**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** FOOD SPOILAGE IS A MAJOR ISSUE LEADING TO WASTE, LOST REVENUE, AND CONSUMER DISSATISFACTION. BEVERAGES ARE KNOWN TO BE SPOILED BY ALICYCLOBACILLUS SPP. THE SPOILAGE METABOLITE GUAIACOL IS ONLY PRODUCED BY CERTAIN ALICYCLOBACILLUS SPP., WHICH CURRENT DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS ARE DESIGNED TO DETECT. HOWEVER, THERE IS VARIATION IN SPOILAGE POTENTIAL AMONG GUAIACOL-PRODUCING STRAINS. MOREOVER, SPOILAGE POTENTIAL IS INFLUENCED BY SPECIFIC BEVERAGE CONDITIONS, AND CURRENT DIAGNOSTIC ASSAYS ARE NOT CORRELATED TO SPOILAGE RISK. RECENT INNOVATION IN GENOMIC TOOLS, ESPECIALLY WHEN PAIRED WITH MODELLING, CAN BE USED TO BETTER ELUCIDATE THE GENES AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS THAT INCREASE RISK OF SPOILAGE. THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO MODEL THE KINETICS AND DYNAMICS OF SPOILAGE BY GUAIACOL-PRODUCING ALICYCLOBACILLUS SPP. IN INDUSTRIALLY RELEVANT BEVERAGE MATRICES AND STORAGE CONDITIONS. SECONDLY, GENOMIC TOOLS WILL BE USED TO IDENTIFY GENES RESPONSIBLE FOR OBSERVED VARIATION IN SPOILAGE. ULTIMATELY, THESEFINDINGS WILL IMPROVE SUSTAINABILITY IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY BY PRECISELY REVEALING ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AND GENES IMPORTANT IN PREDICTING SPOILAGE RISK, LEADING TO BETTER PRODUCT DISPOSITION DECISIONS AND LESS WASTE.