We're about the science.
Assistant Professor
Department of Biology
Delaware State University
1200 N Dupont Hwy
Dover, DE 19904
Email: cawatson@desu.edu
Phone: (302)857-7485
Fax: (302)857-6512
Ph.D., Microbiology/Food Microbiology, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Princess Anne, MD 21853
Masters of Science, Biology, Delaware State University, Dover, DE 19901
BS Biology, Norfolk State University, Norfolk VA 23504
My laboratory has several projects going related to foodborne pathogens. The newest project involves the investigation of pathogenic bacteria associated with organic produce from Delaware farms. The increase in the demand for healthier and safe foods has led to an increase in the demand for organically grown foods. The organic food industry has become the fastest growing industry in the past decade. This project will expand over the course of the next year to include farms in the tri-state area. Thus far, Listeria monocytogenes have been isolated and characterized using biochemical testing. Presumptive Salmonella spp. obtained based on growth characteristics on selective medium will be further characterized via Ribotyping and DNA sequencing.
In addition to the organic produce project, my graduate student is investigating the efficacy of commercial sanitizers in the removal of Salmonella from the surface of tomatoes. This project was a result of recent news headlines related to Salmonella outbreaks associated with tomatoes. Once again due to the concerns of consumers regarding food safety, this is an area of interest, particularly for agricultural states such as Delaware.