In an effort to improve animal health and food safety, Chris Tuggle and colleagues are finding new ways to identify animals harboring salmonella. "We are developing a blood test to identify animals that shed the least amount of salmonella into the environment," says Tuggle. Pigs can contact and carry salmonella without showing any symptoms. Infected animals shed the bacteria in their manure, which often is used to fertilize crops. Tuggle, professor of animal science, and his research team examine the genetic makeup of pigs and sample blood and fecal matter for evidence of salmonella. Then they look for relationships between the expression of genes in blood and the level of salmonella shed by the pig.