---

About the Division

Mission

Serve a multipurpose function including evaluating the impact of antimicrobial agents, food contaminants, food additives, nanomaterials, and FDA-regulated products on the microbiome; developing methods to detect and characterize microbial contaminants; determining antimicrobial resistance and virulence mechanisms; conducting research to aid FDA in the areas of women's health, tobacco products, and nanotechnology; and improving risk assessments.

Goals

Strategies to Meet Our Mission

Studies of SARS-CoV-2 NSP1 and Envelope Protein

Watch the Recorded Presentation

---

2021 Select Accomplishments

Food Safety and Virology: Antimicrobial Resistance and Virulence

• Assessed the contributions of bacterial plasmids to increased virulence and antimicrobial resistance in bacterial pathogens and evaluated factors that lead to dissemination of plasmids between bacteria, which could lead to more difficult-to-treat infections (Frontiers in Microbiology, Microbiology and Molecular Biology Review). 
• Produced and purified coronavirus spike proteins that serve as important resources for ongoing efforts to examine the interactions of the virus and host cells, and further used computational approaches to predict the impact of spike protein-structure changes on the binding of the proteins to cell surface receptors (Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence).
• Carried out studies in partnership with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock to assess the antimicrobial properties of nanostructured aluminum foil surfaces. There are potential applications for nanostructured food-contact surfaces to minimize spoilage and the growth of foodborne pathogens (Nanotechnology, MRS Advances).

Microbiome and Biological Interactions

• Assessed the impact of the exposure of antimicrobial drug residues on the human gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota composition and intestinal permeability. Higher exposures contributed to alterations of the microbiota and intestinal permeability (Antibiotics).
• Continued studies on the of exposure of xenobiotic compounds, including arsenic, bisphenol AF, and triclosan on the microbiome and host responses through National Toxicological Program-funded efforts. These efforts are informing risk assessments of the test compounds (Toxicological Sciences).
• Evaluated the exposure to different nanomaterials on the GI tract and the microbiome. There are limited studies available describing the potential impact of nanomaterials on microbial dysbiosis, inflammatory responses, and epithelial cell permeability following exposure to these types of compounds (NanoImpact, Research Square, International Journal of Molecular Sciences).

Microbial Contaminants Detection

• Developed and evaluated a simple gene-amplification method for the detection of Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC) in pharmaceutical products. Improved and widely accessible detection methods for BCC are important to limit patient exposure to BCC pathogens that have been linked to multiple disease outbreaks (Pathogens). 
• Assessed the impact of different storage conditions of fecal specimens and the corresponding ability to detect the important pathogen Clostridioides difficile, which is the cause of difficult-to-treat infections in many patients. The ability to make an accurate diagnosis is key to developing effective treatment strategies for the infections (Pathogens). 
• Used sequencing methods to characterize potential bacterial pathogens for both veterinary and human patients (Microbiology Resource Announcements – October 2021 and November 2021, Canadian Journal of Microbiology). 

---

---

Resources for You

• Division of Microbiology Fact Sheet
• NCTR Grand Rounds: "Studies of SARS-CoV-2 NSP₁ and Envelope Protein" (Presentation recorded in Adobe Connect on March 11, 2021)
• Annual Report
• Meet the Principal Investigators
• About the National Center for Toxicological Research

---