Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture
Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

A newsletter for faculty, staff and students

July-August 2005 • Vol. 31, No. 4

Kwon receives NIH grant for Salmonella genome research

By Karen Eskew

Dr. Young Min Kwon, microbiologist and assistant professor of poultry science at the University of Arkansas, was recently awarded a $541,368 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop effective measures to aid in the control of Salmonella enteritidis, which accounts for about half of all cases of food-borne illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

GOING OVER THE DETAILS - From left, Dr. Young Min Kwon, assistant professor in poultry science at the University of Arkansas, assembles his research group to go over the details of his upcoming grant project. Fellow researchers shown above are Mandy Cox, program specialist; Chris Hansen, M.S. student in the Cell and Molecular Biology (CEMB) program; and Nicole Mitchell-Calhoun, Ph.D. candidate in the CEMB program.

“Other researchers have already sequenced the genome, we are now building on this research by dissecting the genome of S. enteritidis and identifying the particular genes that are essential for infecting laying hens and mice,” said Kwon, a scientist in the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science, which is a unit of the U of A system’s statewide Division of Agriculture.

Kwon said he is including mice in his research because mice are an excellent model for studying how humans are infected by disease.

“For a large portion of these genes, we have limited information on their biological functions. With this research, we are hoping to gain important clues on how S. enteritidis persists in the reproductive tract of laying hens, causing healthy birds to lay contaminated eggs and cause disease in humans,” said Kwon.

Kwon said there are approximately 4,800 genes in the genome and the process of identifying and characterizing them will take time. He hopes other researchers use his findings in order to do a more in-depth study on particular genes. “We will be another step in the research cycle, and hopefully by expanding on each other’s findings we can eventually eradicate this disease,” said Kwon.

The CDC recommends that consumers refrain from eating uncooked eggs. If eggs are properly stored and thoroughly cooked, the Salmonella organisms will be destroyed and won’t make anyone sick. They also recommend washing hands and any utensils that were in contact with raw eggs in order to avoid cross-contamination.

Salmonella enteritidis is the main type of Salmonella that causes human foodborne illness, according to the CDC. Symptoms include fever, abdominal cramps and diarrhea, typically beginning within 12 to 72 hours after consuming a contaminated food or beverage. The illness lasts four to seven days and is typically treated with antibiotics. In rare cases, those infected require hospitalization. Elderly patients, infants and those with impaired immune systems are at greater risk.

Kwon received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in animal science from Seoul National University in South Korea. In 2000, he completed his Ph.D. in poultry science at Texas A&M University. Prior to joining the U of A in 2002, Kwon conducted post-doctoral research at the USDA Agricultural Research Service in College Station. He is a faculty member in both the Department of Poultry Science and the Cell and Molecular Biology Program at the U of A.