The JIFSAN-CFS³ Food Safety Laboratory investigates the ecology, adaptation, and transmission of foodborne pathogens across interconnected food and environmental systems. We focus on understanding how pathogens persist outside the host, move between environmental reservoirs and production settings, and acquire traits that influence persistence and survival.
Our research integrates classical microbiology, whole genome sequencing, metagenomics, emerging molecular detection approaches, and targeted phenotypic analyses. By linking genomic variation, functional traits, and environmental context, we generate data that strengthen pathogen surveillance, support risk-based decision-making, and inform regulatory science.
CURRENT RESEARCH AREAS
- Environmental Persistence and Transmission Dynamics
We study how foodborne pathogens survive, disseminate, and establish in agricultural environments, surface waters, and food production systems. Our work examines ecological drivers of contamination, population structure in environmental reservoirs, and factors that influence long-term persistence.
In parallel, we are exploring molecular detection strategies to better capture low-level pathogen populations in complex matrices, as part of our broader effort to understand pathogen persistence and early contamination events, with implications for environmental monitoring strategies.
- Genomic Epidemiology and Functional Adaptation
We apply whole genome sequencing and bioinformatics to investigate the population structure, virulence determinants, and antimicrobial resistance mechanisms of Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, among others, across food and environmental systems.
Targeted phenotypic characterization links genomic features to resistance profiles, stress responses, and environmental fitness. We also examine how processing-related stressors influence bacterial physiology and resistance traits, contributing to a more mechanistic understanding of pathogen adaptation in food-associated environments.
- Microbial Ecology and Resistance Dynamics
We examine how microbial community structure and environmental conditions influence pathogen survival, dissemination, and resistance persistence across interconnected food and agricultural systems. Through genome-resolved metagenomics and targeted isolation, we investigate ecological interactions and selective pressures that shape contamination pathways.
Exploratory efforts include evaluating how agricultural inputs and sanitation practices may influence resistance dynamics in environmental and food-associated contexts.
Together, these research areas combine ecological context, genomic analysis, and functional characterization to strengthen the scientific basis for environmental monitoring, resistance assessment, and evidence-based food safety decision-making across interconnected food and environmental systems.
COLLABORATIONS
The Food Safety Laboratory collaborates with faculty across the University of Maryland, including the Departments of Nutrition and Food Science, Plant Science and Landscape Architecture, Animal and Avian Sciences, Public Health, and Veterinary Medicine, as well as the Center of Excellence in Microbiome Sciences.
Through JIFSAN’s Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. FDA, the laboratory contributes to research efforts that bridge academic investigation and regulatory science.
We maintain ongoing international collaborations with institutions in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, and Mexico, supporting multicenter genomic investigations of foodborne pathogens in surface waters and agricultural systems.
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
The laboratory welcomes collaborative research initiatives with academic and regulatory partners working in food safety, environmental microbiology, and pathogen genomics.
Prospective students and trainees with interests in microbiology, genomics, bioinformatics, and environmental systems are encouraged to inquire about current and future research opportunities.
CONTACT
Magaly Toro, PhD, MSc, DVM.
Director, Food Safety Laboratory
Associate Research Professor
mtoroiba@umd.edu