IFSH High Throughput Sequencing Topics of Investigation

• Foodborne bacterial community composition and its transitional stages in the cycle of production, processing, packaging, storage, distribution and consumption of different foods
• Mapping the biogeography of foodborne bacterial communities in crop and animal farms
• Human gut microbiome and its changes in response to the dietary regimes of interest
• Toxin production and regulation in model bacteria including Clostridium botulinum
• Rapid and reliable identification of foodborne microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, and eukaryotic microbes of interest
• Bacterial resistance against antibiotics, sanitizers, disinfectants, heat, cold and pressure
• Evolution of pathogenicity in foodborne bacteria

IFSH High Throughput Sequencing Research Projects

• Investigating the possible mutagenic effects of manipulating the treatment time, frequency, energy and voltage on a Pulsed Light instrument in the genome of Listeria monocytogenes
• Evaluating the use of Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) in linking contaminated seed to sprout in recent Salmonella outbreaks
• Characterization of more than 100 Group I and Group II Clostridium botulinum strains with a focus on toxin gene clusters
• Identifying the genes involved in the regulation of botulinum neurotoxin production, using transcriptomics (RNA-seq) of Clostridium botulinum, investigating the role of growth media, pH and temperature
• Investigating microbial community composition and characterization of transitional stages of this community in conjunction with the biofilm formation in an industrial setting
• Investigating the effects of select sanitizers on the structure and composition of microbial community in various industrial and laboratory settings
• Characterization and comparison of soil microbial communities in Detroit city community gardens 

HTS Services And Facilities

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HTS Symposiums And Presentation Materials

The IHI is also active in educational events and training programs. Since its start in 2016, the IHI has organized the following HTS symposiums:

• Whole Genome Sequencing for Food Safety (September 28-30, 2016)
• Whole Genome Sequencing for the Food Industry (May 22-23, 2017)
• Food Safety & High-Throughput Sequencing Symposium (May 30-31, 2018)
• Whole Genome Sequencing: A Tutorial and Hands-on Workshop to Help Understand Its Application to Food Safety (May 6-7, 2019)
• Webinar: High-Throughput Sequencing and Predictive Microbiology: Mapping the microbiome to manage risk during production 

• Access All HTS Presentation Materials Here.

Behzad Imanian, Ph.D.

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