Ms Rachel Davis1, Dr Laura Goodman1, Dr Anne-lise Chaber2
1Cornell University, Ithaca,, United States, 2Adelaide University, Adelaide,, Australia
Biography:
Rachel Davis is a Ph.D. student at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, where she collaborates globally to apply emerging technologies and bioinformatic tools for conservation genomics and biodiversity monitoring. Rachel is supported by the Cornell K. Lisa Yang Center for Wildlife Health and the Adelaide University – Cornell One Health Mobility Grant.
Rachel’s previous pre-professional research appointments include a Fulbright Student Research Award for work in Norway to study Greenland shark haplotype diversity using deepwater environmental DNA (eDNA), as well as at Okinawa Institute of Science & Technology (OIST) in Japan as a research intern, where she trained in genome assembly using long-read sequencing technology.
At Cornell, Rachel is completing her dissertation under the primary mentorship of Dr. Laura Goodman at the Baker Institute for Animal Health.
Abstract:
Every day, shipping containers arrive at ports carrying undeclared bushmeat, pests, and live animals that evade authorities. With each shipment, invasive species and pathogens arrive capable of shutting down entire domestic agricultural industries and threatening public health. Current screening methods cannot reliably detect concealed biological material and are too labor-intensive to keep pace with trade volume. Building on an established, non-invasive air-sampling of sealed shipping containers, we propose pairing Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) detection with environmental DNA/RNA sequencing of the same filters. The simultaneous identification of concealments through two independent biological channels would make detections in shipping containers more robust than either method alone. With the support of Cornell and Adelaide, we will validate this dual-collection model for high-priority proof-of-concept targets, such as the Asian longhorned tick, an invasive parasite of livestock already spreading across the Eastern US. This project will develop a scalable framework with deployment potential across multiple biosecurity sectors. It will directly support several federal agencies' priorities while advancing critically needed One Health surveillance infrastructure to protect the American people.