Investing in Digital Data Infrastructure Key to Future-Proofing Food Safety Processes

Editor’s Note: This story was written by Vikrant Dutta, senior director, scientific affairs, bioMérieux.

Technology is all around us, shaping the world today by powering a deeper sense of connectivity and removing friction from day-to-day tasks while concurrently saving time and money through streamlining processes. Despite these incredible advancements and successful applications of new technologies in our daily lives, the fact remains that in the world of life sciences, diagnostic testing is still grounded — and sometimes, depending on the lab, executed — in an analog format.

What I mean by an analog format is that when testing biomarkers, this is usually done in isolation, prohibiting an organization from identifying the macro trends and issues that are affecting its quality control process as a whole.

As we look to pioneer the future of diagnostics for segments across the world, we must lean into the power of available technology and the resulting data to digitize microbiological diagnostics. This will provide a holistic story of what the data is telling us to improve quality control and regulatory processes.

Across the life sciences industry, we agree that the most powerful insights are fueled by data, but where we often go astray is by focusing on the digital retrieval of data only, failing to invest in digital data applications for full comprehension.

The good news is that many labs already find themselves on the digital spectrum. However, by and large, the amount of digitization is up to the preference of each lab.

I encourage every lab, no matter what its process, to lean into find ways to be more connected through data. If you’re not sure where to start or the areas that can be further digitized in your process, I suggest employing some of the best practices from Silicon Valley to your testing plan.

CREATING A FRICTIONLESS DIGITAL DIAGNOSTIC EXPERIENCE. Currently, our industry is mostly prescriptive. We work with clients and partners to develop solutions to address existing problems that are affecting the bottom-line efficiency of a company.

The addition of existing technologies, such as The Internet of Things (IOT), artificial intelligence and cloud computing, to our testing tools would allow us to collect data in a closed ecosystem. This data can then be interfaced through a digital dashboard for better sorting and optimization of the processes. These data outputs can become part of an even larger set of routinely collected metadata, which would allow for full utilization of the diagnostic information in real-time.

Connecting various data sources, including current diagnostic platforms, can create valuable insights. EnviroMap® is one such example of a diagnostic innovation removing operational friction. This offering is a secure cloud-based solution that automates both the environmental monitoring program as well as a client's sampling plan through real-time analytics. 

GETTING MORE OUT OF LESS. The recent pandemic has fueled worldwide access of microbiological diagnostics, so much so that PCR and antigen-based testing are now household terms. Even though these concepts seem advanced and are relatively new to mainstream, non-scientific conversations, underneath we are still dealing with older technologies.

For instance, PCR technology was first described in the 1980s, and immuno-detection technology is even older than that and carries its own limitations.

The deployment methods of these technologies are even more archaic. The testing data is often collected in a distant lab, and testing is performed on a limited-mobility instrument, like a thermocycler, with often little to no connectivity. The farther the data travels from the area of interest, the less valuable it becomes.

Additionally, decision making rarely happens with binary information (i.e., presence absence testing). Technology companies have shown us the way of how to utilize mobile apps, algorithms and AI to simplify our decision-making processes in real-time. To empower decision making on the front lines, like the factory floors, we need to turn to technologies that can improve the mobility, connectivity and modality of the microbial diagnostics data.

RESOURCING UPWARD MOBILITY OF INFORMATION. Data has been dubbed “the new oil”, and the even more exciting part is that we have yet to scratch the surface on determining all the products and services that can be improved or created if and when this “new oil” is applied to them.

It is well-recognized that digitization can transform data into information, then knowledge, and, ultimately, wisdom. Such a transformation can allow our production systems and risk mitigation efforts to become truly predictive. Tech companies have demonstrated ways of creating predictive value from data, and, in the process, have shown us ways to diversify revenue streams via new products and services.

As with all areas of business, it can be challenging to strike a balance between serving current needs of clients and investing in opportunities that can foster future vertical growth. It wasn’t an overnight change for Silicon Valley to strike such a balance, but they have persisted and invested in teams of visionaries, entrepreneurs and data scientists who are constantly looking to harness the power of technology through new products and services to fuel tomorrow’s growth.

Given that the current human innovation wave is led in the areas of digital networks and biotechnology, it’s not unimaginable for the concept of predictive diagnostics to take center stage across all food industry segments. As we continue to apply the innovations of Silicon Valley to digitize quality control and regulatory processes, we must also invest significantly in the analysis of gathered data, mobile testing, connectivity and multimodal detection technologies to not only solve today’s problems, but also create efficient growth engines for tomorrow.

Vikrant Dutta brings more than 17 years of experience to his role of senior director, scientific affairs for bioMérieux. With deep knowledge in microbiology, molecular biology and diagnostics systems, Dutta develops new technologies and methods for early detection and characterization of public health pathogens and spoilage organisms. Based in St. Louis, he holds a Ph.D. in microbiology from North Carolina State University, as well as a master’s degree in poultry microbiology from the University of Arkansas.