DESPITE ON-GOING REGULATORY AND INDUSTRY EFFORTS, MICROBIAL FOOD SAFETY ISSUES REMAIN THE PRIMARY FOOD SAFETY CONCERN IN THE UNITED STATES, WITH CONTAMINATION FROM PROCESSING PLANT ENVIRONMENTS BEING A KEY ISSUE FOR MOST SECTORS OF THE READY-TO-EAT (RTE) INDUSTRY. IMPORTANTLY, PERSISTENCE OF PATHOGENIC MICROORGANISMS IN NON-FOOD CONTACT ZONE 2/3 GROWTH NICHES LIKE DRAINS REPRESENTS AN UNDER-INVESTIGATED, YET INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT, AREA OF RESEARCH NEED IN IMPROVING FOOD SAFETY. ANTIMICROBIAL COATINGS CAN REDUCE MICROBIAL SURVIVAL BUT SUFFER POOR PERFORMANCE UNDER CONDITIONS OF HIGH ORGANIC LOAD AND TYPICALLY RELY ON LEACHING OF ANTIMICROBIAL AGENTS. MANY NON-FOULING COATINGS HAVE DEMONSTRATED ABILITY TO RESIST PROTEIN CONDITIONING BUT ARE PRONE TO DEGRADATION UNDER CONDITIONS TYPICAL IN FOOD AND BEVERAGE PROCESSING. WE PROPOSE TO REDUCE ADHESION, SURVIVAL, AND CROSS-CONTAMINATION OF SALMONELLA AND L. MONOCYTOGENES IN DRAINS BY THE DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF A ROBUST, POLYMERIC COATING WITH BOTH ANTIMICROBIAL AND NON-FOULING PROPERTIES. WE WILL LEVERAGE AN EXTERNAL ADVISORY GROUP TO GUIDE MATERIALS DESIGN AND APPLICATIONS STUDIES TO ENSURE INDUSTRY RELEVANCE. THE INVESTIGATORS COMBINE INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE WITH EXPERTISE IN FOOD SCIENCE, POLYMER SYNTHESIS, FOOD PROCESSING, AND FOOD MICROBIOLOGY. THE LONG TERM IMPACT OF THIS PROJECT IS IN SUPPORT OF USDA NIFA GOALS TO DEVELOP STRATEGIES TO REDUCE FOODBORNE CONTAMINANTS IN FOODS OR THE ENVIRONMENT AT ANY POINT ALONG THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN, SPECIFICALLY IMPROVING CONTROL STRATEGIES FOR FOODBORNE CONTAMINANTS AND IMPROVING MANUFACTURING AND PROCESSING TECHNOLOGIES THAT ENHANCE FOOD SAFETY. THE PROPOSED COATINGS WILL ADDRESS UNMET RESEARCH NEEDS IN CONTROLLING PATHOGEN PERSISTENCE IN ZONE 2/3 GROWTH NICHES, AND INCREASINGLY IMPORTANT AREA OF RESEARCH FOR IMPROVING THE SAFETY OF OUR FOOD SUPPLY.