Genomics and molecular biology are revolutionising microbiology, particularly with the rapid advances in Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) technologies and the insights these technologies bring. It is now possible to sequence an entire bacterial genome in a matter days.  By coupling WGS with high-throughput capabilities, it is estimated that it is now possible to bring the cost of sequencing an entire microbial genome to around $40.00. The US FDA for example, has been very active in sequencing genomes of food microorganisms, adding about 1000 new genomes per month into their GenomeTrakr database. As practitioners in the field of food safety microbiology, it is imperative that we fully understand the impacts of these new technologies on how we manage and improve food safety.

It should be noted that WGS is but one element of the molecular revolution. As we combine WGS with transcriptomics, metabolomics, metagenomics and ultimately linking this to phenotypes and community behaviour, we have the unique opportunity to study both food and manufacturing microbial communities at an unprecedented level of detail and accuracy.

How do we harness the potential of this technology? Is it enough that we sequence microbial genome to completeness? What is the link between the microbiome and specific bacterial isolates? In this symposium, we propose to explore how ‘Omics technologies will help us build better risk assessment tools and consequently, better and more effective food safety management systems. Speakers will cover the whole breadth of these issues; from rapidly and unambiguously identifying contaminants to understanding the community behaviour and ecology of spoilage microbes or pathogens.  The Symposium will also examine the legal and regulatory ramifications of the application of these technologies.

Presentations