“Egg-static about Salmonella”

I can honestly say that this has to be one of the most interesting projects I have been involved in.

For our project we are working with research scientists at NC State and UNC-Chapel Hill on the growth and spread of salmonella in chickens. What they are trying to figure out is what are some ways to prevent salmonella from spreading in chickens which in return would lower the chances of humans becoming sick when they consume the chicken. I am working in one of the NC State labs with Dr. Hassan and two other fellows (Courtney and Whit) looking at the microbiology side of the project. We are growing different bacteria and checking to see if the the antibiotic is slowing the growth of the salmonella.

The second part of our project is working with North Carolina’s 4-H program. We are creating a new curriculum for the 4-H program that is based off our lab experience that not only can be used in the state but on a national level as well. We will create curriculum that is aligned to the elementary, middle and high school standards. The curriculum can also be implemented into a regular classroom setting. This seems like a great deal of work ahead of us but it will all be worth it when I see my name on a nationally approved curriculum!