Radiochemical, Microbiological and Chemical Testing for Food Defense
Official title: Radiochemical, Microbiological and Chemical Testing for Food Defense, Method Development and Building Capabilities.
Funded at Wadsworth Center · NIH-11422090 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A public health lab-led effort to strengthen and advance testing methods for detecting radiochemical, microbiological, and chemical threats to the food supply for national defense and emergency response.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wadsworth Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Menands, United States) |
| Project start | September 25, 2025 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $790,000 |
| NIH project number | 5U19FD008618-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11422090 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Not applicable to patients; this is a laboratory capability-building project for food defense.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals with food exposure are not directly enrolled or studied in this grant.
What this research studies
This project strengthens and expands laboratory capabilities at a state public health lab to support the FDA’s Food Emergency Response Network. It focuses on developing and refining rapid testing methods for radiochemical, microbiological, and chemical threats to food, with sequencing work to support outbreak tracing. The work is conducted within the Wadsworth Center, leveraging its mass spectrometry, sequencing, and other advanced facilities to respond to food defense emergencies. The initiative builds partnerships with federal agencies and contributes to preparedness through improved analytical capabilities and method development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could enhance the speed and accuracy of detecting dangerous substances in food, improving protection for the public.
How similar studies have gone: Previous collaborations under FDA-FERN and related programs have shown that enhanced laboratory capabilities can improve emergency response times and accuracy.
Where this research is happening
-
Wadsworth Center
Menands, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Parsons, Patrick J. — Wadsworth Center
- Study coordinator: Parsons, Patrick J.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.