A rare opportunity to interact with industry and government research lab experts on Droplet Digital™ PCR (ddPCR™)
In this webinar, participants will gain valuable insight into:
- Introduction and basic principles of ddPCR as a screening and confirmatory tool for STEC testing
- Comparative analyses of data from ddPCR and qPCR to distinguish true positive and true negative STEC samples
- Study design and data generated by Food Safety Net Services (A Certified Group Company) using samples from a major beef producer
- Research study design and data generated by USDA-ARS with beef and pork samples
- Opinions of experts on the ability of ddPCR technology to enhance the accuracy of STEC testing while drastically reducing false positive rates
Dr. Mick Bosilevac, PhD,
Research Microbiologist
USDA ‑ Agricultural Research Service
Dr. Mick Bosilevac received a PhD in Molecular and Cellular Biology in 1998 from the University of Nebraska Medical Center Department of Pathology and Microbiology. Following a post‑doc in Department of Medicine division of Infectious Disease at the Medical College of Virginia, he joined the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Roman L Hruska US Meat Animal Research Center (USMARC) in 2001 as Research Microbiologist in the Meat Safety and Quality Research Unit.
At USMARC, his research focuses on food safety from animal production, through processing to consumer ready products. His lab works to identify technologies that can detect and control pathogens such as E.coli O157:H7, non‑O157 Shiga toxin‑producing E.coli, and Salmonella in red meat; and lately has started investigations into the use of metagenomics to solve problems of meat storage and shelf life.
Dr. Alex Brandt, PhD,
Chief Science Officer
FSNS, A Certified Group Company
Dr. Alex Brandt serves as the Chief Science Officer within Certified Group and has been employed with the company for nine years. In his role as CSO, Dr. Brandt combines his knowledge of food processing operations with his expertise in microbiology and molecular biology to provide technical solutions for Certified Group customers. He oversees the teams that perform customized research studies and specialized testing services and provide technical guidance to customers on method validations, regulatory matters, and contamination troubleshooting. Through his membership in various industry organizations that focus on food safety, Dr. Brandt stays abreast of industry trends and uses that information to provide the best solutions for Certified Group customers.
Dr. Season Xie, PhD,
Global Product Manager,
ddPCR Food Applications Bio‑Rad Laboratories
Season (Yicheng) Xie Ph.D. is the Global Product Manager of ddPCR Food Applications at Bio‑Rad. Season obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Food Science from Kansas State University, and her Doctorate in Animal Science from Texas A&M University. Before she joined Bio Rad, Season was a Research Scientist at Food Safety Net Services where she provided technical support to internal and external clients and carried out contract research projects on process validations, challenge studies and method validations.