**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** ACCORDING TO A USDA ECONOMIC RESEARCH SERVICE REPORT IN 2018, THE ECONOMIC BURDEN DUE TO 15 FOODBORNE PATHOGENS WAS ESTIMATED CLOSE TO $18 BILLION IN THE U.S. SALMONELLA AND CAMPYLOBACTER CAUSED THE MOST REPORTED BACTERIAL FOODBORNE ILLNESSES. EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDIES HAVE SUGGESTED THAT PRODUCTS OF POULTRY ORIGIN ARE AMONG THE MOST COMMON VEHICLES FOR TRANSMISSION OF SALMONELLA SPP. AND CAMPYLOBACTER SPP.. IN THE U.S., POULTRY MEAT CONSUMPTION IS INCREASING PER CAPITA PER YEAR COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE WORLD. BACTERIA FROM FARM PRODUCTION, SLAUGHTERHOUSES, AND PROCESSING EQUIPMENT CONTAMINATE CARCASSES AND PROCESSED MEAT PRODUCTS. THE PRESENCE OF VERY LOW LEVELS OF LIVE BACTERIA IN FOOD SAMPLES CAN RENDER THE FOOD HAZARDOUS. MICROBIOLOGICAL CULTURE-BASED METHODS ARE LIMITED IN THEIR ABILITY TO PROVIDE TIMELY DATA. CURRENTLY AVAILABLE RAPID DETECTION SYSTEMS ARE OFTEN LABORIOUS, EXPENSIVE, AND REQUIRE LABORATORY FACILITIES. THEY ALSO LACK THE ABILITY TO QUICKLY ENRICH AND DETECT TARGETS IN LARGE SAMPLES. THERE IS AN UNMET NEED FOR RAPID, LOW-COST, ONSITE, AND ACCURATE DETECTION OF FOODBORNE AGENTS IN LARGE SAMPLES. THUS, THE GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO RAPIDLY MONITOR THE TEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF SALMONELLA AND CAMPYLOBACTER INFECTION IN POULTRY FARMS AND SLAUGHTER FACILITIES USING A NANOPARTICLE-BASED BIOSENSOR WITH CAPABILITIES FOR RAPID AND SIMULTANEOUS ENRICHMENT, DETECTION, AND REPORTING OF MULTIPLE AGENTS.THIS RESEARCH IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY AND TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY FOR FOOD SAFETY. DUE TO ITS SIMPLICITY AND AFFORDABILITY, THE CELLPHONE-ENABLED SMART BIOSENSOR CAN BE USED ONSITE TO MONITOR AND GENERATE INTERNAL INFORMATION ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ANTIMICROBIAL INTERVENTION STRATEGIES, PROVIDE TEMPORAL DYNAMICS OF THE INFECTION RATE AT CONTROL POINTS, AND PROVIDE EARLY INFORMATION ON POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE OF THE BACTERIA TO THE TREATMENT AND PREVENTION STRATEGIES.ALTHOUGH THE BIOSENSOR MAY NOT BE ABLE TO REPLACE CULTURE AND MAY NOT BE AS SENSITIVE AS REAL-TIME POLYMERASE CHAIN REACTION (RT-PCR), IT WILL ALLOW HIGH FREQUENCY TESTING AND SUPPORT FASTER DECISION-MAKING BY PRODUCERS AND OPERATORS, RESULTING IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PATHOGEN REDUCTION PROGRAMS THAT WILL PREVENT THESE PATHOGENS FROM ENTERING THE FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN, THUS PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH, REDUCING FOODBORNE ILLNESS OUTBREAKS, AND SUSTAINING THE AVAILABILITY OF NUTRITIOUS FOODS. THE BIOSENSING TECHNOLOGY WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO GUIDE PRODUCERS IDENTIFY SPECIFIC SITES IN THEIR FACILITIES THAT NEED IMPROVED SANITATION AND INTERVENTION STRATEGIES, RESULTING IN HIGHER EFFICIENCY OF OPERATION, INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY, AND OVERALL HIGHER BUSINESS PROFITABILITY.