IVth Workshop on Rapid Methods and Automation in Food Microbiology

Date: 21 to 25 November 2005. Venue: Facultat de Veterinària at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Bellaterra -Cerdanyola del Vallès-, Barcelona, Spain).

Main lecturer: Professor Dr. Daniel Y. C. Fung (Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas, USA): Sampling of solid and liquid foods, surfaces, and air; miniaturization; kits for identification; methods for viable cell counts: hydrophobic grid, spiral plating, flow cytometry;
- Methods based on impedance, conductance and capacitance, bioluminiscence (ATP analysis), and colorimetry, for viable cell counts; Immunological methods for microorganism and toxin identification: immunomagnetic separation, ELISA and ELFA, lateral migration, latex agglutination; genetic methods for microorganism identification: hybridization, polymerase chain reaction (PCR), RNA characterization, biosensors and biochips, proteomics.

Other Key Speakers include:
- Dr. Cécile Lahellec: (Agence Française de Sécurité Sanitaire des Aliments –AFSSA–, Alfort, France): "e-CAM: classification of microbiological analysis methods".
- Mr. Enrique Rodríguez: (Consejería de Salud del Gobierno del Principadode Asturias, Oviedo): "Rapid and automated methods from a food official control point of view".
- Mr. Franck Guilloteau: (AES Laboratorio, Rubí, Barcelona) / Mr. Andreas Politzer (Wild GmbH & Co. KG, Heidelberg, Germany): "Use of flow cytometry as a method of routine control in the food industry".
- Dr. Daniel Ramón: (Universitat de València / Instituto de Agr oquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos –IATA–;, Valencia): "Genetically modified foods: general aspects and detection".
- Dr. Armand Sánchez: (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra –Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona–): "Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)".

- Round table Discussion:(with Dr. Fung, the other lecturers, and representatives from microbiology companies) about instrumentation in food microbiology, world trade trends, and other current topics.

- Trade Exhibition including: microbiology supply companies displaying their equipment and products: multimedia, and live demonstrations.

- Laboratory sessions (21 and 22 November): demonstration of several rapid methods, such as kits for identification; Pulsifier; chromogenic media; Petrifilm; spiral plating; flow cytometry; methods based on impedance, bioluminiscence and colorimetry; and immunological and genetic (PCR) methods.

Brief profile of Dr. D. Y . C. Fung Professor of food science in the Department of Animal sciences and industry at Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS). Especialized in food microbiology, and with an international reputation as a lecturer on rapid and miniaturized methods and automation. Director of the annual international workshop on Rapid methods and automation in microbiology, which held its gala 25th anniversary in June 2005. Winner of the 1997 International Award given by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). Editor of the Journal of Rapid Methods and Automation in Microbiology.

For further information (timetables, speaker's profiles, fees etc.) please contact the organisers marta.capellas@uab.es or josep.yuste@uab.es or visit the website at quiro.uab .es/workshopMRAMA