** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** NATIONWIDE SHORTAGES OF INFANT FORMULA REACHED MORE THAN 50%,WITH SOME REGIONS EXPERIENCING 95% SHORTAGES BY THE END OF MAY 2022.THIS IMPACTED MILLIONS OF INFANTS, DISPROPORTIONALLY FROM LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, IN THE U.S. WHO LOST ACCESS TO THEIR PRIMARY OR EXCLUSIVE NUTRITION SOURCE. INCREASES IN IMPORTS SUPPORTED BY THE U.S. FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION (FDA) UNINTENTIONALLY EXACERBATED FOOD SECURITY ISSUES WORLDWIDE ALREADY STRAINED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.THE SHORTAGE RESULTED FROM A SINGLE PRODUCTION PLANT SUSPENDING OPERATIONS IN THE U.S. AFTER FOUR INFANTS WERE HOSPITALIZED AND TWO DIED FROM CONSUMING INFANT FORMULA CONTAMINATED WITHCRONOBACTER SAKAZAKII.ENVIRONMENTAL TESTING REVEALED THE PRESENCE OFC. SAKAZAKIION NON-FOOD CONTACT SURFACES WITHIN THE FACILITY. SPECIFIC STRAINS ASSOCIATED WITH INFANT ILLNESSES WERE NOT RECOVERED FROM THE FACILITY,UNDERSCORING THE COMPLEX BALANCE OF PROTECTING PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD SECURITY.THERE IS MOUNTING EVIDENCE FROM FOOD AND HEALTHCARE SYSTEMS THAT PATHOGENS CAN EXIST FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME IN LOW-MOISTURE ENVIRONMENTS AS DRY OR DESICCATED BIOFILMS.UNDER LOW-MOISTURE CONDITIONS, FOODBORNE PATHOGENSCAN FORM OR BECOME EMBEDDED IN BIOFILMS ON SURFACES.THESE BIOFILMS CAN PERSIST ON SURFACES AS DRY SURFACE BIOFILMS (DSB), WHICH ARE HARDTO DETECT AND ERADICATE LEADING TO CROSS-CONTAMINATION OF FOODS. WE HYPOTHESIZE THAT FOODBORNE PATHOGENS PERSIST IN DSB OVER TIME AND THE PRESENCE OF OTHER ORGANISMS ENHANCES SURVIVABILITY. WE ALSO HYPOTHESIZE THAT CURRENT SANITATION PRACTICES IN DRY FOOD ENVIRONMENTS MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO ELIMINATE PERSISTENT PATHOGENS WITHIN DSB. OUR OBJECTIVES ARE TO (I) DEVELOP DSB MODELS OF IMPORTANT FOODBORNE PATHOGENS,(II) EVALUATE CURRENT LMF SANITATION EFFICACY AGAINST THESE MODELS, AND (III) CHARACTERIZE THREE-DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE AND GENE EXPRESSION PROFILES OF DSB MODELS TO REFINE SANITATION STRATEGIES. OUTCOMES FROM THIS WORK WILL ELUCIDATE STRATEGIES TO ELIMINATE AND IDEALLY PREVENT DSB IN LMF PROCESSING FACILITIES (E.G., INFANT FORMULA).INFANT FORMULA SHORTAGES EXPOSED U.S. FOOD PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FRAGILITIES, UNDERSCORING A NEED FOR BETTER STRATEGIES TO PREPARE FOR AND RESPOND TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND FOOD SECURITY THREATS. IT FURTHER UNDERSCORES OPPORTUNITIES TO BETTER SUPPORT WOMEN, CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES. THE WORK PROPOSED HERE, POSITIONED AT THE INTERSECTION OF FOOD SAFETY AND FOOD SECURITY, WILL FILL KNOWLEDGE GAPS, AND INVESTIGATE SOLUTIONS WITH PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS WHO WILL DIRECTLY USE AND BENEFIT FROM THE OUTCOMES OF THE PROPOSED OBJECTIVES.