Pathogens found in food are responsible for 48 million cases of foodborne illness each year in the United States alone. From norovirus to salmonella—and many in between—the illnesses can cause anything from mild sickness to hospitalization and death.

Since its founding in 1992, the UGA Center for Food Safety (CFS) has worked vigilantly against outbreaks through research into prevention, detection and control of pathogens. The center is home to internationally recognized researchers pursuing study of microorganisms and pathogens that occur in crops and livestock.

Using a combination of bioinformatics, machine learning and data analytics, they are innovating new technologies and ingredients to eliminate microbes found in the food supply and food processing environments.

CFS is located 35 miles south of Atlanta on UGA’s Griffin campus. It is supported through funding from federal and state partners like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration, the Georgia Department of Agriculture and more.

Learn more about the center in the video above.