Edward Dudley

Edward Dudley is a Professor of Food Science and Director of the E. coli Reference Center at Pennsylvania State University. His research focuses on Shiga-toxigenic E. coli, Salmonella, and microbial genomics to enhance food safety and outbreak tracking. He leads the GenomeTrakr initiative in Pennsylvania and contributes to global pathogen surveillance.

• Education: B.S. in Microbiology (Penn State), M.S. and Ph.D. in Food Science (University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Research interests span CRISPR typing, microbial interactions, and antimicrobial resistance. His work demonstrates how commensal E. coli strains amplify Shiga toxin production and how wastewater monitoring detects foodborne pathogens.

Recent publications highlight genomic diversity in Salmonella and Campylobacter, toxin regulation mechanisms, and CRISPR evolution in pathogens. He pioneered whole-genome sequencing applications for outbreak investigations.

• Scientific Awards: Elected Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology (2023), NSF Grant recipient for phage resistance prediction

Mentorship includes directing the USDA-funded Bugs in My Food REU program since 2018, training students in genomic applications for food safety. His lab collaborates with the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences and manages the E. coli Reference Center collections.