Anaerobic conditions resulting from flooding often lead to enhanced release of phosphorus (P) to overlying water. This study examined the effect of flooding and anaerobic conditions on soil P dynamics. A field ponding study using Scanterbury heavy clay soil (unamended, inorganic fertilizer- or manure-amended), and a laboratory incubation study using 12 soils (unamended or manure-amended) from Manitoba showed that P release to flood water under reduced conditions varied substantially. In the field ponding study, flooding and development of anaerobic conditions did not enhance P release into surface flood or soil pore water. In the incubation study, the response to flooding and anaerobic conditions ranged from a small decrease to a 15-fold increase in dissolved reactive P concentration (DRP) in flood water. Partial least squares analysis indicated that measures of degree of P saturation in soils can effectively predict DRP concentration changes in surface flood water under anaerobic conditions.

Riboflavin is an essential part of the human diet. Although the United States does not have a major problem with a riboflavin deficiency, other regions of the world do. This is especially true for those regions whose main subsistence is rice. To help prevent and control riboflavin deficiencies, many cereal grains are now being fortified with riboflavin. The recommended dietary allowance of riboflavin is 1.1-1.6 mg per day. This value increases slightly for pregnant women, breast feeding women, and athletes. Because riboflavin is an essential part of the diet, it is important to ensure that the minimum requirements for this nutrient are met. By determining the amount of riboflavin in food products, an accurate estimate of daily riboflavin intake can be determined. The AOAC (Association of Official Analytical Chemists) approved microbiological riboflavin assay can be tedious and time consuming. A faster approach to the riboflavin assay would greatly benefit the food industry. By scaling down the assay to microtiter plates both, time and materials can be conserved. Use of microtiter plates would also allow for numerous samples to be assayed simultaneously. The goal for developing the microtiter plate assay is to obtain results more rapidly while maintaining the accuracy and precision of the AOAC ( method 940.33I) tube assay.

Listeria monocytogenes is food-borne pathogen that causes listeriosis in individuals with a compromised immune system and pregnant women. This pathogen can survive in anaerobic conditions present in specially packaged foods as well as the gastrointestinal tract. The purpose of this study is to evaluate virulence of L. monocytogenes F2365 in anaerobic conditions. Another goal of this study is to establish gerbils as the ideal animal model since descrepancies exist in current models. Gerbils were orally infected with one of four doses: 1) phosphate buffered saline, 2) 5X106CFU aerobic dose, 3) 5X108CFU aerobic dose, and 4) 5X106CFU anaerobic dose. Results indicate anaerobically cultured F2365 colonized the intestines consistently throughout the study unlike aerobic cultures. Additionally, intestinal damage was observed in challenged gerbils. Further goals include evaluating how viurlence is influenced in anaerobic conditions with varying bile concentrations and pH levels.

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