HUMANS HAVE FERMENTED FOODS FOR MILLENNIA TO PRESERVE PLANT AND ANIMAL COMMODITIES, UNKNOWING OF THEIR COMMENSALISM WITH MICROORGANISMS UNTIL RECENTLY. BACTERIOCINS ARE ONE OF SEVERAL MOLECULES FERMENTATION-RELEVANT BACTERIA PRODUCE THAT PROTECT AGRICULTURAL COMMODITIES AGAINST THE PROLIFERATION OF HUMAN PATHOGENS AND SPOILAGE MICROORGANISMS. THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO METAGENOMICALLY IDENTIFY AND CHARACTERIZE KNOWN AND UNKNOWN CLASS IIA BACTERIOCINS ENCODED BY MICROBIAL POPULATIONS IN FERMENTED FOODS AND THEN SYNTHESIZE THESE BACTERIOCINS TO TEST FOR THEIR POTENTIAL AS FOOD PRESERVATIVES. USE OF METAGENOMIC SEQUENCING WILL ACCELERATE THE DISCOVERY OF UNKNOWN CLASS IIA BACTERIOCINS COMPARED TO TRADITIONAL METHODS.THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THISPREDOCTORALFELLOWSHIP, PD JONATHAN SOGIN WILL FURTHER DEVELOP TECHNICAL, ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATION, MENTORING, AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT SKILLS. JONATHANWILL EXPAND HIS PROFESSIONAL NETWORK BY INTERACTING WITH PEERS AT CONFERENCES ANDTHROUGH OTHER NETWORKING OPPROTUNITIES INTERNAL AND EXTERNALL TO HIS INSTITUTION, AND WILL MENTOR OTHER STUDENTS WITHIN HIS LAB AND BEYOND. DR. RANDY WOROBO WILL SERVE AS JONATHAN'S PRIMARY MENTOR FOR THE PROJECT, AND WILL PROVIDE GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT WHEN NEEDED TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT. THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROJECT WILL AID IN JONATHAN'S PERSONAL GROWTH TO BECOME A LEADER IN AGRICULTURE.