Using genomics to improve food safety

Scientists from IBM Research and Mars, Incorporated are joining forces to establish a collaborative food safety platform that leverages the largest-ever metagenomics study to unlock food safety insights across the supply chain.

The Consortium for Sequencing the Food Supply Chain will use genetic data to better understand and improve food safety. The metagenomics study will be used to categorise and understand microorganisms and the factors that influence their activity in a safe factory environment.

Firstly, the scientists will investigate the genetic ‘fingerprints’ of living organisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses and study how they grow in different environments such as countertops, factories and raw materials. The data will be used to further investigate how bacteria interact, which the scientists say could result in completely new ways to view supply chain food safety management.

“The Consortium for Sequencing the Food Supply Chain has the potential to revolutionise food safety, providing a powerful tool to identify and address new threats on an unprecedented scale, enabling critical breakthroughs in global food safety,” said Dave Crean, vice president, corporate research and development, Mars, Incorporated.

“We are excited to be working with IBM Research on this and look forward to welcoming additional partners in the future to help drive global innovation in genomics, food and agriculture.”

The researchers predict that using genomics in this way will enable a far deeper understanding and categorisation of microorganisms on a far larger scale than has previously been possible.

“Genome sequencing serves as a new kind of microscope - one that uses data to peer deeply into our natural environment to uncover insights that were previously unknowable,” said Jeff Welser, vice president and lab director, IBM Research - Almaden.

“By mining insights from genomic data, we’re seeking to understand how to identify, interpret and ultimately create healthy and protective microbial management systems within the food supply chain.”

The research will be expanded to include the entire food supply chain - including applications for farmers. For instance, understanding soil microorganisms will enable farmers to learn how to protect their plants from pathogens while ensuring healthy growth and nutrient uptake.

For more information about the consortium, visit Sequence the Food Supply Chain or www.ibm.com/wildducks.