Diana Vanessa Sarria Zuniga is a Ph.D. student with Dr. Robert Pruitt investigating how the microbial communities associated with lettuce leaves affect the spread of food-borne human pathogens. The overall objectives of Vanessa’s research are to: characterize the composition and distribution of bacterial communities associated with Romaine lettuces leaves, and determine the effect of these native populations on the ability of human pathogens to establish themselves in leafy greens. This research will provide evidence as to whether native microbial populations have the potential to act as enabling or disabling epidemiological factors in the spread of introduced human pathogens. The long term goal is to determine if microbial populations can be manipulated to discourage pathogen establishment and spread.