Research Highlights from Sheetal Jha’s USDA FSIS Fellowship (2024–2025)
July 23, 2026
Sheetal Jha, a Ph.D. student in Adhikari's Food Safety Lab, was awarded the prestigious USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) ORISE Fellowship for 2024–2025. This highly competitive fellowship provided an exceptional opportunity to deepen her expertise in food safety while working closely with FSIS mentors.
Over the course of a year, Sheetal collaborated with federal scientists, gaining valuable insights and hands-on experience that complemented her ongoing research.
1. Awarded the USDA FSIS ORISE Fellowship (2024–2025) - Research focuses on disrupting quorum sensing in Salmonella enterica and Listeria monocytogenes using Bacillus megaterium to reduce biofilms in NFT hydroponic systems. - Aims to enhance food safety in controlled environment agriculture.
2. Visited USDA & ARS Eastern Labs in Athens, GA - Toured FSIS testing labs and observed microbiology, chemistry, and pathology workflows. - Connected with FSIS researchers and mentors; visited Pilgrim’s Pride poultry facility.
3. Fan Favorite Winner – 2025 ORISE Ignite Off Competition - Delivered a dynamic 5-minute talk on bacteriocins targeting Listeria and Salmonella biofilms. - Recognized for excellence in science communication and impactful research.
ORISE IGNITE OFF competition: https://orise.orau.gov/internships-fellowships/resources/ignite-off-competition.html