The second of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) quarterly podcast series will air on Wednesday, August 11, 2021. The series focuses on the development and use of new technologies to strengthen the ability of FDA, regulated industry, and others to speed up prevention, accelerate outbreak response, and more swiftly adapt to crises that could impact the nation's food supply.

The podcast, entitled "Whole-Genome Sequencing in the New Era of Smarter Food Safety," will investigate the potential of whole-genome sequencing to transform food safety. One of the goals of the New Era of Smarter Food Safety blueprint is to offer opportunities for whole-genome sequencing of pathogens by public and private laboratories. 

The podcast will feature food safety and public health experts from FDA, as well as the Association of Public Health Laboratories, which represents state and local government laboratories; Western Growers, which represents farmers in Arizona, California, Colorado, and New Mexico; and the New York State Department of Health, which is responsible for public health in the nation’s fourth most populous state. 

For more information about how to listen on August 11, 2021 and to submit questions in advance for consideration by the panelists, click here.