The Use of Omics in Hazard Characterization

Omics technologies such as Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) have impacted food safety through the incorporation of WGS into epidemiological investigations. While there are still many questions around the use of WGS in source identification, the technology has already been adopted by a number of public health agencies. Academics, industry and regulatory bodies, however, have only just begun to explore the integration of omics data into microbial risk assessment (MRA).

In this presentation, we will discuss the issues and challenges in using omics data in hazard characterisation. The data may aid in decreasing the variability and uncertainty present in this stage. The current research suggests omics may be integrated in a number of ways from defining the differences in virulence between bacterial strains to the identification of biomarkers that may suggest increased virulence of a pathogen or susceptibility of a host. Omics use in MRA is just beginning and as it has with epidemiology it is sure to have a big impact on how we characterise hazards in our food supply.