic locale, or time of isolation. These unique genetic properties hinder effective epidemiologic investigations of this pathogen during outbreaks and for construction of informative S. Enteritidis strain databases. While PFGE remains the subtyping gold standard for many strains and species, S. Enteritidis is one of a few serovars that confounds state-of-the-art subtyping approaches including PFGE due to its extensive clonality. Conventional genetic protocols such as PFGE analysis using restriction enzymes lack discriminatory power to detect the subtle differences that distinguish many S. Enteritidis strains. In this study, phenotype microarray analysis is applied and the discriminatory power of phenotypic markers as found in the phenotype microarray of the Biolog PM system is evaluated in an effort to identify a more informative typing scheme for this significant pathogen. We have worked on related aspects of this project for nearly one year. The student will carry the phenotypic aspects of this project forward and will master the use of the Bio-Log metabolic microarray system and machine within the laboratory. This study will undoubtedly open up new questions and new avenues of differentiation for this serious pathogen. The metabolic microarray will be used to search for unique biomarkers that can distinguish individual strains of S. Enteritidis.
Project Objective: 1) Using prepared bacterial strains isolated from various food sources and poultry sources, the student will obtain high quality nutrient replete culture samples from each of the roughly 100 S. Enteritidis strains being studied; 2) The student will obtain phenotype microarray outputs for five different experiments involving only single strains in order to determine and establish internal stability (i.e., background noise) among the resultant nutrient utilization profiles; 3) The student will analyze the nearly 100 S. Enteritidis strains and obtain high-resolution stable phenotypic microarrays for these strains that will include carbon and nitrogen sources as well as antibiotic resistance and other oxidative stress profiles; and 4) In order to foster more comprehensive and accurate methods for discrimination of this pathogen, the student will determine the relationships among S. Enteritidis strains and between these strains by clustering the strains into known groups of phenotypic relatedness. The most informative phenotypic markers will be identified.
Project Needs and Duration: The student should have an interest in biology/molecular biology and be willing to perform laboratory work. The student should have taken basic biology and chemistry courses. Advanced courses in molecular biology would be an added advantage. The student should be prepared to perform basic PCR amplifications, DNA clean-up procedures, and work with advanced laboratory equipment. The student should be willing to work a minimum of 3 hours per day for 2-3 days per week. Estimated length of time needed to complete project: one year. Number of students requested: one.
Location: Wiley Building, College Park

JIP-174

Project Title: Antimicrobial resistance profile of microbial population in select produce commodities
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Lampel, Keith
Project Description: A number of produce commodities have been and are targeted to be tested for the presence of certain microbial pathogens in CFSANs Produce Assignment. Data in the literature and generated in our laboratory have indicated the rise of antimicrobial resistance among the indigenous microbial population in produce. This may be a contributing factor of the rise of multiple drug resistant microbial pathogens and perhaps the ecological milieu of produce is a contributing factor. One of the Agencys current focus is to provide a better means to detect and isolate microbial pathogens from produce commodities as evident by CFSANs Produce Assignment. In parallel to this study, an understanding of the prevalence of the indigenous microbial population in produce may be reflective of a potential problem in transfer of genetic resistance markers to microbial human pathogens.
Project Objective: The objectives of this project include: 1) Evaluate and enumerate in produce commodities listed in the Produce Assignment for the microbial population that are resistant to multiple antibiotics; 2) Initiate a study to identify the mechanism of antimicrobial resistance, e.g. plasmid-borne, integrons: and 3) Demonstrate that the genetic vehicle of antimicrobial resistance can be transferred to select microbial pathogens, specifically some Salmonella strains such as Heidelberg, Javiana, Newport.
Project Needs and Duration: The students will use their laboratory skill to analyze foods for antimicrobial resistant microbes. Students will select for this indigenous microbial by plating on agar plates supplemented with antibiotics. In addition, plasmids will be isolated using standard kits. Integrons will be identified by amplification by PCR using primers that can distinguish different classes of such genetic elements. The student should have taken classes in biology and chemistry at a minimum and a class in general microbiology would be advantageous. During the summer months, the student should have ample time to prepare the media and execute all the necessary experiments to determine which chromogenic agar is best suited for the research objectives. During the academic year, blocks of 3-5 hrs per day that the student is in the laboratory should be reserved. Estimated length of time needed to complete project: One year. Number of students requested: one
Location: Wiley Building

JIP-182

Project Title: The Use of RT-PCR to Assess Cyclospora and Cryptosporidium Oocyst Viability
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Orlandi, Palmer
Project Description: Cyclospora cayetanesis, Cryptosporidium parvum, Cryptosporidium hominis parasites and similar coccidian parasites are considered emerging human pathogens for which our general understanding is limited. These three parasites have been identified as important waterborne and food-borne pathogens and have been responsible for multiple outbreaks of illness associated with the consumption of fresh produce, juices, or water. Whereas suitable molecular techniques are now available to detect these parasitic pathogens in many types of matrices, no adequate method has been developed to determine the viability of oocysts isolated from suspected contaminated food or water. Reverse Transcription-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) will provide a means to assess parasite viability based on the expression levels of selective stage-specific messenger RNAs. Although these parasitic organisms have been detected in foods and beverages epidemiologically-linked to outbreaks of illness on numberous occasions, the absence of viability data limits the scope of regulatory action that can be taken by the agency. The presence of the organism in most instances is insufficient to prove that the isolate was the causative agent in disease outbreaks without evidence that the organism was viable. Currently, no suitable method exists to enrich for any of these patholgens (usually isolated in very low numbers isolated for a suspected contaminated food source). RT-PCR will provide a means to assess parasite viability from isolates containing limited numbers of organism.
Project Objective: The JIFSAN intern will conduct experiments to optimize RT-PCR amplification for multiple stage-specific gene targets from C.cayetanensis and C. parvum oocysts from either purified isolates or from artificially-contaminated foods and beverages. The student will also assist in future experiments to assess assay sensitivity and to examine the correlation between environmental stress factors to which these organisms may be exposed and any subsequent change in stage-specific gene expression.
Project Needs and Duration: The student should have a background in biology, some understanding of molecular biology techniques, and a dedication to learn new and exciting research techniques. Some laboratory experience is preferable, or at least has some working knowledge of basic laboratory practices in general and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) concepts specifically. Blocks of 3-4 hours, 2-3 days per week are preferable. Estimated length of time needed to complete project: One year. Project estimated target start and end date: June 2008-May 2009.
Location: MOD1, Laurel, MD.

JIP-187

Project Title: Establish Methodology for Assessing Inflammatory Cytokine Expression by PCR-arrays for Future Projects Involving Infectious and Inflammatory Models
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Babu, Uma
Project Description: Food-borne pathogen illnesses are common world-wide and there are several ways to control the infections in animals that eventually cause human infections. These include but are not limited to vaccines, antibiotics and maintaining a hygienic environment. However, despite these measures, the incidences of food-borne illnesses are on the rise. For many food-borne pathogens, the Immunobiology (susceptibility factors and immune responses) is not known completely and our work will help establish this by using animal and/or in-vitro models. This study will standardize the procedure for RNA extraction from tissue samples without genomic DNA contamination and establish the methods to assess various cytokines using appropriate RT-PCR and micro-array techniques. Our results could offer useful information for managing infections in animals and therefore in reducing the food-borne illness in humans.
Project Objective: The JIFSAN student will: 1) standardize the procedure for RNA extraction from tissue samples without genomic DNA contamination; 2) establish the methods to assess various cytokines using appropriate RT-PCR and micro-array techniques.
Project Needs and Duration: The student should be able to perform RAN extraction from tissue samples; and perform basic pipeting techinques and basic laboratory calculations such as dilutions and preparing various solutions and reagents. The student should have laboratory experience in the areas of immunology and microbiology. A third or fourth year college student is preferred. This project will require approximately 10 hours/week. Blocks of time may be arranged. Estimated length of time needed to complete project: One year Project estimated target start and end dates: June 2008 - May 2009
Location: MOD I
Additional Information: CARTS Title: Cellular and Cytokine Biomarkers for Infectious and Inflammatory Models CARTS Number: 0331

JIP-191

Project Title: Conventional and Molecular-based detection of Shigella in foods.
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Lampel, Keith
Project Description: Shigella species continue to cause a significant number of foodborne illness due to the ingestion of contaminated foods. Methods to either isolate or detect this microbial pathogen have been developed with significant improvement noted. This includes an enrichment medium that can reduce the indigenous microbial population in selected food and in combination with a novel chromogenic agar has great potential to improve the current BAM method. In addition, a new real-time PCR assay has been developed that can identify putative positive cultures in less than 2 hours. This project will combine these technologies into one protocol. A new, combined protocol to isolate and detect Shigella can be incorporated into the BAM and update the current Shigella method in FERN.
Project Objective: The student will: 1) utilize conventional methods to isolate Shigella; 2) utilize PCR methods (real time and conventional) to identify Shigella; and 3) combine enrichment/isolation methods with PCR based protocols to perform one-lab validation.
Project Needs and Duration: This project requires basic courses in biology, chemistry and microbiology with appropriate lab experience. The student will need to work 10hrs/week during the semesters and 30 hrs/week during breaks. Estimated length of time needed to complete project: One year
Location: Wiley Building

JIP-195

Project Title: Real Time PCR MPN Enumeration of Listeria monocytogenes in Fresh Produce
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Hitchins, Tony
Project Description: The bacterium Listeria monocytogenes causes a serious disease called foodborne listeriosis. A draft Risk profile on Listeria monocytogenes: Options for reducing its presence in fresh produce and fresh-cut produce shows that there is a shortage of both occurrence and frequency data for conducting a comprehensive risk assessment of fresh produce from farm to table. Such an assessment is central to devising and properly evaluating control strategies. In order to fill the risk assessment need for such data, a better enumeration method is needed.
Project Objective: A real-time polymerase-chain-reaction most- probable-number (RTi-PCR-MPN) method works for contaminated cheese but it needs developmental testing with fresh produce. In particular the time needed for enumeration needs to be shortened. Objectives for this project include: a) determine the effect of temperature on growth rate of L. monocytogenes in selective and non-selective enrichment broths; b) determine the effect of incubation time in optimal growth conditions on detectability of L. monocytogenes by RTi-PCR; and c) determine the effect of the population density of a foodborne microbial enrichment competitor (Enterococcus faecium) on detectability of L. monocytogenes by RTi-PCR.
Project Needs and Duration: A real-time polymerase-chain-reaction most- probable-number (RTi-PCR-MPN) method works for contaminated cheese but it needs developmental testing with fresh produce. In particular the time needed for enumeration needs to be shortened. Objectives for this project include: a) determine the effect of temperature on growth rate of L. monocytogenes in selective and non-selective enrichment broths; b) determine the effect of incubation time in optimal growth conditions on detectability of L. monocytogenes by RTi-PCR; and c) determine the effect of the population density of a foodborne microbial enrichment competitor (Enterococcus faecium) on detectability of L. monocytogenes by RTi-PCR.
Location: Wiley Bldg., College Park, MD.

JIP-189

Project Title: Single Laboratory Validation of New Chromogenic Agars for Salmonellae
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Trujillo, Socrates
Project Description: Salmonella spp. are food borne pathogens of concern and FDA regulates its presence in food. Members of the genus Salmonella constitute the most important causes of food poisoning in the United States, and isolation by culture remains the most reliable method for their detection. A wide variety of selective media have been developed for this purpose. While confirmation of suspect colonies with such media is successful, most are highly nonspecific. In recent years chromogenic media have been developed for the detection of Salmonella spp. Such media detect a combination of biochemical characteristics and are consequently highly specific. This project will focus on new chromogenic agars for the detection of Salmonella spp. As these new agars continue to populate the market this studys evaluation will produce the data necessary to assess their inclusion in the FDA's Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM). FDA's BAM presents the agency's preferred laboratory procedures for microbiological analyses of foods and cosmetics.
Project Objective: The student will use his/her laboratory skills to compare the different commercially available chromogenic agars for the detection of Salmonella spp. to current conventional BAM methodologies, including real-time PCR, and the API 20 kit. The student will learn colony morphology for identification purposes, as well as computer skills associated with data analysis.
Project Needs and Duration: The student will use his/her laboratory skills to compare the different commercially available chromogenic agars for the detection of Salmonella spp. to current conventional BAM methodologies, including real-time PCR, and the API 20 kit. The student will learn colony morphology for identification purposes, as well as computer skills associated with data analysis.
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD.

JIP-192

Project Title: Characterization of the Lac+Phenotype in Salmonella Tennessee Isolates Associated with the Peanut Butter Outbreak of 2007
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Brown, Eric
Project Description: Several strains of Salmonella Tennessee have become diagnostically spurious due to their retention of an unusual phenotype-the ability to utilize lactose as a primary carbon source. This is abnormal for Salmonella as the inability of this species to metabolize lactose has been a hallmark diagnostic signature for many years. The emergence of these unusual strains confounds the diagnostic potential of this important biomarker for this pathogen. Understanding the mechanisms of the acquisition of this unusual phenotype are important for inclusivity/exclusivity of future Salmonella strains associated with foodborne outbreaks. This study will provide insight into the prevalence, penetrance, and mechanisms associated with this unusual characteristic in Salmonella. Understanding this problem will provide knowledge for future assay design when developing detection methods (for submission to BAM and other methods compendiums)for Salmonella in foods.
Project Objective: The student will isolate and characterize the lactose utilization genes associated with this trait in Salmonella strains. This will include applying DNA technology to the problem including PCR, cloning, and DNA sequence analysis. The student will also characterize and survey a number of feral salmonella strains for the lactose phenotype using conventional microbiological techniques and molecular biological techniques. Once data collection is complete, the student will engage in extensive bioinformatic and computational analyses of the DNA sequence data from these genes so we can determine the origins, genetic stability, and populational impact of these genes.
Project Needs and Duration: The student should have some experience in microbiology, general laboratory science, and good computational skills particularly in Microsoft Office. Two to three days a week for 6-8 hours will allow for substantial advances in this project. The student should be able to work 10hr/week during the semester and 30hr/week during summer/winter. Length of time needed to complete project: One year.
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD.

JIP-165

Project Title: Effect of immunomodulators on the immune system and clearance of Salmonella enteritidis by laying hens
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Babu, Uma S.
Project Description: Salmonella enteritidis (SE) carried by chickens and transmitted via shell eggs has become a major source of human intestinal infections. Despite the tremendous efforts made by the poultry industry, no effective measurements for elimination of SE colonization have been generated. Since the rate of horizontal transmission among chickens and egg-laying hens is very rapid, general hygiene measurements are not as effective as desired. The purpose of these studies is to examine the role of immunomdulators on the immune responses and SE clearance in chickens. Some of these approaches may lead to reduced colonization of the chicken reproductive tissues by SE and decreased incidence of contaminated shell eggs and therefore, a reduced exposure to consumers. Methods developed in this study may be adapted to other avian zoonotic pathogens.
Project Objective: The specific objectives of this study include: 1) investigate the effects of immune potentiators such as vaccines or CpG nucleotides individually or in combination on the immune system of chickens; 2) study the effect of immunomodulators on SE clearance and 3) determine the association between immune response and SE clearance using this system.
Project Needs and Duration: The student will 1) assist in the preparation of spleens and livers for colony counts (homogenization and serial dilutions); 2) assay for cell mediated immunity parameters such as cell proliferation and relevant cytokines; 3) assay for humoral immunity such as antibody response; and 4) determine Organ colonization (spleen and liver) of chickens with SE. The student should 1) be willing work in the lab, 2) have knowledge of cell culture work and basic techniques such as pipeting small volumes; and 3) have a minimum of two years of laboratory experience in the areas of microbiology and/or immunology.
Location: 8301 Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD.

JIP-176

Project Title: Bioinformatic annotation of detection and food outbreaks literature related to C. botulinum in foods
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Sharma, Shashi K.
Project Description: Botulism is a potentially deadly illness. It can be acquired by humans from eating food contaminated with a toxin excreted by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. The toxin causes muscle paralysis due to its action on the nervous system and is the most poisonous substance known. Botulism has been a public health hazard for centuries and today is emerging as a significant bioterrorism threat. Foodborne botulism is a severe type of food poisoning caused by the ingestion of foods containing the potent neurotoxin formed during growth of the organism. The incidence of the disease is low, but the mortality rate is high if not treated immediately and properly. Currently, the most frequently used method (and FDA accepted method for regulatory purpose) for detecting botulinum toxin in foods or in the environment, or for assessing the potency of the drug, is a test called the mouse bioassay. However, recent scientific and technological advances are providing opportunities for new alternative methods that may be faster and more accurate, and also may refine, replace, and reduce animal use. Since botulism is a life-threatening disease and FDA always initiates a class I recall, we wish to catalog a database consisting of detailed information of previous outbreaks with related clinical incidence and emerging rapid detection systems based on the public literature. This annotated database can serve a reference for future outbreak and scientific investigations for FDA regulatory and scientific purpose. C. botulinum outbreak studies based on regional C. botulinum isolates provide clusters of data that need to be annotated. This annotation could implement a controlled vocabulary organized into three major hierarchies: area, temperature, growth conditions and biological processes. This terminology will allow a coherent and consistent description of the knowledge about outbreaks conditions for the regulatory purpose. The annotation of alternate methods for detection will be helpful for the development of and validation studies of new methods that may be faster and more accurate, and also may refine, replace, and reduce animal use. The centralized web based annotation can be linked to CFSAN ORS office page.
Project Objective: The specific objectives of this project are: 1)continued search and cataloging of C. botulinum outbreaks and the detection of data from the public literature databases including data for the past 10 years; 2) annotation of C. botulinum outbreaks and detection data in a various formats, including Microsoft Excel; and 3) development of web-based system consisting of a searchable database using a Microsoft Front Page Editor or similar tool.
Project Needs and Duration: The specific objectives of this project are: 1)continued search and cataloging of C. botulinum outbreaks and the detection of data from the public literature databases including data for the past 10 years; 2) annotation of C. botulinum outbreaks and detection data in a various formats, including Microsoft Excel; and 3) development of web-based system consisting of a searchable database using a Microsoft Front Page Editor or similar tool.
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD

JIP-180

Project Title: Study of the Survival Growth Characteristics of Listeria monocytogenes Associated with Gastroenteritis and Invasive Listeriosis
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Datta, Atin
Project Description: Foodborne listeriosis continues to be one of the major public health problems. Although most of the reported outbreaks involve septicemia, meningitis, abortion and death, several listeriosis outbreaks had presented gastroenteritis as the only symptom. These gastroenteritis outbreaks are characterized by quick onset (24-48h), high attack rates and broad range of individuals. Current knowledge about the physiology and genetics of the subtypes of L. monocytogenes factors that are responsible for these symptoms are extremely limited. The project will address the growth conditions and stress response of these organisms. The work, together with other studies, should help the agency to assess the contribution and risk of gastroenteritis from food borne listerosis.
Project Objective: The student will perform experiments to optimize and measure viability and growth of L.monocytogenes under different environmental conditions. The student will also assist in the experiments to develop gene specific mutations and study transcription profiles of specific genes in gastroenteritis associated L.monocytogenes grown under different environmental conditions.
Project Needs and Duration: Preliminary knowledge in microbiology, chemistry, and biochemistry is required. Some working knowledge of basic laboratory practices is preferable. Above all, the student should be diligent and have a passion for scientific research. Estimated length of time: June 2009 - May 2010.
Location: MOD1 Laurel, Maryland

JIP-194

Project Title: Characterization of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Saintpaul isolates Associated with the Outbreak of 2008.
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Allard, Marc
Project Description: Several strains of Salmonella enterica have been recently identified for food-borne outbreaks in the United States. Determining a rapid method to sub-type these organisms is important for a rapid response to future outbreaks and is important for inclusivity/exclusivity of future Salmonella strains associated with food-borne outbreaks. This study will provide a rapid identification mechanisms associated with this unusual serovar of Salmonella, Saint paul. Understanding the genetic variation that defines the Saint Paul serovar will provide knowledge for future assay design when developing detection methods for Salmonella in foods. In particular we will focus our methods for LC/MS mass spectroscopy using base composition as the diagnostic criteria for identification.
Project Objective: The student will isolate and characterize numerous serovars of Salmonella enterica using the LC/MS approach to strain identification. This will include applying DNA technology to the problem including PCR, mass spectroscopy, and DNA sequence analysis. The student will also characterize and survey a number of known (and unknown) Salmonella enterica strains for their DNA sequences and base composition using conventional microbiological techniques and molecular biological techniques
Project Needs and Duration: Some experience in microbiology, general laboratory science, and good computational skills particularly in Microsoft Office is preferred. This project can be moved forward at the flexibility of the student. Estimated length of time: June 2009 May 2010.
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD.

JIP-209

Project Title: Fungal and aflatoxin contamination of milk thistle supplements
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Tournas, Valerie
Project Description: Milk thistle supplements are very popular in the U.S. today. They are used to promote liver health due to their high content of silymarin (a complex of flavonolignans and polyphenols). Very little is known about the mycological quality of these commodities. Preliminary tests conducted in our laboratory have shown the presence of moulds from the Aspergillus flavus group in such products. These fungi are capable of producing highly toxic and carcinogenic secondary metabolites, aflatoxins, in a variety of agricultural commodities; therefore, it is possible that herbal supplements such as milk thistle also contain aflatoxins. Other mould-related toxins could also be present in milk thistle supplements if respective organisms are present and able to grow on these products. Additionally, certain fungi (moulds and yeasts) are opportunistic pathogens causing infections in certain human populations. Therefore, it is essential that fungal contamination profiles for these supplements be established. Developing fungal profiles and detecting the presence of toxigenic moulds in these products will enable FDA to determine if certain mould-related toxic metabolites are likely to be present in the same products. Since there is no universal method available for mycotoxin detection, it would be very time-consuming and costly to analyze a product (e.g. a milk thistle supplement) for each possible mycotoxin separately. Therefore, knowing which moulds are present in a specific supplement will enable us to look for the right toxin(s) and save the Agency time, effort and funds. Further testing for suspect mycotoxins can lead to regulation of these metabolites.
Project Objective: The student will: 1) Establish mould profiles of various milk thistle supplements in order to determine if toxigenic and/or pathogenic fungi are present in these products; 2) Develop/improve a method for the analysis of milk thistle supplements for aflatoxins; and 3) Determine if milk thistle supplements available in the U.S. market are naturally-contaminated with aflatoxins
Project Needs and Duration: The student should have some background (coursework and/or lab experience) in mycology, microbiology, botany, biology or food science is required. Knowledge of aseptic techniques and lab safety rules, and experience in isolating moulds and yeasts from foods or dietary supplements will be a plus. This project requires 4-5 hour blocks 2 days/week during the spring and fall semesters. The student should be able to work 10 hr/week during the semester and 30 hr/week during summer/winter. Length of time needed to complete project: One year.
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD

JIP-164

Project Title: Investigation of the Function of the Genes in the mutS-rpoS region of Enteric Pathogens
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Mukherjee, Amit
Project Description: Enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 is one of the main foodborne pathogens in the United States. Understanding the physiology and pathogenesis of such pathogenic enterics is essential in order to contain and manage future outbreaks, particularly in light of the fact that there are increasing numbers of incidents reported involving antibiotic resistant bacteria. One approach to studying this problem is to identify genes that help in the survival of pathogenic enterics under stressful environments, such as those faced in the hosts they invade. A region in the genome of pathogenic enterics that has been the subject of intense investigation in this laboratory is the highly polymorphic region between the mutS and rpoS genes. Despite the variation in length and the number of genes in this region among enterics, there are four open reading frames (ORFs), z4045, z4046 (yclC), z4047 (yclB), and z4048, which are present in this region in all the enterics investigated so far. Therefore, it is likely that these genes may play a role in their physiology and/or pathogenesis. Putative functions for these ORFs have been assigned based on sequence homology but there are no experimental evidences. One way to identify their functions is to investigate how the in vivo expression of these genes is affected under different environmental situations. Since one of the proteins, Z4048, belongs to the marR family of transcriptional regulators it will be of interest to study its affinity for specific DNA sequences and whether it regulates the expression of the other genes in this region.
Project Objective: The specific objectives of this project are: 1) to study the in vivo expression of the ORFs, Z4046, Z4047, and Z4048 of E. coli O157:H7 under various growth conditions using transcriptional fusions to lacZ and by probing the in vivo levels of the proteins by western blotting; 2) to conduct in vitro studies to investigate whether Z4048 has affinity for specific DNA sequences in this region and if it affects the regulation of the other genes in this region.
Project Needs and Duration: The student will perform experiments involving handling of bacterial cultures, isolation of plasmid DNA, PCR, cloning genes for transcriptional studies, over-expression and purification of proteins, western blotting, and gel shift assays. The student should have a keen interest in microbiology/molecular biology and be willing to do lab work. The student should have taken basic biology and chemistry courses, and advanced courses in molecular biology/ biochemistry/cell biology would be an added advantage.
Location: MOD-1, Muirkirk Road, Laurel, MD.

JIP-206

Project Title: Microbial populations of produce commodities
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Lampel, Keith
Project Description: Isolating pathogenic bacteria from foods can be a daunting task, particularly in high-load foods such as produce commodities. Identifying the major bacterial species present in select produce may enable us to develop methods that select against these bacterial populations, either as an enrichment broth or solid media. One of the problems that have arisen in regard to incorporating chromogenic agars for isolation methods is the competing background bacteria. Isolation of these bacteria and subsequent phenotypic analyses of these strains will provide critical information in which to further our research goals on improved media composition to more rapidly identify pathogenic foodborne bacteria.
Project Objective: The student will: 1) isolate bacterial populations from produce commodities; 2) analyze by phenotypic arrays the major biochemical traits that these bacterial populations exhibit and compare to know foodborne pathogenic bacteria; and 3) include selected chemical/antimicrobials into preexisting enrichment broth or solid media recipes to assess the efficacy of these compounds against the normal bacterial populations.
Project Needs and Duration: The student should have taken biology, chemistry and microbiology coursework. The student should be able to dedicate 3-4 hrs each day that they will be working in the laboratory. The student should be able to work 10 hr/week during the semester and 30 hr/week during summer/winter. Length of time needed to complete project: One year.
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD

JIP-197 (Old Project ID: JIP-187)

Project Title: Establish methodology for assessing inflammatory cytokine expression by PCR-arrays for future projects involving infectious and inflammatory models
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Babu, Uma
Project Description: Listeriosis is one of the major food-borne illnesses in the U.S. causing about 500 fatalities per year. The mouse infection model is the most thoroughly investigated experimental model for listeriosis. In this study, we will use the more susceptible A/J mouse model to test the effects of vitamin D enriched mushroom on the resistance to Listeria infection. This study will help determine the efficacy (in terms of increasing resistance to Listeria infection and improving immune response) of vitamin D in the form of edible mushrooms, which could possibly be used as a source of vitamin D to correct for the widespread vitamin D deficiency in North America, especially among the vegetarian population
Project Objective: The student will assist in performing: 1) extraction of RNA from tissue samples such as spleens from Listera infected mice; 2) determination of the expression of various cytokine genes using appropriate RT-PCR and micro-array techniques; and 3) assessment of the innate and cell-mediated immune responses in mice that are treated mushrooms and infected with Listeria.
Project Needs and Duration: The student should be able to perform: aseptic cell culture work; basic pipeting techniques; and basic laboratory calculations such as dilutions and preparing various solutions and reagents. The student should have laboratory experience in the areas of immunology and microbiology. A third or fourth year college student is preferred. Estimated length of time: June 2009 May 2010.
Location:

JIP-205

Project Title: Characterization of Housekeeping Genes in Salmonella enterica for their phylogenetic accuracy and SNP discovery
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Bell, Rebecca
Project Description: In recent years Salmonella enterica subsp.I has emerged as a significant and prevalent food-borne pathogen. Methods to rapidly identify and subtype these organisms are severely lacking. Understanding the genetic diversity of these organisms is paramount to the design and implementation of new detection methodologies important for rapid responses to future outbreaks. This study will provide insight into the genetic variation present in Salmonella and allow for trace-back of the organisms to an environmental reservoir. Knowledge of stable changes within the DNA will provide a basis for the design of new rapid detection methods for Salmonella in foods.
Project Objective: The student will: 1) obtain genomic DNA samples from several important foodborne S. enterica strains through bacterial culture; 2) obtain PCR amplification products from the various genes being studied using conventional PCR techniques; 3) analyze the DNA sequence data and determine sequence variation, strain relationships and presence of horizontally transferred genes in S. enterica subsp. I.; 4) evaluate the validity of each gene in recapitulating an accurate phylogeny of S. enterica subsp. I. and 5) assist in the preparation and assay development of samples for rapid detection instrumentation such as the Ibis T5000, BioPlex and pyrosequencer
Project Needs and Duration: The student should have an interest in biology/molecular biology/microbiology and be willing to perform laboratory work. The student should have basic courses in the biological sciences, as well as, chemistry/biochemistry. General laboratory skill, good computational skills and good organizational skills. This project can be moved forward at the flexibility of the student. Two to three days a week for a total of 6-8 hours will allow for substantial advances in this project. The student should be able to work 10 hr/week during the semester and 30 hr/week during summer/winter. Length of time needed to complete project: One year.
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD.

JIP-208

Project Title: Investigation of the Utilization of N-Acetyl-D-Galactosamine in Escherichia coli O157:H7
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Mukherjee, Amit
Project Description: Early detection and identification of foodborne enteric bacterial pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Shigella are necessary to maintain a safe food supply and to better control outbreaks in the future. One of the many approaches that this laboratory has adopted is to identify metabolic markers that would distinguish bacterial outbreak strains within the same strain or pathotype. This laboratory has recently shown that the enterohemorrhagic E. coli O157:H7 associated with the 2006 spinach outbreak in the U.S. cannot utilize the amino sugar N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (Aga), unlike that of the E. coli O157:H7 reference strains that can utilize Aga. Upon sequencing the cluster of genes involved in the utilization of Aga and the closely related amino sugar D-galactosamine (Gam), the mutation that causes the inability to utilize Aga in E. coli O157:H7 spinach isolate has been identified. Further in silico investigation of this cluster revealed interesting features that were not reported earlier, and studying them is likely to provide us with a better understanding of the utilization of these two amino sugars, Aga and Gam, and other carbohydrates by the pathogen, E. coli O157:H7. This project will enhance our knowledge of metabolic pathways in enteric bacterial pathogens and also it might give us a better understanding how altered metabolism of substrates aid the adaptation of these pathogens to a new food environment
Project Objective: The student will: 1) purify the wild type AgaF protein from E .coli O157:H7, strain EDL933, and the mutant AgaF protein from a spinach isolate of E. coli O157:H7 to study their biochemical properties in order to identify the molecular basis of the defect in the AgaF protein from the spinach isolates; and 2) study the phenotypic properties of deletion mutants of some of the genes involved in the utilization of Aga and other sugars by E. coli O157:H7.
Project Needs and Duration: The student should be majoring in biochemistry/molecular biology/microbiology/cell biology and have taken the basic courses in these disciplines. The student should be willing to work 10 hours a week during the semester and 30 hours a week in the summer. Length of time needed to complete project: One year.
Location: MOD-1, Laurel, MD

JIP-200

Project Title: Evaluation of the BAM Salmonella Culture Method for the recovery of Salmonella from green leafy produce
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Hammack, Thomas
Project Description: Green leafy vegetables have been identified as vehicles in the transmission of Salmonella. An outbreak of salmonellosis, linked to lettuce, occurred in the U.K. in 2004 and was responsible for more than 350 reported cases. In 2007, FDA recalled baby spinach and lettuce because of contamination with Salmonella. Recent outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7, attributed to the consumption of fresh cut bagged spinach, demonstrates the continued risk of foodborne infection associated with these types of vegetables. Both Salmonella and E. coli bacteria are members of the family Enterobacteriaceae and can be transmitted to fruits and vegetables through fecal contamination originating from infected livestock or human handlers. Salmonella and pathogenic E. coli have very low infectious doses and outbreaks, associated with these bacteria, can be large and widespread. The effectiveness of the Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) Salmonella culture method has not been determined with leafy green produce despite the recognized role of these produce types in foodborne illness. The effectiveness of the BAM Salmonella culture method will be determined for select leafy green produce implicated in Salmonella and other (E. coli O157:H7 and Shigella) outbreaks to ensure the adequacy of the method and to improve it, where necessary.
Project Objective: Student will: 1) assist in the validation of conventional culture methods for the detection and isolation of Salmonella in leafy green produce; and 2) assist in the validation of real time and conventional PCR methods for the detection of Salmonella in leafy green produce.
Project Needs and Duration: The student should be able to learn quickly in the laboratory. Prerequisite coursework includes microbiology and chemistry. This coursework should include instruction in basic microbiological and chemical laboratory techniques. The student should have some understanding of aseptic technique and basic laboratory safety. Previous laboratory work experience is not required, but would be useful. The student is expected to work 30 hrs/week in the summer spending approximately 5 hrs/day in the laboratory, and 10 hrs/week in the Fall/Spring spending approximately 3 hrs 3 times a week in the laboratory. Length of time needed to complete project: One year
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD.

JIP-201

Project Title: Characterization of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Zheng, Jie
Project Description: Due to an unusually homogeneous genetic composition, the subtyping of Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis strains to an epidemiologically relevant level remains a difficult task. Determining a rapid method to sub-type this organism is important for a rapid response to future outbreaks. This study will provide a rapid identification mechanism associated with this unusual serovar of Salmonella, Enteritidis. Understanding the genetic variation that defines the Enteritidis serovar will provide knowledge for future assay design when developing detection methods for Salmonella in foods.
Project Objective: The student will isolate Salmonella Enteritidis genomic DNA and characterize some of the genes with genetic variation. This will include applying DNA technology to the problem including PCR, cloning, and DNA sequence analysis.
Project Needs and Duration: Some experience in microbiology, general laboratory science, and good computational skills particularly in Microsoft Office. This project can be moved forward at the flexibility of the student. Two to three days a week for 6-8 hour will allow for substantial advances in this project. The student should be able to work 10 hr/week during the semester and 30 hr/week during summer/winter. Length of time needed to complete project: One year.
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD.

JIP-188

Project Title: Taxonomic Database Assembly of Bacterial Strains Used as Food Ingredients
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Marianna, Naum
Project Description: The genus Bacillus represents a particularly important safety challenge due to the presence of both pathogenic bacilli (e.g. B. cereus and B. anthracis) as well as food-ingredient bacilli, organisms that are safely consumed in viable form in fermented food (e.g. B. subtilis var. natto). Following the successful launch of the Lactobacillus 16S rDNA database project, we propose the use of similar methods to create a comprehensive 16S rDNA database of FDA pertinent Bacillus species. The student will only be working on non pathogenic, food-ingredient bacilli, which are submitted to CFSAN as new dietary ingredient (NDI) notifications.
Project Objective: Our goal is to construct a database which can successfully differentiate food relevant Bacillus species from pathogenic bacilli.A total of two databases will be constructed. The first database will include 16S rDNA gene sequences of all available Bacillus taxa of interest to us obtained from public domain databases such as GENBANK. The second database will consist of sequence data generated at CFSAN from a series of food-ingredient Bacillus strains obtained from industry representatives such as Nestle. Laboratory-based duties include: PCR amplification, gel electrophoresis, and product purification for sequencing. Computer-based duties include: Downloading available gene sequences from public domain databases such as GENBANK).
Project Needs and Duration: Our goal is to construct a database which can successfully differentiate food relevant Bacillus species from pathogenic bacilli.A total of two databases will be constructed. The first database will include 16S rDNA gene sequences of all available Bacillus taxa of interest to us obtained from public domain databases such as GENBANK. The second database will consist of sequence data generated at CFSAN from a series of food-ingredient Bacillus strains obtained from industry representatives such as Nestle. Laboratory-based duties include: PCR amplification, gel electrophoresis, and product purification for sequencing. Computer-based duties include: Downloading available gene sequences from public domain databases such as GENBANK).
Location: Wiley Building

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Toxicology

JIP-158

Project Title: Development of Threshold based Quantitative Structure Activity Models
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Cheeseman, Mitchell
Project Description: This project provides for completion of work begun by a JIFSAN intern between 6/06 and 5/07. Currently available quantitative structure activity computational tools do not include a consideration of relative potency of compounds in making predictions. This limits their value to regulatory decision makers who must weigh relative risk in some decisions. This project will build on stratification of a learning data set accomplished over the past year. We expect to use those data sets to create one of the first potency-based predictive models for carcinogenicity. The student will perform validation of the model once developed. We will compare this model to other commercially available programs regarding their ability to predict carcinogens of varying potency. The end product will be directly useful in the review of substances entering the food supply as food and color additives or constituents of additives.If successful, the model will provide a predictor that will address the real-life regulatory question of whether a given compound is of concern at a given dietary concentration. The model developed will be tested by the student using actual chemicals considered in the food ingredients program.
Project Objective: The student will use several stratified databases to develop models for predicting compounds of concern for carcinogenicity at several dietary thresholds. The student will validate the models using a leave one out approach. The student will also test the utility of the models developed in actual regulatory decision making processes within OFAS.
Project Needs and Duration: Knowledge of chemistry, biology or toxicology and computer skills are desirable. Knowledge or experience in computer modeling or statistics would also be desirable. Timing is flexible. Several stratified databases of toxicity information have been developed and refined within Leadscope enterprise software. It is expected that the student can now use these data sets to create models to computationally predict toxicity and to validate those models. Estimated length of time needed to complete project: One year
Location: CPK2, College Park, MD

JIP-178

Project Title: Development of Structure-Searchable Toxicology Databases Derived From FDA In-House Toxicity Data
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Arvidson, Kirk
Project Description: The Office of Food Additive Safety (OFAS) reviews toxicology studies in support of new direct and indirect food additives. In the last few years, the OFAS's Structure Activity Relationship (SAR) analysis team has been challenged with developing structure searchable databases that contain the historical toxicity data previously only available by name or chemical abstract registry number and hard copy memoranda. The development of a structure searchable database will provide for more efficient, consistent, and thorough review of new food additive submissions by incorporating the use of structural analogies. Furthermore, a structural analysis of the chemicals in the database, paired with the toxicity data, has the potential to assist FDA in preparing better regulatiory guidance.
Project Objective: The goal of our project is to expand the knowledge base of the universe of chemicals by supplying industry and the public with non-confidential chemical and toxicology data extracted from our files. The intern will assist the project leader by entering toxicity information into the current databases and will identify the proper chemical structures associated with the toxicity data they enter into the database. The intern will gain experience in working with ChemDraw, Leadscope Enterprise Chemoinformatics software, and other software.
Project Needs and Duration: The intern should be, at minimum, a junior with a background in biology, cell biology, or similar discipline. The intern should also have completed general and organic chemistry. The project is very flexible, but the intern should plan on dedicating 1 to 2 four-hour block(s) of time to data entry. This time frame will allow the intern sufficient time to identify a toxicity study in our files, collect the information, and finish entering the data from an individual study into the database before their work day is complete. Estimated length of time: June 2009 - May 2010.
Location: University Station (CPK-2)

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Chemistry

JIP-166

Project Title: Evaluation and comparison of non MS based methods for acrylamide in food.
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Noonan, Greg
Project Description: Briefly describe the problem and the project being considered by the laboratory/office. Since the discovery of acrylamide production in cooked foods there has been a steady stream of new analytical methods claiming to measure acrylamide at ppb levels in a variety of foods. Many of these methods utilize isotopic internal standards, minor variations in extraction techniques and LC-MS/MS, and are undoubtedly sensitive and accurate for acrylamide. However a number of methods do not incorporate an internal standard and use nonspecific detection methods (UV), but still claim high levels of accuracy for quantification of acrylamide. It is doubtful that these newer methods have adequate performance to reliably detect acrylamide in a range of foods. If food manufacturers are changing food processing conditions in an effort to reduce acrylamide levels it is important that they use an accurate method for determining acrylamide concentrations. The new methods offer less expensive testing procedures, but at the risk of being unreliable. This work will allow us to independently verify the new methods and indirectly assist manufacturers with accurately determining acrylamide levels in their products.
Project Objective: Determine if the new methods which do not utilize internal standards are accurate for the detection and quantitation of acrylamide in a variety of foods. Using identical samples compare the new methods with the current FDA acrylamide method.
Project Needs and Duration: The student will: 1) assist in sample preparation and sample extraction; 2) analysis of samples by LC using reversed phase and normal phase chromatography and detection with UV-Vis; and 3) learn, but may not independently operate LC MS instrumentation. Because the project involves processing large number of samples on 3 to 4 methods and repeating other researchers work, the student will need to be extremely organized and follow written instructions. Laboratory course work involving quantitative analysis and/or instrumental analysis would be beneficial. The student should have completed Organic Chemistry. Any laboratory work is advantageous as is familiarity with word-processing (MS Word) and spreadsheet (MS Excel, Origin) software. Laboratory work usually requires longer blocks of time for sample processing and instrumental setup. Blocks less then 4 hours usually result in very little actual work time.
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD.

JIP-169

Project Title: Predicting Metal Toxicity with Quantitative Structure and Ion Character Activity Relationships
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Sanchez, Elizabeth
Project Description: This project provides an opportunity to work with and learn from chemists and toxicologists at CFSAN and the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) to develop a method that will help predict the toxicity of inorganic compounds that are food additives or drugs, by using quantitative structure and ion character activity relationships. The Office of Food Additive Safety (OFAS) and the Office of Pharmaceutical Science (OPS) are developing quantitative structure-activity relationship models to predict bioactivity of inorganic compounds. The development of models and expert rules linking biological activity to 2-D and 3-D molecular attributes may enable more accurate assessment of toxicity of food ingredients, food additives, and pharmaceutical molecules, during the regulatory review process. These models may also allow reviews to be conducted more efficiently and consistently, and may ultimately lead to changes in regulatory guidance.
Project Objective: 1) Retrieval of toxicology memoranda pertaining to food ingredients and food additives that are inorganic compounds. a) Retrieval of memoranda pertaining to a defined toxicology test based on searches of the FDA catalog system (SIREN). Toxicology subsets include: teratology and reproduction, subchronic, chronic, and mutagenicity tests. The student will work with staff to locate and copy/scan existing memoranda. b) Development of database parameters. This objective will be achieved through consultation with in-house experts. Depending on the toxicology subset, the student will work with experts in an area, such as reproductive toxicologists, or a diverse team including chemist and toxicologists (i.e., the structure activity relationship team) to determine what parameters of a study are essential to the database. The student would serve as the integrator of information and would be responsible for design of the database. c) Input of data. Data will be collected, as defined above, and archived using database software. The student will input the data with the assistance of staff toxicologists. Assistance will be provided as to the quality of the test, confidence in the results, and interpretation and conversion of data. Assistance in using the database software will be provided. 2) Retrieval and collation of inorganic atomic/ionic parameters for an array of elements of interest. Elements will be predominantly metals but will include some metalloids and non-metals that cannot be adequately modeled using existing approaches. Parameters will include, for example, coordination geometry, oxidation state, electronic configuration, and binding affinity.
Project Needs and Duration: It is recommended that the student have a strong knowledge of inorganic or bioinorganic chemistry and a basic understanding of mathematical equations and statistical methods. Strong computer skills and an attention to detail are also desirable. The student must be able to commit 3 to 4 hour blocks of time, three times per week.
Location: University Station, College Park

JIP-185 (Old Project ID: JIF-159)

Project Title: Use of Immunology and Nucleic Acid Based Diagnostics for the Detection of Food Allergens
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Garber, Eric
Project Description: An estimated 4 million Americans suffer from food allergies with avoidance of the allergenic food being the only available treatment. As such, the FDA needs analytical methods to detect the inadvertent presence of food allergens to assure proper labeling and safegauard the allergic consumer. Recently developed commercial ELISA and PCR test kits are a potential source of analytical methods for the detection of food allergens. However, most of these test kits have not been validated and as such can not be employed without first evaluating their performance.
Project Objective: The goal of this project is to demonstrate the utility and identifying drawbacks associated with the use of commercial test kits. To achieve this goal the intern will conduct experiments to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the test kits to detect the food allergen in foods representative of different forms of processing and preparation. The student should have completed one year of organic chemistry, one semester of organic chemistry lab and general chemistry. Preference will be given to applicants that have completed one semester of either biochemistry or cell biology.
Project Needs and Duration: During the academic year the student should be able to work at least 4 hours on one day and at least 2.5 hours on a second day. This will provide enough time to perform an experiment and conduct any necessary preparative work. It is expected that the intern will work 30 hours a week during the summer. Estimated length of time needed to complete project : One year. Project estimated target start and end dates: June 2008- May 2009.
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD.

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Food Defense

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Nutritional Sciences

JIP-171

Project Title: Process Evaluation of Thermal Processes for Low Acid Foods in Hermetically Sealed Containers
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Mignogna, Michael
Project Description: Briefly describe the problem and the project being considered by the laboratory/office. FDA process calculation programs are in Fortran and do not run in the Windows environment these programs should be converted to a windows platform. The programs need to be updated to enable FDA to evaluate submitted thermal processes. The programs will eventually need to interact with the new industry web-based client program.
Project Objective: The objective of this internship is to perform computer evaluation of filed thermal processes used by the food industry to determine whether processes are safe to prevent public health hazards. In addition, the intern will convert computer programs from Fortran to a Windows based software platform and develop the Standard Operating Procedures for the use of the new program version.
Project Needs and Duration: The student will evaluate thermal processes using computer programs and modernize the existing computer programs to run in the Windows environment. The student should have a background in food science, technology or engineering and have some experience in computer programming, and have working knowledge of food processing. It is anticipated that this work could be done in blocks of one or three days two to eight hours a day- on any combination of workdays. Estimated length of time needed to complete project: The duration of the project: six to nine months, depending on availability of intern. Number of students requested: One
Location: Wiley Building (College Park)

JIP-183 (Old Project ID: JIP-171)

Project Title: LACF Process Review
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Brecher, Susan
Project Description: As part of FDA's mission statement to protect the American food supply the CFSAN LACF food processing evaluation team reviews thousands of processing forms submitted by industry per year. Each of these forms needs to be reviewed for adequacy of the thermal process for safety. This is an overwhelming task given the current staffing situation. In this project the intern will assist the reviewers in order to facilitate the review process. It is the LACF food processing evaluation team's mission to review process filings to ensure the adequacy of the process to provide safe foods for the American public. This includes processing by a number of processing methods each with it's own critical factors that must be taken into consideration.
Project Objective: The intern will extract data from both paper and online submissions to compile an Excel spread sheet that delineates the facility, sterilant used, packaging system, package type, and challenge study summaries. The student will also assist with the review of routine acidified and low acid process filing forms. The review of process filing forms and compiling information concerning aseptic processes will entail principles of food science and will build upon the student's understanding of thermal processing, microbiology, physics and mathematics.
Project Needs and Duration: The student should be comfortable with Excel and have some knowledge of microbiology/physical sciences. The student will exaluate thermal processes using computer programs and modernize the existing computer programs to run in the Windows environment. The student should have a background in food science, technology or engineering and have some experience in computer programing, and have working knowledge of food processing. The mentors will schedule weekly meetings (or as often as necessary) with the student to be updated and to trouble shoot and assist the student. Estimated length of time needed to complete project: One year. Project estimated target start and end dates: June 2008-May 2009
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD.

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Other

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Public Health

JIP-147

Project Title: Food Safety Risk Analysis: Quantitative Risk Assessments
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Dennis, Sherri
Project Description: Quantitative risk assessment is a dynamic and emerging tool used by regulatory agencies to evaluate and manage the impact of food hazards to public health. We have conducted quantitative microbial risk assessments on Listeria monocytogenes and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. CFSAN is currently conducting risk assessments on a variety of foods (including cheese, produce, ready-to-eat foods, shell eggs) and hazards (including Listeria monocytogenes, Norovirus, Hepatitis A virus, highly pathogenic avian influenza virus). CFSAN has integrated risk assessments that can develop assessments at different levels of complexity needed for policy decision-making (i.e., risk management). CFSAN also actively uses its risk assessment capability to help identify the critical research needs for upcoming regulatory initiatives. This project is primarily an opportunity for the student to assist CFSAN in conducting food safety risk assessments. For more information about CFSANs risk assessments see http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/ra-toc.html.
Project Objective: The objectives for this project include: 1) summarizing and evaluating references for relevance to the particular risk assessment project; 2) collecting and evaluating data used in risk projects; and 3) preparing summary tables and graphs.
Project Needs and Duration: The student should have a background in Microbiology, Food Science, Pre-med, Pre-vet med, Nutrition, or related science field and have experience conducting literature searches. The student should be able to work 10 hr/week during the semester and 30 hr/week during summer/winter. The schedule will be developed as mutually agreed between the student and mentor. Length of time needed to complete project: One year.
Location: Wiley Building, College Park

JIP-168

Project Title: Coordination/Analysis of Data for a Foodborne Illness Outbreak Surveillance Database
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Timbo, Babgaleh
Project Description: Each year there are many foodborne illness outbreaks and sporadic illness events associated with products regulated by the FDA, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. This project involves updating and collecting data for an Access database that is used to capture information related to foodborne illness outbreaks and sporadic illness events. The goal of the database is to make historical outbreak and sporadic event data useful and available to government food safety stakeholders. The first phase of this project is efficient data collection in cooperation with Emergency Response Staff. Later phases of this project involve data quality assurance, data analysis, and trend analyzes. This project provides an opportunity for student interns to assist CFSAN in determining the role of factors that contribute to foodborne illness outbreaks and sporadic illness events. Information on the contributing factors collected in the database can help answer some of the data gaps in microbial risk assessment.
Project Objective: The objective of this project is to update and maintain a model foodborne illness surveillance system which will enable the Emergency Response Staff and Epidemiologists to efficiently record and retrieve data related to outbreaks and sporadic events. The surveillance system will be a data source for research to understand factors that contribute to foodborne illness that can be mitigated by regulatory influence. The student will be required to evaluate, input, extract and analyze passive surveillance data.
Project Needs and Duration: The objective of this project is to update and maintain a model foodborne illness surveillance system which will enable the Emergency Response Staff and Epidemiologists to efficiently record and retrieve data related to outbreaks and sporadic events. The surveillance system will be a data source for research to understand factors that contribute to foodborne illness that can be mitigated by regulatory influence. The student will be required to evaluate, input, extract and analyze passive surveillance data.
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD

JIP-203

Project Title: Development of structure-searchable toxicology databases derived from FDA in-house toxicity data
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Doell, Diana
Project Description: The Office of Food Additive Safety (OFAS) reviews submissions in support of new direct and indirect food additives. Currently, OFAS has been developing a plan to update and modernize its priority based assessment of food additives (PAFA) database for use in both the pre- and post-market evaluation of food ingredients. Part of this plan includes compiling the chemical names, chemical abstract registry numbers, and exposure estimates for food additives and their impurities and incorporating these data into the revised PAFA database. Currently, exposure estimates for food additives and their impurities can only be found by performing keyword or CAS registry number searches on shared folders containing the chemistry memoranda or within an electronic document room containing the official record of the food additive petition.
Project Objective: The intern will assist the project leader by developing a protocol for identifying relevant chemistry memoranda on direct food additives, collect these memoranda and harvest the chemical structures, CAS registry numbers, chemical names and exposure estimates for food additives and their impurities. The intern will gain experience in working with ChemDraw, Leadscope Enterprise chemoinformatics software, and other software FDA specific software in addition to learning about the regulatory process for food additives and food packaging materials.
Project Needs and Duration: The intern should be at minimum a sophomore with a background in chemistry or related science. The project is very flexible, but the intern should plan on dedicating 1 to 2 four-hour block(s) of time to data entry. This time frame will allow the intern sufficient time to identify the needed chemistry memoranda in a given submission, collect the information, and finish entering the data from the memoranda into the database before their work day is complete. The student should be able to work 10 hr/week during the semester and 30 hr/week during summer/winter. Length of time needed to complete project: One year.
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD

JIP-207

Project Title: Research on Produce Safety
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Johanson, Joy
Project Description: In recent years, imports of produce to the United States have risen markedly. During foodborne illness outbreaks, identifying the vehicle of the pathogen and source of contamination is difficult given the large variety of sources of produce in the U.S. and throughout the world. The project includes developing data resources on the growing location and seasonality of produce commodities from both domestic and international sources. The research conducted through this project will amplify FDA’s ability to rapidly pinpoint sources of produce within a timeframe of interest, presumably leading to identification (or exclusion) of possible sources of pathogen(s) during foodborne illness outbreaks. In addition, the data resources developed by the intern will be useful in guiding FDA’s ongoing work in sampling raw agriculture commodities for pathogens.
Project Objective: The JIFSAN intern’s efforts would be applied to the objectives of identifying, organizing, and analyzing data and literature that would assist FDA in identifying foodborne outbreak sources, at both the national, regional, and possibly the farm level(s). The data are located in Access databases we have created to characterize the growth patterns, seasonality, and import trends of various produce commodities that have been associated with foodborne illness outbreaks. The student will: 1) identify and enter data for produce commodities not currently captured in the database, 2) identify and enter data related to growing and harvesting conditions for produce items, and 3) produce summary reports from the database for various offices within CFSAN in response to foodborne illness outbreaks, as needed.
Project Needs and Duration: Successful applicants will have experience researching and organizing data from multiple sources, including on-line and personal communications; attention to detail; experience with Microsoft Access is a plus. Ideally, the student intern would work full-time at FDA at least one day per week. The student should be able to work 10 hr/week during the semester and 30 hr/week during summer/winter. Length of time needed to complete project: One year
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD

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International Trade

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Marketing

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Not yet identified category

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Chemistry

JIP-190

Project Title: Detection of Unpasteurized Milk in Cheese and Other Dairy Products
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Ziobro, George
Project Description: The current methods used to detect raw or improperly pasteurized milk used in the production of cheese or other dairy products are over 70+ years old. These methods are neither accurate nor precise. At this time it is very difficult to take any regulatory action against these products.
Project Objective: Assess commercially available instrumentation used to measure active alkaline phosphatase in milk for their applicabilition to cheese and other dairy products. Conduct ruggedness tests on two different methods that have been developed at CFSAN. The student should have two years of basic laboratory chemistry and an introduction to biochemistry. Any experience in dairy science would be a plus.
Project Needs and Duration: Student would need a minimum of one four hour block of time each week and another 2-4 hours for sample preparation time. The student should be able to work 10 hr/week during the semester and 30 hr/week during summer/winter. Length of time needed to complete project: One year.
Location: Wiley Building

JIP-175

Project Title: Multiresidue Analysis of Pesticides in Dried Botanical Dietary Supplements
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Wong, Jon
Project Description: The growing popularity of herbal products in the United States is reflected in the retail sales of $11.3 billion (in 2000) and by an estimated 37.2 million Americans regularly using herbal remedies. FDA faces significant challenges because many of these herbal supplements may contain contaminants such as pesticides and of the rapid increase in the volume of imported herbal products that may not follow FDA regulations. However, FDA is committed to ensuring that the dietary supplement products continue to be among the safest in the world. To improve the safety and consistency of dietary botanical supplements, research is needed to define the presence of pesticide contaminants in these products. From this research, validated methods will be developed to screen, identify, and quantify pesticides in botanical dietary supplements. This is a CARTS project (#176) and applies to FDA mission in the areas of dietary supplements and food safety. Part of FDAs mission is to ensure that our food and dietary supplements are safe and wholesome. Farmers use various pesticides to aid plant and herbal production and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determines the levels of pesticides that may remain as a residue on food and other plant products. FDAs responsibility is to ensure the herbal products (and foods) we consume do not have pesticide residues above regulatory levels. The project involves the development and validation of a multiresidue procedure to screen for pesticides in dried botanical dietary supplements which will enable various laboratories such as the FDA field laboratories to regulate or enforce pesticide tolerances in herbal supplements.
Project Objective: Specific objectives of the project include: 1. Extract pesticides from the herbal product using organic solvent salt-our extraction, solvent partitioning, and solid-phase extraction cleanup, 2. Analyze the extracts from the samples using GC-MS/SIM; 3. Evaluate the data and address specific validation issues regarding the developed method; 4. Presenting and publishing the results.
Project Needs and Duration:
Location: Wiley Building (College Park, MD.)

JIP-193

Project Title: Detection of Viruses and Seafood Toxins
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Yakes, Betsy Jean
Project Description: Rapid and reliable detection of pathogens and toxins continues to be a major research focus of CFSAN in order to ensure the safety of food. In an effort to improve upon previous detection schemes, especially with respect to speed of analysis and multiplexing capability, a new method was recently investigated by CFSAN researchers. A prototype surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor was setup and evaluated and promising results from a three laboratory study and a multi-instrument comparison established the potential for SPR technology to allow for multi-channel, rapid, selective and sensitive bioassays. The target analyte for these studies has been tetrodotoxin (TTX), a low molecular weight marine toxin. The common vector for this neurotoxin is pufferfish and intoxication can cause respiratory paralysis in humans. Based on the ability of SPR to sensitively analyze for TTX in a range of food matrices, this research project seeks to expand the capabilities of this technique. Current research is focusing on further evaluation of seafood toxins, specifically the toxin that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning in humans, and larger analytes, such as Hepatitis A virus.
Project Objective: The student will learn to and, depending on background, independently: (1) modify substrates that serve as assay platforms, (2) assist in sample and reagent preparation, (3) analyze samples via an SPR sensor system, (4) process data generated by the SPR bioassay, (5) evaluate results for biological validity, and (6) determine the next step in the experiments. Through experimentation, the student will gain hands on knowledge of how to perform surface modification, immunoassays, and maintenance on fluidics/spectroscopy instrumentation. The results from the experiments will not only help to validate SPR toxin and virus detection techniques but could also be incorporated in publications and national presentations.
Project Needs and Duration: The student will learn to and, depending on background, independently: (1) modify substrates that serve as assay platforms, (2) assist in sample and reagent preparation, (3) analyze samples via an SPR sensor system, (4) process data generated by the SPR bioassay, (5) evaluate results for biological validity, and (6) determine the next step in the experiments. Through experimentation, the student will gain hands on knowledge of how to perform surface modification, immunoassays, and maintenance on fluidics/spectroscopy instrumentation. The results from the experiments will not only help to validate SPR toxin and virus detection techniques but could also be incorporated in publications and national presentations.
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD.

JIP-177

Project Title: Emulsifier Effect in Packaging Additive Migration to Food
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Limm, William
Project Description: Plastic food packaging contains additives that may migrate to food. Migration of polar additives to fatty foods may be enhanced by the presence of emulsifier(s) in food such as protein. By utilizing advanced analytical instruments, this study will both confirm and quantify the emulsifier effect.
Project Objective: The student will: 1) set up and run migration experiments; 2) prepare samples and analyze them with instruments such as HPLC, GC and mass spec; 3) analyze and interpret data obtained from instruments.
Project Needs and Duration: The student should have experience in the following areas: Analytical Chemistry (required) and Instrumental Analysis and Physical Chemistry (optional). Blocks of time are flexible 10 hours per week (Fall and Spring semesters)and 30 hours per week (Winter and Summer). Estimated length of time: June 2009-May 2010.
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD.

JIP-202 (Old Project ID: JIF-175)

Project Title: Multiresidue Analysis of Pesticides in Foods by GC-MS and LC-MS
Status: Internship not available
Principal Investigators: Wong, Jon
Project Description: FDA is responsible for the enforcement of pesticide tolerances in foods. However, current FDA procedures to screen for thermally labile and polar pesticides are ineffective and out-of-date. Effective and cost-efficient validated multiresidue procedures for the analysis of pesticides in fresh produce (fruits and vegetables) and dried botanical dietary supplements have been developed at FDA/CFSAN. We want to apply these new methods to modern instrumentation such as GC-MS/MS, GC-TOF-MS, and HPLC or UPLC-MS, recently acquired at FDA/CFSAN. Students will gain invaluable experience such as sample preparation procedures (liquid-liquid and solid-phase extraction, partition chemistry, etc,), utilizing a variety of modern, state-of-the art instrumentation, and evaluating experimental data using standard statistical procedures. The student will also be involved in publishing the results, if the project is successful. The student will be able to gain invaluable research experience and apply it to his/her future goals.
Project Objective: The student will: 1) validate the method for a specific food (i.e., beverage, vegetal product, or herbal supplement) and specific individual pesticide or class of pesticides; 2) perform experimental work using GC-MS or LC-MS technologies; 3) perform data analysis and interpret results; and 4) contribute to writing of a manuscript intended for publication in a peer-review journal or FDA Laboratory Information Bulletin.
Project Needs and Duration: A student with a strong background in Chemistry/Biochemistry is desirable. Students who have taken courses in Organic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry, Quantitative Analysis are also preferred, but not necessary. However, qualities such as intelligence, self-motivation, assertiveness, creativity, good communication skills, enthusiasm, and willing to learn are essential. Minimum time of twice a week, with a minimum of 5 hours per each time block (10 hr/week) during the semester of 4-5 times a work with a minimum of 6-8 hours (30 hr/week) during summer. Length of time needed to complete project: One year.
Location: Wiley Building, College Park, MD

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Animal Health

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Food Defense

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Nutritional Sciences

No projects available under Nutritional Sciences

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