**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** AFLATOXINS (AF) ARE FUNGI-PRODUCED COMPOUNDS THAT CONTAMINATE MANY COMMON FOOD CROPS, SUCH AS WHEAT, BARLEY, CORN, AND OATS. WHEN CONSUMED BY EITHER ANIMALS OR HUMANS, AF CAN LEAD TO SERIOUS HEALTH COMPLICATIONS THAT INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, LIVER CANCER, HORMONE IMBALANCE, AND IMMUNODEPRESSION. SINCE THIS CONTAMINATION IS OF PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN, COST EFFECTIVE MEASURES MUST BE EXPLORED TO LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF AFLATOXIN THAT REACHES THE CONSUMER. CURRENT METHODS TOWARD DECONTAMINATION ARE LARGELY INEFFECTIVE DUE TO HIGH ECONOMIC LOSSES AND LOW RELIABILITY OF COMPLETE DECONTAMINATION. BIOREMEDIATION, THE USE OF MICROORGANISMS TO ELIMINATE AN ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANT, IS A PROMISING SOLUTION TO CONTAMINATION BY AFLATOXINS SINCE IT CAN OFFER LOWER COST, FEWER UNDESIRED ENVIRONMENTAL SIDE-EFFECTS, AND POTENTIALLY HIGHER EFFICIENCY AND RELIABILITY. A BACTERIAL SPECIES, RHODOCOCCUS ERYTHROPOLIS, IS A STRONG CANDIDATE TOWARD THIS END IN THAT IT IS ABLE TO DEGRADE AF THROUGH THE PRODUCTION OF AN ENZYME. HOWEVER, MORE KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING HOW THIS SPECIES PERFORMS ITS FUNCTION IS NEEDED TO IMPROVE AND IMPLEMENT ITS CAPABILITY IN FOOD PRODUCTION.MY PROJECT FOCUSES ON EXPLORING AND IDENTIFYING KEY STEPS IN THE DEGRADATION PROCESS BY R. ERYTHROPOLIS IN ORDER TO MAKE INFORMED IMPROVEMENTS TO IT. FIRST, I WILL IDENTIFY THE DEGRADING ENZYME AND HOW IT IS PRODUCED THROUGH A SEQUENCING APPROACH THAT EXPLORES DIFFERENCES IN GENE EXPRESSION BETWEEN TWO CONDITIONS. NEXT, I WILL TEST THE ENZYME UNDER DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS TO UNDERSTAND THE OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE CONDITIONS. FINALLY, I WILL PLACE THIS DEGRADING ENZYME IN A FOOD-SAFE ORGANISM SO THAT IT CAN BE DEPLOYED IN FOOD PRODUCTION AND WORK TO ELIMINATE AF CONTAMINATION IN FOOD DURING PROCESSING. THROUGH THIS PROJECT, I WILL PRODUCE A FOOD-SAFE SYSTEM TO ELIMINATE AF CONTAMINATION THAT IS COST-EFFECTIVE AND RELIABLE.