** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** SARS-COV-2, THE VIRUS RESPONSIBLE FOR COVID-19, HAS BEEN FOUND IN VARIOUS ANIMAL HOSTS, INCLUDING WHITE-TAILED DEER IN THE USA. THESE FINDINGS RAISE CONCERNS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL TRANSMISSION OF THE VIRUS FROM DEER TO LIVESTOCK, PARTICULARLY CATTLE. TO ADDRESS THIS SPILLOVER RISK, IT'S CRUCIAL TO MONITOR HOW SARS-COV-2 EVOLVES IN FARMED DEER AND ITS POTENTIAL INFECTION OF CATTLE. HOWEVER, CURRENT METHODS FOR DETECTING AND SEQUENCING THE VIRUS ARE EXPENSIVE, NOT TAILORED FOR ANIMAL SAMPLES, AND UNSUITABLE FOR FIELD USE. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP COST-EFFECTIVE AND ADAPTABLE MOLECULAR METHODS FOR MONITORING SARS-COV-2 IN AGRICULTURAL ANIMALS.THE PROJECT WILL DEVELOP TWO METHODS: 1. REVERSE TRANSCRIPTION LOOP-MEDIATED ISOTHERMAL AMPLIFICATION (RT-LAMP) WITH SOLID-STATE NANOPORE SENSING AND 2. AN AMPLICON-BASED SEQUENCING METHOD RHAMPSEQ.THIS PROJECT BRINGS TOGETHER A DIVERSE TEAM OF EXPERTS IN VIROLOGY, MOLECULAR BIOLOGY, BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING, CLINICAL VETERINARY MICROBIOLOGY, AND VETERINARY DIAGNOSTICS TO DEVELOP AND RIGOROUSLY VALIDATE THESE METHODS. THESE PROPOSED METHODS HOLD GREAT PROMISE FOR COST-EFFECTIVE, FLEXIBLE, AND RAPID DETECTION AND GENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF SARS-COV-2. THIS RESEARCH ALIGNS WITH THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN (ARP) SURVEILLANCE PROGRAM'S GOAL OF DEVELOPING SURVEILLANCE TOOLS FOR RAPIDLY DETECTING AND CHARACTERIZING INFECTIOUS AGENTS LIKE SARS-COV-2.?