Food and Animal Science

Strengthening Our Health

The food and animal industries are an important sector of Tennessee's economy. Making healthy choices is important for humans, animals, and even our planet. As a leader in nutrition, animal welfare, and environmental education, we are working to understand how food, physical activity, and social connections affect overall health (i.e. One Health). From food safety to disease prevention to efficient animal production, these efforts will help Americans and the rest of the world lead healthier lives for generations to come.

Food Science

Improving Human Health by Dietary Modulation of the Gut Microbiome and Metabolism

Advancing the Detection Technologies of Salmonella in Foods

Increasing Health Promotion/Emergency Preparedness

Food Safety Regulations and Microbiology Research Lab

Microbial Diversity and Antimicrobial Resistance in Agro-ecosystems and Retail Foods

Cooperative Extension Health Equity and Wellness

Advancements in Biophysics and Bio-engineering for Food Applications

Identifying the Roles of Natural Bioactive Compounds in Promoting Health and Disease Prevention

Food-derived Bioactive Compounds and Human Health

Exploring and Fabricating Novel and Advanced Materials for Food Systems

Animal Science

Ruminant Livestock Research

Poultry Drinking Water Quality Management and Feed Nutrient Management for Improved Flock Health and Performance

Nutritional and Genomics Strategies for Enhancing Growth and Efficiency of Feed Utilization in Poultry

Animal Functional Genomics and Novel Antimicrobial/Vaccine Design

TSU Poultry Program

Food Science

 Improving Human Health by Dietary Modulation of the Gut Microbiome and Metabolism
Dr. Gagender Aleti
Situation: The human microbiome—a collection of diverse microorganisms (bacteria, fungi, viruses and microeukaryotes) and their genetic material that inhabit our bodies, produce a myriad of specialized metabolites that affect virtually every function in the human body from digestion, metabolism, mental health to fighting diseases. Although diet can significantly impact the gut microbiota, we still know very little about the specific interactions between dietary nutrients, gut microbiome composition, and host metabolism. Particularly, our knowledge of which microbes produce specific molecules, specific biosynthetic pathways involved, dietary components involved in the gut microbial metabolism, and how these devolve during health and disease is still in its infancy. To this end, our research focuses on understanding and exploiting the interplay between the diet, microbiome and metabolism underlying human disease for treatment and prevention. 
Activity: We are combining multi-omics methods, such as metagenome sequencing and metabolomics, with host sensing of bioactive molecules by the druggable human G-protein-coupled receptors to gain deeper understanding of the host-microbial interactions in health and disease populations with an emphasis on underrepresented communities.
Impact: We have shown how microbiome and metabolome alter in a range of disease states. In particular, we identified microbial molecules with quorum sensing properties, dietary components and host molecules transformed by microbes that have neuroactive potential. Ultimately, we aim to establish a framework for integration of microbiome and metabolite cataloging studies with mechanistic studies for deeper understanding of microbe-host molecular interactions for therapeutic use.

-back to top-

Advancing the Detection Technologies of Salmonella in Foods
Dr. Fur-Chi Chen
Situation: Salmonella is one of the most important foodborne pathogens. Every year, Salmonella is estimated to cause one million illnesses in the United States, with 19,000 hospitalizations and 380 deaths. To reduce the incidence of illnesses caused by Salmonella, advanced detection technology is needed to provide reliable and efficient identification of these pathogens from contaminated foods. The technology is intended for use by regulatory agencies, meat and poultry producers and processors to facilitate the identification of potential food safety fallouts in the processing facilities and final products. 
Activity: Research projects have developed molecular fingerprint and biosensor methods for the detection of Salmonella and other foodborne pathogens in foods. The developed methods have shown promising results as efficient tools for food safety surveillances. An improved time-saving concentration process coupled with the biosensor analysis deliver an attractive alternative to current methods. The researchers have communicated with food industry interested in the advanced detection technologies to further optimize and commercialize the developed technologies. 
Impacts: This research program has allowed the development of rapid and reliable detection technologies, which will provide effective alternatives to the current methods to ensure food is free from contamination by pathogenic bacteria. Further development is needed to improve the detection sensitivity and to design a high-throughput analysis. There are ongoing collaborations with biotech companies to further optimize, validate, and market the technology.

-back to top-

Increasing Health Promotion/Emergency Preparedness
Ms. Rita Fleming
Situation:  The COVID-19 pandemic will not be the world’s last health emergency therefore there will be an urgent need for sustainable health emergency preparedness education to protect our future and the future of generations to come.
Activity: Developed a working COVID-19 committee for development of fact sheets and PSA. COVID-19 Academy Educational Resource Team member. Development of CARF for an Emergency Preparedness Course for Family and Consumer Science Students.  Working with the SNAP-ED Director in sharing education materials with the FCS agents. 
Impact: Received a COVID-19 Extension Foundation grant to provide educational resources and marketing for three counties with low numbers of vaccinated African American populations. The materials developed were videos and factsheet cards that reached participants through social media and through direct contact. The number reached through social media so far is 5,400 and through direct contact 2,000. Through the 1890 EDEN Coalition we have developed emergency preparedness education materials for underrepresented populations that addresses the issues related to their communities.

-back to top-

Food Safety Regulations and Microbiology Research Lab
Dr. Aliyar Fouladkhah
Situation: Human health has a direct relationship with food safety and food microbiology. With the tremendous ability of a plethora of microorganisms to move towards diversity and “fitness” through vertical and horizontal gene transfer mechanisms, assuring public health safety against natural and anthropogenic microbial pathogens from food, water, and the environment is a daunting task. Enhanced global travel and commerce, increased proportions of infectious diseases in “at-risk” populations, and consumers’ demand for nontraditional commodities such as minimally processed and ready-to-eat products provide breeding grounds for emerging, novel, and reemerging infectious diseases. Foodborne diseases cost an estimated 420,000 lives every year around the globe. Every year, 1 out of 6 Americans experiences illnesses from these pathogens, leading to about 128,000 hospitalizations and over 3,000 deaths.
Activity: The focus of this work is to better understand the ecology, epidemiology, pathogenesis, and control measures against enteric pathogens and spoilage organisms. Randomized and observational experiments under the context of predictive microbiology are intended to be truly translational in nature with immediate applications. Hurdle validation studies against human, food, water, and environmental isolates of Salmonella serovars, Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli serogroups, and Listeria monocytogenes serotypes at various planktonic and biofilm vegetative stages, various antibiotic susceptibility phenotypes and at different biotic and abiotic adhesive surfaces are the main concentrations of the laboratory. Surface and sub-surface water testing for FSMA compliance. 
Impact: With industry collaborators, Cooperative Extension/College of Agriculture stakeholders, public health, food safety, and infectious diseases professionals and colleagues across the country, and around the world, this research and outreach work will have positive impacts on food safety and human health that will ultimately save many lives by reducing the current spread of infectious diseases and related premature deaths.

-back to top-

Microbial Diversity and Antimicrobial Resistance in Agro-ecosystems and Retail Foods
Dr. Agnes Kilonzo-Nthenge
Situation: The use and misuse of antibiotics in farm animal settings introduce antimicrobial resistant microorganisms into agro-ecosystems and retail foods. Fresh produce and other crops are often contaminated with resistant bacteria after getting into contact with soil or water that contains animal waste.  Meats may also be contaminated with antibiotic resistant bacteria during animal slaughtering. Often animal producers have limited knowledge in understanding antimicrobial resistance in food animal production environments.
Activity:  Researchers at Tennessee State University have tracked antimicrobial resistance by profiling antimicrobial resistant bacteria and resistance patterns in water, manure, soil, and retail foods and animal farms. This information has been used to generate a series of hotspot maps that visualize the extent of the antimicrobial resistance and the frequency of antibiotic use in cattle, poultry, goat/sheep farms across Tennessee and bordering states. The maps show antimicrobial resistant bacterial communities in producers’ farms and are used to educate growers on antibiotic stewardship during farm visits and workshops/webinars.  
Impact:  By using personalized hotspot maps displaying antibiotic resistant bacteria in food animal farms, producers will make positive behavior changes on the usage of antibiotics. Most of the antimicrobial data that are available are at a very high level, hence difficult for the farmers to get an understanding of antibiotic resistance in their farms. Personalized hotspot maps displaying antibiotic resistant bacteria have been used to educate animal producers, hence they are able to make informed decisions on the usage of antibiotics in their farms. Educating animal producers to improve and lessen unnecessary use of antibiotics will mitigate antimicrobial resistant bacteria in the food chain.

-back to top-

Cooperative Extension Health Equity and Wellness
Dr. Brione Lockett
Situation: TSU’s Cooperative Extensions Health Equity and Wellness program is to enhance the quality of human life through the promotion and distribution of health education, community participatory, human-centered approaches, resources, and interventions relating to equity, social determinants, structural inequities, environmental justice, and disparities.
Activity: This program and health trainings alike (maternal health, community engagement, suicide prevention, obtaining community resources, etc) there will be a positive change for efficient and effective extension services for counties within Tennessee where extension agents are located. Professionally taught health education, equity, and wellness programs are essential tactics to effect positive behavior change and subsequent health outcomes both at the individual and population levels. All activities focus on transforming lives, exchanging knowledge, leadership development, embracing cultural dynamics, seeking evidence-based information, community engagement, offering support, promoting change, and enhancing individual’s quality of life.
Impact: Providing people with culturally useful, evidence-based information on health behaviors should instill motivation to change; people cannot act upon what they do not know or understand. Results will vary across populations for various reasons, particularly demographic, historical, social, political, economic, geographic, and cultural characteristics. 

-back to top-

Advancements in Biophysics and Bio-engineering for Food Applications
Dr. Ankit Patras
Situation: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that annually 1 in 6 Americans get food poisoning resulting in 3,000 deaths. Moreover, microbial resistance to current food technologies is a challenge.  The need for alternative technologies is of a paramount importance for food pasteurization and sterilization. In addition, pathogens including viruses can survive in the air and on surfaces, their spread and persistence in food environments, emphasize the need to develop efficient decontamination processes to control pandemic outbreaks. 
Activity. Alternative food processing technologies holds promise to revolutionize food safety which includes UV irradiation, high intensity ultrasound, and gas plasmas. To strengthen preventive measures against food re-contamination by microorganisms via bioaerosols generated during food processing, and in view of attaining the goal of providing a safe and a high-quality food product to the consumer, the food industry is interested in the adoption of additional disinfection approaches. This program more precisely defined the limits of safe practices by quantifying the pasteurized equivalent and sterilized equivalent treatments required to achieve a specified lethality in foods. 
Impact:  Research conducted within this group constitutes a significant area of national interest. The team developed new techniques to control the spread of Sars-Cov-2 and other viruses (a  fundamental genomic modeling approach to calculate the UV-C sensitivity for a range of viral pathogens and other emerging respiratory viruses was developed). Future activities include developing bioaerosol disinfection UV systems against infectious viral and bacterial pathogens which will help in the fight against global pandemics and future outbreaks. 

-back to top-

Identifying the Roles of Natural Bioactive Compounds in Promoting Health and Disease Prevention
Dr. Brahmaiah Pendyala
Situation: Epidemiological studies indicate that high consumption of foods/feeds rich in bioactive compounds positively impacts human/animal health and disease prevention. Hence, identifying potential food/feed bioactive compounds followed by formulation in food/feed as additives or marketed as nutraceuticals has gained importance in the food/feed and nutraceutical industry. But extraction and purification of a huge number (> 400,000) of natural products for traditional in-vitro high-throughput screening studies are both time and resource expensive. In this context, chemo-bioinformatics screening tools predict and minimize potential compounds before extraction and purification.
Activity: This program seeks to use the tools of structure-based chemo-bioinformatics (molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulations) and machine learning tools to predict potential health-promoting bioactive compounds and understand their mechanism of action. Further experimental validation with in-vitro enzyme or cell-based biochemical assays and in-vivo antimicrobial or animal studies (with industrial partners) are being exploited to confirm computational data. Primary focus areas of this program include identifying natural antimicrobial, antiviral, anticancer, and senolytic (for healthy aging) compounds.  
Impact: Developed scientific evidence informs decision-making by the public, health care professionals, and health policymakers regarding using natural products to promote human/animal health. Identified natural antiviral food/feed supplements help in prophylactic and therapeutic control of pandemic and epidemic coronavirus and influenza outbreaks. Natural antibacterial compounds against multi-drug resistant foodborne pathogens could be used as additives for food preservation. Knowledge of bioactive anticancer and senolytic compounds is helpful in developing nutraceuticals for the prevention of chronic cancer and age-related diseases.

-back to top-

Food-derived Bioactive Compounds and Human Health
Dr. Hongwei Si
Situation: Chronic diseases, including heart disease, stroke, obesity, diabetes, and cancer, contribute to more than 70% of deaths in the USA, and unhealthy lifestyles and diets are critical to developing chronic diseases. Consuming a healthy diet, particularly one with foods having a high level of bioactive compounds, may significantly reduce the rate of chronic diseases and extend a healthy lifespan.  However, more research is needed to understand the effects and mechanisms of the food-derived bioactive compounds that can combat human chronic diseases.
Activity: Apply bioactive compounds and relevant foods (e.g., blueberry, chocolate, broccoli) to cells, animal models, and humans to: 1) test the beneficial effects in anti-breast cancer, anti-colon cancer, anti-obesity, and extending lifespan, and 2) investigate the mechanisms at cellular and molecular levels using cutting edge technology such as whole-genome sequencing.
Impact: Results from this research indicate: 1) combining two or more compounds from different foods exert a synergistic effect in anti-cancer and preventing vascular diseases; 2) the compound epicatechin from many foods such as blueberry, chocolate, and apple, prolongs lifespan in aging mice. These results provide direct evidence that human chronic diseases can be prevented/treated by selecting healthy foods with a high level of bioactive compounds, and consuming a variety of types of foods is better than a single one.

-back to top-

Exploring and Fabricating Novel and Advanced Materials for Food Systems
Dr. Ying Wu
Situation: (1) Alternatives to antibiotics are needed to enhance animal health and performance. Essential oils and polyphenols are effective to inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria and promote the growth of beneficial bacteria. Encapsulation and target location delivery of the bioactive compounds are promising approaches to deliver these bioactive compounds to poultry intestinal tracts. (2) Fabrication of advanced nanomaterials with controlled release of key compounds using natural polymers has shown great advantages in various applications such as food packaging.
Activity: (1) Essential oils and polyphenols were encapsulated by spray drying. Broilers were found with improved growth performance after fed with the encapsulated capsules when compared to controlled group and antibiotic group. More research is going on to investigate the effect of the encapsulated capsules on gut microbiota and gut health. (2) Essential oils were encapsulated using natural polymers by electrospray. Morphology, release kinetics and product shelf life extension are going to be investigated on the fabricated materials.
Impact: (1) Poultry performances are enhanced, and gut microbiome profile and gut health can be modulated. This technology can be extended to other animal models, and can also be applied in human diet. More bioactive ingredients can also be delivered into intestinal tract to enhance gut microbiota and health. (2) Novel polymers obtained from agricultural byproducts/wastes to be used as carries/wall materials for fabricating advanced materials. The fabricated materials are sustainable, biodegradable and environment friendly. Application of the fabricated materials in food packaging can extend shelf-life of fresh produce thus reduce food waste. 

-back to top-

Animal Science

 Ruminant Livestock Research
Dr. Richard Browning
Situation: The US is a primary net importer of goat meat and a major target of export nations. The equivalent of several hundred thousand goats is imported annually by US meat suppliers in carcass form to meet the growing domestic demand for product. A major constraint to profitable meat goat production has been a scarcity of research-based information on how various breeds compare for economically-important production traits. Comparative breed evaluations for meat goats on southeastern pastures represent a primary research focus of this lab. Novel research outcomes have been a driver of change in breed selection and utilization that have enhanced sustainability in meat goat enterprises. Small farms represent a majority of beef cattle production herds in the US. Non-traditional production systems such as grass-to-finish and local marketing of freezer beef using alternative breeds are approaches being adopted by a growing number of small farm managers. Heat stress is a growing concern in traditional and non-traditional beef systems. Alternative breeds have not been part of mainstream research in the US, although they may offer unique advantages as a genetic resource in small, limited-resource beef herds. 
Impact: Characterization of heritage Dexter cattle, rare Mashona cattle, and their crosses for performance attributes under subtropical conditions is a unique research effort of this lab. Maternal performance is of utmost importance in enterprise profitability in commercial meat animal production systems. Therefore, breed comparisons for fitness and maternal merit are of primary interest in both the meat goat and beef cattle breeding programs.

-back to top-

Poultry Drinking Water Quality Management and Feed Nutrient Management for Improved Flock Health and Performance
Dr. Pramir Maharjan
Situation: There is limited scientific information available on water impurities affecting flock health and productivity, and this area needs continued work. Tennessee has more than 1,500 commercial poultry farms and multiple thousands of small flock poultry operations. Optimal flock performance is achieved by best management practices. More work in poultry drinking water quality management is needed as water quality aspect of poultry drinking water supplies is often taken for granted. Similarly, optimizing bird nutrition programs specific to breed and environment will help improve performance parameters. 
Activity: On-farm visits (commercial and backyard), lab assessments of poultry water supplies, and feeding program evaluations were conducted. More work to evaluate poultry water supplies of farms were continued to identify water quality issues. Poultry drinking water sanitizer products were evaluated for their efficacies. Small flock producers were approached for understanding feeding and biosecurity practices for their flock. Recommendations for best management practices were presented to poultry producers, flock owners, and stakeholders via one-on-one meetings, workshops, outreach webinars, and on-site talks.  
Impacts: The poultry producers, including small flock owners, became aware of the importance of maintaining safe poultry drinking water supplies at their farm.  Optimal dose rates of some commonly used sanitizer products to decontaminate specific and non-specific pathogens were established. Small flock producers became aware of improved feeding and biosecurity practices. The assessments of water and nutrition program help producers to make informed decisions on daily management practices for their farms, leading to overall improvement in flock health and performance. 

-back to top-

Nutritional and Genomics Strategies for Enhancing Growth and Efficiency of Feed Utilization in Poultry
Dr. Samuel Nahashon
Situation: To ensure profitability and improve feed efficiency in the poultry industry, birds are reared in limited spaces, consequently increasing the occurrence for rapid spread of diseases among poultry flocks. These practices have necessitated changes in dietary nutrient density and use of antibiotics, excess of which have been implicated in antimicrobial drug resistance. There is therefore a need for alternatives to antibiotics. The optimum requirements for certain amino acids by guinea fowl are lacking. Even though the requirement for these amino acids in broiler chickens is known, their efficiency of utilization is at 75%, hence the need to enhance further their utilization.  
Activity: This research examines optimal amino acid requirement for the guinea fowl and metabolic pathways associated with their uptake in poultry. Modification of respective metabolic pathways of these amino acids using CRISPR/dCas9 is ongoing. In addition, use of alternatives to antibiotics, in form of probiotics, is being explored. Evaluation of the optimum and economical dietary concentrations of the amino acids, lysine, methionine, and arginine are being evaluated in broiler chickens and the guinea fowl.
Impact: Feeding these new levels of amino acids will reduce feeding cost in broiler chickens and guinea fowl production. Transcriptional activation of lysine responsive genes increased expression by around 200 fold and the results suggest a projected increase in the uptake of lysine. Candidate probiotics Streptomyces coelicolor and E. coli Nissle improved growth performance of broiler chickens and guinea fowl. 

-back to top-

Animal Functional Genomics and Novel Antimicrobial/Vaccine Design
Dr. Yongming Sang
Situation: Infectious diseases cause billions of dollars in annual losses to livestock production in the US.  In addition to the threat to animals, we have seen the devastating effects when viruses jump from animals to humans as is the case with zoonotic viruses such as SARS and the COVID-19 coronavirus.  Despite the magnitude of these problems, there is a lack of diagnostic reagents, effective vaccines, and antiviral treatments for veterinary and human use.
Activity: (1) Swine genome projects, animal comparative immuno-genetics, and immuno-reagent development; jointly completed swine and Xenopus frog genome projects, which provide fundamental genomic maps for comparative biology in both animals and humans. (2) Antimicrobial regulation against animal viral and bacterial diseases underlying immunometabolic function of immune molecules and cells; conducted genome-wide comparative studies of animal immune genes, especially those critically in antimicrobial defense and (3) Development of novel antimicrobials and vaccines targeting epizootic viral diseases in livestock and wild animals; cross-species screening and validation of antiviral activity of several superior antiviral molecules, and further development of immuno-reagents and antiviral/vaccine design based on them.
Impact: Several newly characterized immune molecules have been synthesized and released for use in research applications.  An updated vaccine platform for animal viruses is in the development stage through a national collaboration. 

-back to top-

TSU Poultry Program

 

 

 

 

 





webpage contact:
SACS