7th IFSH High-Throughput Sequencing Symposium

New Developments and Technology in Food Safety Systems

Perspectives from Governmental Agencies, Biotech Companies, Academia, and Food Industry

📅 Dates

May 2026 (Dates TBD)

⏰ Times

Day 1: 1:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Day 2: 8:30 AM - 5:15 PM

📍 Location

Chicago Marriott Southwest
Burr Ridge, Illinois

🎯 Format

In-Person

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About the Symposium

Join us for the premier gathering of high-throughput sequencing experts in food safety! In this symposium, we will discuss the new developments in high-throughput sequencing (HTS) technology, including its extensive and limited use by governmental agencies and industry, respectively, the new instruments, new applications, analytical tools, and the latest in scientific research.

We will also address the challenges including legal considerations, benefits and future of HTS in food safety systems in the U.S. and beyond. This symposium provides a unique venue for experts from agencies, food industry, biotechnology enterprises, analytical/consulting companies and academia to gather and discuss the latest developments in this technology in relation to food safety.

Key Topics Include: News and views on HTS and food safety, latest HTS inventions, innovations, instruments, products and research, their benefits, opportunities, obstacles and challenges, and implementation of HTS by agencies and industry.

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What to Expect

🎤 Distinguished Speakers

  • Prominent scientists from FDA, CDC, USDA FSIS
  • Leading researchers from academia
  • Industry experts and innovators
  • Biotech enterprise representatives

🔬 Cutting-Edge Topics

  • Latest HTS inventions and innovations
  • New instruments and applications
  • Advanced analytical tools
  • Scientific research breakthroughs

🤝 Networking Opportunities

  • Expert panel discussions
  • Interactive Q&A sessions
  • Coffee breaks and receptions
  • Professional collaboration opportunities

🎯 Target Audience

  • Food safety professionals
  • Quality assurance specialists
  • Regulatory professionals
  • Public health administrators
  • Students in food science

Featured Keynote Speakers

Dr. Eric W. Brown

Dr. Eric W. Brown

Director, Division of Food Safety Genomics
FDA Human Foods Program

Dr. Brown has served at the FDA since 1999 and directs a team of 45 researchers developing microbiological and molecular genetic techniques for foodborne pathogen detection and identification. He was pivotal in incorporating next-generation sequencing technologies into outbreak investigations.

An Added Value for WGS: Precision Food Safety and the Role of WGS in Exploring Novel Mitigation Steps for Pathogen Control
Day 1, 1:30 PM
Dr. Marc W. Allard

Dr. Marc W. Allard

Senior Biomedical Research Officer
FDA Human Foods Program

Dr. Allard helped develop the GenomeTrakr network, the first distributed network of laboratories utilizing WGS for pathogen identification. His work provides over a billion dollars annually in averted illnesses through outbreak investigations and compliance.

Economic Impact of WGS
Day 1, 2:10 PM
Dr. Anthony Kougkas

Dr. Anthony Kougkas

Assistant Research Professor in Computer Science
Illinois Institute of Technology

Dr. Kougkas is the creator and co-principal investigator of IOWarp, a $5 million NSF-funded project that accelerates scientific data management, enabling researchers to conduct genomic analyses more rapidly and efficiently.

IOWarp: Intelligent Data Management to Accelerate Food Safety Genomic Research
Day 2, 8:40 AM
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Official Program & Agenda

Download the complete symposium agenda with detailed session information, speaker bios, and logistics.

📄 Complete Symposium Agenda

Get the official program with full details on presentations, networking sessions, and logistics.

📥 Download PDF Agenda 👁️ View Online

Detailed Schedule

All Times in U.S. Central Daylight Time (CDT)

Day 1 - May 2026 (Date TBD)

Day 1 Symposium Agenda

1:00-1:10 PM
Welcome!
Brian Schaneberg, Executive Director
Institute for Food Safety and Health, Illinois Tech
1:10-1:30 PM
Artificial Intelligence: Considerations for its Use and Implementation in Food Safety Systems?
Behzad Imanian, Research Assistant Professor, FDSN Dept.
Leader of IFSH HTS Initiative, Illinois Tech
FDA, CDC, USDA FSIS
1:30-1:50 PM
An Added Value for WGS: Precision Food Safety and the Role of WGS in Exploring Novel Mitigation Steps for Pathogen Control
Eric Brown, Division of food safety genomics, Director, Office of applied microbiology and technology, Food and Drug Administration
1:50-2:10 PM
Coordination of Approaches to Characterize Foodborne Illness Bacteria: The Multiagency Genomics in Food and Feed Safety Work Group (GenFS)
Heather Carleton, Chief, Enteric Diseases Laboratory Branch DFWED/NCEZID/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
2:10-2:30 PM
Economic Impact of WGS
Marc Allard, Human Foods Program (HFP), Office of Scientific Coordination and Computational Sciences (OSCCS), GenomeTrakr and Computational Science Staff (GTCSS)
2:30-2:45 PM
BREAK
2:45-3:05 PM
Targeted metagenomics approaches for characterizing Salmonella directly from stool
Amanda Jo Williams-Newkirk, Co-lead, Culture Independent and Metagenomic Subtyping, Enteric Diseases Laboratory Branch, DFWED/NCEZID/CDC
3:05-3:25 PM
FSIS Laboratory Innovations
William Shaw, Executive Associate for Laboratory Services
3:25-3:45 PM
Whole Genome Sequencing: The Compliance Perspective
Leslie Hintz, Compliance Officer, CFSAN, Food and Drug Administration
3:45-4:05 PM
From Concept to Practice: WGS Integration into FDA's LFFM Testing Programs
Ruth Timme, Acting Director, GenomeTrakr & Computational Science Staff
4:05-4:15 PM
BREAK
4:15-5:30 PM
Panel of Experts (Government Agencies) - Discussion & Q&A Session
Perspectives from Governmental Agencies
FDA: Marc Allard, Eric Brown, Errol Strain, Leslie Hintz, Ruth Timme
CDC: Heather Carleton, Amanda Jo Williams
USDA/FSIS: William Shaw
5:30-6:45 PM
Reception

Day 2 - May 2026 (Date TBD)

Day 2 Symposium Agenda

8:30-8:40 AM
Agenda & Logistics
Behzad Imanian, Research Assistant Professor, FDSN Dept.
Leader of IFSH HTS Initiative, Illinois Tech
FDA and IIT
8:40-9:00 AM
IOWarp: Intelligent Data Management to Accelerate Food Safety Genomic Research
Anthony Kougkas, Research Assistant Professor, Computer Science Dept. IIT
9:00-9:20 AM
Exploring the Salmonella Mobilome for Source Attribution and Clustering
Errol Strain, Senior Science Advisor for Bioinformatics at FDA's Human Foods Program
9:20-9:40 AM
From Colony to Clarity: Accelerated Salmonella and Escherichia coli ID Using Oxford Nanopore Sequencing
Maria Hoffmann, Research Microbiologist, Food and Drug Administration
9:40-10:00 AM
The Research at High Throughput Sequencing Initiative (HTSI)
Renmao Tian, Research Scientist, IFSH HTS Initiative, Illinois Tech
10:00-10:15 AM
BREAK
10:15-10:25 AM
IFSH HTS Symposium Rapid Talks - Evaluating the Microbiomes of Enoki Mushrooms
Joelle Salazar, Research Microbiologist, FDA
10:25-10:35 AM
Cronobacter sakazakii Biofilms: Influence of Powdered Infant Formula Microbiomes and Water Activity
Megan Fay, Research Microbiologist, FDA
10:35-10:45 AM
Influence of Enrichment Method on the Relative Abundance of Salmonella enterica and Native Microbiota on Peaches
Bashayer Khouja, Research Microbiologist, FDA
10:45-10:55 AM
Enrichment Dynamics of Cronobacter sakazakii and Native Microbiota in Powdered Infant Formula
Emily Smith, Research Microbiologist, FDA
Jodie Ulaszek, Scientist, Microbiology, IIT
10:55-11:05 AM
Food-safe antimicrobial coating for reusable packaging to alleviate specialty crop export barriers to the European Union
Catherine Wong, Senior Research Associate, IIT
11:05-11:25 AM
Biotechnology & Analytical/Consulting Companies - Illumina Innovations: Introducing the MiSeq i100 Series
Claire White, Executive Territory Account Manager
11:25-11:45 AM
Transforming food safety with a clearer picture of microbial DNA
Aaron Pomerantz, Director, Global Segment Marketing – Non-Human and Applied Markets, Oxford Nanopore
11:45-12:05 PM
Changing the Game with PacBio HiFi long-read Sequencing
Turner Duncan, Genomic Sequencing Specialist, Pac Bio
12:05-1:05 PM
Lunch
1:05-1:25 PM
Food Industry - Industry Perspective on HTS Application to Environmental Monitoring
Matthew Henderson, Director of Food Safety, Land O'Frost
1:25-1:45 PM
WGS: Our "Ultimate" Tool
Genevieve Sullivan, Senior Specialist, Microbiology, Mars
1:45-2:05 PM
Benchmarking Whole Genome Sequencing Pipelines
Balasubramanian Ganesan, Principal Scientist, Mars Global Food Safety Center, Mars
2:05-2:35 PM
The Law and Food Safety - Foodborne Illness Litigation
Bill Marler, Marler Clark Food Safety Law Firm
2:35-2:50 PM
BREAK
2:50-4:15 PM
Panel of Experts (Industry) - Discussion & Q&A Session
HTS/WGS, Its Benefits, Challenges, Future
Land 'O Frost: Matt Henderson
Nestlé: Daniel Smieszek
Mars: Bala Ganesan
Marler Clark Food Safety Law Firm: Bill Marler
4:15-4:20 PM
Closing Remarks
Behzad Imanian, Research Assistant Professor, FDSN Dept.
Leader of IFSH HTS Initiative, Illinois Tech

Hotel & Travel Information

Hotel Room

Chicago Marriott Southwest at Burr Ridge

Address: 1200 Burr Ridge Parkway, Burr Ridge, IL 60527

Group Rate: $199/night

🏨 Hotel Features

  • • Complimentary WiFi
  • • Fitness center & pool
  • • On-site dining
  • • Business center
  • • Free parking

⏰ Important Dates

  • • Booking Deadline: TBD
  • • Check-in: May 2026 (Date TBD)
  • • Check-out: May 2026 (Date TBD)
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Sponsorship Opportunities

Join us as a sponsor and connect with the leading food safety genomics community. Our silver, gold, and tech-level sponsorships offer excellent visibility with meeting attendees from industry, academia, and government agencies.

Sponsorship opportunities include exhibit space, speaking opportunities, branded materials, and networking events with key decision-makers in food safety.

Sponsorship Inquiry