PAR-20-105: Discipline A - Microbiology - Track 4: WGS Project Summary The Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) Food Safety and Consumer Services (FS&CS) Laboratory is the State?s Primary Regulatory Human and Animal Food Safety Laboratory. The WSDA FS&CS Laboratory seeks five years of funding through the FDA Laboratory Flexible Funding Model (LFFM) Cooperative Agreement Program?s Discipline A Microbiology Track 4 to enhance the lab?s WGS capacities as a GenomeTrakr network laboratory and to expand the capacities of the public database at National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) in support of foodborne illness investigations. ? The FS&CS Laboratory has all the required technical expertise in WGS testing and data uploading under this analytical track. ? Is eligible to apply for this Track since we have an illumina MiSeq on-site and become a FDA GenomeTrakr network laboratory. Our lab?s microbiologists have been fully trained in FDA/CDC protocols. We are also able collect enough samples through the laboratory?s regulatory testing in human food and animal food products and collaboration with other academic lab. ? Microbiologists are knowledgeable and experienced in multiple animal and human food matrices, pathogens, various molecular biology techniques and data manipulation. ? Has the necessary space to continue supporting the additional work associated with this project. ? Has been accredited to ISO/IEC 17025:2005-2017 since 2011 and also received FDA ISO funding support in the past 9 years. ? Is located in a strategic geographic area of the United States. Washington State is home to several major international shipping ports, through which nearly $16 billion in food and agricultural products were exported in 2018. The Port of Seattle, the state?s largest city and port, is the gateway port for all Asian and Canadian trade. If our Track 4 proposal is accepted, we are willing and able to do the following: 1. Participate in bacterial isolates sequencing (100+) 2. Enter results in real-time in NCBI database 3. Participate in the GenomeTrakr network and complete any other assigned assignments 4. Is willing to mentor other laboratories Washington State Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Consumer Services Laboratory
