This excellent four day Workshop features lectures, laboratory sessions, demonstrations, open discussions and an exhibition focussed on rapid methods and automation for food microbiology.

Lectures:

• Overview on rapid methods, automation and miniaturization in microbiology  - Dr. José Juan Rodríguez Jerez (UAB)
• Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and massive genome sequencing applied to food safety - Dr. Armand Sánchez Bonastre (UAB)
• Incidence of molecular or immunological screening implementation for food and environmental pathogen resarch. Practical cases - Ms. Paloma Bellver Moreira (Laboratorio de Saúde Pública de Galicia, Vigo, Spain)
• Integration of molecular and conceptual tools in the control of microorganisms of biotechnological industry. Application to dairy sector - Dr. Oscar J. Esteban Cabornero (Queserías Entrepinares, Valladolid, Spain
• Towards a better valuation of the role of microbiology. Its interaction with tasks of Quality, Production, R + D and Management:
  • Meat sector - Mr. Narcís Grèbol Massot (IRTA, Monells, Spain)
  • Poultry sector - Mr. Pascal Monzó Martos (Productos Florida, Vila-real, Spain)
  • Bakery sector - Dr. Joan Quílez Grau (Europastry, Barberà del Vallès, Spain)
  • Wine sector - Dr. Xavier Rubires Ferrer (Miguel Torres, Pacs del Penedès, Spain)
• Nanobiosensors for food safety and security and environment applications - Dr. Arben Merkoçi (ICN2-CSIC, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain) 
• Blockchain technology set to revolutionize food safety - Mr. Tomaž Levak (OriginTrail, Ljubljana, Slovenia)

3 Day Laboratory Sessions:

• sample preparation and plating
• rapid viable cell count methods
• environmental control
• chromogenic culture media
• miniaturization
• diagnostic kits
• methods based on ATP – bioluminescence, colorimetry, fluorimetry, others
• immunological detection methods (ELISA/ELFA, latex agglutination, immunoprecipitation, lateral immunomigration)
• molecular detection methods (alternatives to PCR)

Demonstrations:

• Microbiological risks in HACCP systems? At last, identify them properly at your company
• Food safety: finding the evidence of nonconformities (BRC, IFS and FSSC 22000)
• Use of internet for applications of predictive microbiology
• The growing problem of food fraud: Next Generation Sequencing for species identification​

Open Discussions:

Towards a better valuation of the role of microbiology / Instrumentation in food microbiology, world trade trends, other current topics

Exhibition featuring 12 microbiology companies: Bioser, BioSystems, BIOTECON Diagnostics, BIPEA, iMiCROQ, Intertek Ibérica Spain, LGC Standards, MenidiMedica, Premiumlab, Promega Biotech Ibérica, Raypa, Thermo Fisher Diagnostics