Delaware State University

As a result of former Secretary Madigan's initiative concerning USDA/1890 University interactions, ARS, in cooperation with Delaware State University, established in FY 1997 an ARS worksite at Dover, DE. The worksite, which is part of the Microbial Food Safety Research Unit at ERRC, has a mission to address microbiological food safety issues of aquaculture products. The objectives of the program include: development of rapid diagnostic methods for microbial pathogens, determination of critical control points in aquaculture production and processing and the quantitative relationship control measures and pathogen reduction, and the development of blue prints for risk assessments designed to mitigate levels of pathogens in aquacultured products.

Currently, Delaware State has two faculty members engaged in aquaculture production research efforts. It is expected that the ARS and university programs will become complementary. A nationwide search was completed and top candidates are being evaluated for a Lead Scientist's vacancy, at the time of this writing. A permanent support technician will be hired afterward. University undergraduate and graduate students will be employed as required by the research needs.

Arthur Miller, Eastern Regional Research Center