** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** PROBLEMATIC LEVELS OF CAMPYLOBACTER AND SALMONELLA CONTINUE TO BE DETECTED ON PROCESSED POULTRY PRODUCTS. WHILE CURRENT CONTROL MEASURES HAVE IMPROVED POULTRY SAFETY, THEY HAVE NOT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED HUMAN ILLNESS RATES NOR BEEN ABLE TO RESPOND IN REAL-TIME TO PATHOGEN CONTAMINATION ISSUES. THEREFORE, THERE IS AN URGENT NEED FOR NEW RESEARCH TO EXPLAIN THE FUNDAMENTAL WAY BACTERIA SHED FROM, ATTACH TO, AND SURVIVE ON CHICKEN DURING CRITICAL PROCESSING STEPS. NOT MEETING THIS NEED REPRESENTS A SERIOUS PROBLEM, BECAUSE WITHOUT CLEAR SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATIONS INFORMING PATHOGEN CONTROL, THE INCREASED DEMAND FOR POULTRY PRODUCTS TRANSLATES INTO INCREASED POTENTIAL FOR FOODBORNE DISEASE OUTBREAKS.ADDRESSING THESE CONCERNS, OUR MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO BUILD TOOLS FROM EXPERIMENTS AND MATHEMATICAL MODELS TO PREDICT PATHOGEN TRANSFER AND SURVIVAL DYNAMICS DURING THE SCALDING, CHILLING AND POST-CHILL STAGES. THIS RESEARCH IS SIGNIFICANT, SINCE IT WILL PROVIDE THE POULTRY INDUSTRY WITH SCIENCE-BASED STRATEGIES TO REDUCE SALMONELLA AND CAMPYLOBACTER CONTAMINATION LEVELS DURING PROCESSING. THE RESULTING NEW INSIGHT INTO PATHOGEN CROSS-CONTAMINATION WILL ALSO FURNISH KEY INFORMATION FOR PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS SEEKING TO CHARACTERIZE RISK ALONG THE POULTRY SUPPLY CHAIN. FINALLY, DUE TO GROWING POPULATIONS, LIMITED RESOURCES, AND THE CONTINUED PUBLIC HEALTH BURDEN FROM SALMONELLOSIS AND CAMPYLOBACTERIOSIS, OUR RESULTS WILL WORK TOWARDS PROVIDING ALL AMERICANS ACCESS TO SAFER POULTRY PRODUCTS AND HELP ENSURE THE USDA'S CONTINUED GLOBAL ROLE AT THE CUTTING EDGE OF FOOD SAFETY.