THIS PROJECT EXPLORES A NOVEL STRATEGY OF USING NEWLY DEVELOPED CARBON NANOMATERIALSFOR EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT INACTIVATION OF PERSISTENT BACTERIAL PATHOGENS ON FOOD CONTACT SURFACES WITH NATURAL/HOUSEHOLD LIGHT. THESE SPECFICNANOMATERIALS ARE CARBON DOTS (CDOTS), WHICH HAVE ALREADY BEEN ESTABLISHED EXPERIMENTALLY FOR THEIR EFFECTIVEANTIBACTERIAL FUNCTIONS AGAINST MODEL BACTERIA IN SUSPENSIONS. THISPROJECT WILL VALIDATE THE USE OF SELECTED CDOTS COUPLED WITH VISIBLE/NATURAL LIGHT, FOR THE INACTIVATION OF LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES AND SALMONELLA ENTERICA AS REPRESENTATIVE PERSISTENT FOODBORNE PATHOGENS AND THEIR BIOFILMS ON FOOD CONTACT SURFACES, SUCH ASSTAINLESS STEELAND POLYETHYLENE (PE) SURFACES. VARIOUS EXPERIMENTAL FACTORS/CONDITIONS WILL BE INVESTIGATED FOR THEIR POTENTIAL EFFECT ON THE ANTIMICROBIAL EFFICACY OF THE CDOTS. THE SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES FROM THE PROJECT ARE EXPECTED TO LEAD TO NOVEL TECHNOLOGIES AND ASSOCIATED PROTOCOLS APPLICABLE IN FOOD PROCESSING FACILITIES AND OTHERSETTINGS CRITICAL FOR THE EFFECTIVE CONTROL OF PERSISTENT BACTERIAL PATHOGENS.