Science AMA Series: Whole Genome Sequencing is the future of foodborne
outbreak detection – What does that mean for public health? Ask us
anything!
Abstract
For decades, pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) has been the
prevailing technology used for foodborne outbreak detection. PFGE
identifies the pathogen’s DNA fingerprint which is then uploaded to
PulseNet, a 20 year old national laboratory network used to detect
clusters of foodborne illness. While PFGE and PulseNet revolutionized
foodborne outbreak detection, whole genome sequencing (WGS) is the
future. How will WGS improve foodborne outbreak investigations? What can
WGS tell us that PFGE cannot? Join the following experts for a
discussion about how public health and agricultural laboratories work to
detect foodborne outbreaks and how WGS will change that work. The
panelists are all members of the Association of Public Health
Laboratories (APHL) food safety committee. Bryanne Shaw Biology Section
Manager Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Laboratory Services
Division Proof Stephen Gladbach Unit Chief, Microbiology Unit Missouri
State Public Health Laboratory Proof Tracy Stiles Director, Microbiology
Division William A. Hinton State Laboratory Institute (Massachusetts
State Public Health Laboratory) Proof Dave Boxrud Molecular Epidemiology
Supervisor Minnesota Department of Health Public Health Laboratory Proof
Edit: Ok, we’re out! Thanks for having us! We will continue to check in
and answer as many other questions as we can.