Wednesday, May 18: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM CDT

Thursday, May 19: 8:30 AM – 5:30 PM CDT

Virtual, Live via Zoom

 

High Throughput or Next Generation Sequencing (HTS/NGS) continues to advance and generate profound impacts on many scientific fields. Newer, cheaper and more portable and powerful sequencers with better reagents are being introduced one after another, producing higher throughput, longer reads and better quality. More applications of HTS are being discovered, tested and used. The embrace of HTS by the governmental agencies in the US and beyond has resulted in an upgrade in our knowledge, experience, infrastructure and personnel as well as a safer food safety system for the public. The exploration of other HTS applications has already begun most notably in environmental monitoring where the food is produced, processed, packaged and distributed.

 
Another important development is an obvious growth in the number of new and existing companies that provide HTS based services. Consequently, new investigative, diagnostic, analytical and predictive tools, methods and services are being rapidly developed to better harness the power of this new technology. While HTS has experienced a wide acceptance and spread in many fields and sectors, the food industry, in large, remains skeptical about its necessity, utility and profitability.

 
In our 5th symposium on Food Safety HTS, speakers from the FDA, CDC and FSIS/USDA will present the latest results of their scientific research and investigations along with new regulatory information about this new technology. Experts from the food industry, tech and analytical/consulting companies, and researchers from academia will present the news and their views.

The attendees will have the opportunity to see and hear about the latest relevant inventions, products and research, the value of the HTS Big Data in generating predictive and/or modeling services for food industry. Examples of topics to be discussed include new, safe and secure HTS Big Data sharing schemes, and the latest updates on the use of HTS by the industry, and the opportunities and challenges it engenders for the industry. The HTS current state of affairs, including existing obstacles and possible solutions for the widespread use and implementation of the HTS technology , will be among the topics of interest. A panel of experts from the federal agencies, food industry and academia will discuss new technologies, the opportunities and challenges they create, and how each player can help utilize it to its fullest potential. The attendees will have the opportunity to pose their questions to the panel and participate in this discussion as well.

This symposium is designed to meet the needs of food safety professionals from industry, academia and government in food processing, food safety, quality assurance, regulatory functions, public health administration, and those involved in developing or using pathogen detection equipment and methods. Students in food science and food safety are strongly encouraged to attend this symposium.

 

 
IFSH Member: $135.00 USD
Non Member: $150.00 USD

Government (Local, State, Federal): $75.00 USD

Full-Time Student: $50.00 USD

 
Limited ticket fee scholarships available. Contact Behzad Imanian at bimanian@iit.edu for complete details.

 
Cancellation Policy: No refunds will be given after registration payment has been completed. However, if IFSH cancels the event, all attendees will receive a full refund. Transferring registration to another person is allowable. Please contact djohns39@iit.edu with any requests.