The Cornell University colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences and of Veterinary Medicine have launched a new interdisciplinary doctoral training program in food safety that will provide instruction in new methods of detecting, eliminating and controlling pathogens in the food system.

"Graduate students will have access to a variety of world-class facilities and programs at Cornell, ranging from the Cornell Nanofabrication Facility to the Cornell Genomics Initiative," says Martin Wiedmann, Cornell assistant professor in food science and one of the program's organizers. The program, he says, also will offer unique internship opportunities outside of the traditional academic environment, which could range from training at a biotechnology company to experience with those state and federal agencies charged with development of scientifically based, food-safety policies and regulations.

Faculty mentors for this training program have expertise in the areas of food safety, food and veterinary microbiology, molecular microbiology, bacterial pathogenesis, microbial ecology and epidemiology. Specific research areas include: molecular pathogenesis and ecology of food-borne pathogens; development of rapid and novel detection methods for food-borne pathogens; novel strategies to eliminate and control food-borne pathogens; molecular strain typing; and epidemiology of food-borne diseases. Wiedmann says graduate students will be encouraged to pursue laboratory rotations to aid in the selection of a dissertation adviser. Students accepted in to the program can apply to one of three graduate fields: food science and technology, microbiology, or veterinary medicine.

Wiedmann says that applicants should have a strong interest in food safety and a bachelor's degree or a master's degree in any biological science. Applicants with a doctorate of veterinary medicine, or an equivalent degree, are encouraged to apply. Successful applicants will be supported with teaching and/or research assistantships.

For additional information, contact Dr. Kathryn Boor, Department of Food Science, 412 Stocking Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853; e-mail: kjb4@cornell.edu; or phone: (607) 255-3111.