PRODUCE CONTINUES TO BE IMPLICATED IN NUMEROUS OUTBREAKS CAUSED BY VARIOUS MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINANTS. FOR EXAMPLE, ESCHERICHIA COLI O157:H7 HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR OUTBREAKS IN LEAFY GREENS, NOTABLY SPINACH AND ROMAINE LETTUCE. HUMAN NOROVIRUS AND HEPATITIS A VIRUS CONTINUE TO BE IMPLICATED IN OUTBREAKS ASSOCIATED WITH BERRIES. SPROUTS OF VARIOUS TYPES HAVE BEEN CONTAMINATED WITH PATHOGENIC E. COLI AND SALMONELLA SPP. IN ORDER TO CONTROL OUTBREAKS IN PRODUCE, NANOMATERIALS WITH ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY ARE INCREASINGLY UTILIZED TO ENHANCE THE SAFETY OF PRODUCE DURING PRE- AND POST-HARVEST PROCESSING AND STORAGE. INORGANIC NANOMATERIALS (E.G. SILVER AND COPPER OXIDE NANOPARTICLES) OR BIOLOGICAL NANOMATERIALS (E.G. BACTERIOPHAGES) CAN LIMIT THE GROWTH AND ACTIVITY OF FOODBORNE PATHOGENS, HOWEVER IN ORDER TO BE EFFECTIVE THIS REQUIRES DIRECT CONTACT BETWEEN THE NANOMATERIAL AND THE TARGET MICROBIAL PATHOGEN.TO THE NAKED EYE PRODUCE SURFACES ARE NOT UNIFORM, BUT HAVE MANY NATURAL CREVICES AND INDENTIONS. UNDER A MICROSCOPE (AT THE MICROSCALE), THE PRODUCE SURFACE IS EVEN MORE COMPLEX WITH NUMEROUS STRUCTURES MICROMETERS IN SIZE THAT COULD POTENTIALLY SERVE AS HARBORAGE SITES FOR FOODBORNE PATHOGENS. LIKEWISE, THESE MICROSCALE PRODUCE SURFACE STRUCTURES MAY HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON HOW NANOMATERIALS ARE DISPERSED ON A PRODUCE SURFACE. ANOTHER CONSIDERATION IS THE MATRIX IN WHICH BOTH FOODBORNE PATHOGENS AND NANOMATERIALS WILL BE DISPERSED ON PRODUCE SURFACES. THE PRESENCE OF WATER IS ESSENTIAL FOR SURVIVAL OF MICROORGANISMS ON PRODUCE SURFACES AND IS A TYPICAL DELIVERY MATRIX FOR NANOMATERIALS. THE MICROSCALE STRUCTURES ON PLANT SURFACES IMPACT WHERE AND HOW WATER IS DISPERSED. DEPENDING ON THE SHAPE, VOLUME AND DEGREE OF FRAGMENTATION OF THE PLANT SURFACE 'WATERSCAPE', WATER MAY FACILITATE OR CONSTRAIN THE ATTACHMENT, DETACHMENT, AND DISTRIBUTION OF MICROSCOPIC CELLS AND PARTICLES, BUT ALSO THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH THE PRODUCE SURFACE.IN THE CONTEXT OF LEAFY GREENS, THIS PLANT SURFACE WATERSCAPE IS REFERRED TO AS THE PHYLLOTELMA. THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO INVESTIGATE THE ROLE OF THE PHYLLOTELMA IN (I) THE DISPERSION OF NANOMATERIALS AND FOODBORNE PATHOGENS ON PRODUCE SURFACES, (II) HOW NANOMATERIALS INTERACT WITH TARGET FOODBORNE PATHOGENS ON PRODUCE SURFACES, (III) ENHANCING OR LIMITING THE REMOVAL OF NANOMATERIALS FROM PRODUCE SURFACES. THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE IMPORTANT INFORMATION ON HOW THE PHYLLOTELMA IMPACTS DISPERSION OF FOODBORNE PATHOGENS AND NANOMATERIALS ON PRODUCE SURFACES WITH POTENTIAL TO PROVIDE INSIGHTS INTO WHY CERTAIN COMMODITIES ARE HIGHER RISK FOR OUTBREAKS. UNDERSTANDING HOW THE PHYLLOTELMA OF COMMODITIES WITH A HIGH ASSOCIATION WITH OUTBREAKS (SPINACH, ROMAINE LETTUCE, RASPBERRY, STRAWBERRY, SPROUTS) IMPACTS FOODBORNE PATHOGEN AND ANTIMICROBIAL NANOMATERIAL INTERACTIONS CAN FACILITATE OPTIMIZATION OF NANOMATERIAL APPLICATIONS TO ENHANCE PRODUCE SAFETY. SINCE HIGH LEVELS OF RESIDUAL ANTIMICROBIAL NANOMATERIALS ON PRODUCE MAY POSE A FOOD SAFETY RISK AFTER APPLICATION UNDERSTANDING THE MECHANISMS IMPORTANT FOR NANOMATERIAL REMOVAL CAN ENHANCE USE. A MORE FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLE OF THE PHYLLOTELMA IN THE FATE OF NANOMATERIALS WILL CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS THE SAFE USE OF NANOMATERIALS ON PRODUCE SPECIFICALLY AND IN AGRICULTURAL APPLICATIONS IN GENERAL.