Date/Time
Date(s) - May 7, 2026
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Part of AOAC Webinar Series on Method Development
Thursday, May 7 — 11:00 AM -12:00 PM ET
Foodborne pathogen detection is crucial for food safety and public health. Current detection methods of foodborne pathogens from food and environmental samples range from traditional culture-based and immunological assays to rapid molecular techniques like PCR and advanced biosensors. Innovation in this space continues to drive the development of new methods and products that prioritize speed and sensitivity for faster and more accurate results. New Product Introduction (NPI) is the structured process of transforming a concept into a market-ready product. It encompasses multiple stages and cross-functional collaboration, with Research & Development (R&D) serving as a cornerstone. R&D is a foundational phase of the NPI process, focusing on how ideas are transformed into working prototypes through activities like feasibility studies, creating detailed specifications, iterative testing and validation. This phase is critical for identifying potential issues early, reducing risks, ensuring products meet the quality and regulatory standards and laying the foundation for subsequent phases, which include production scale-up and commercialization. This session will provide an overview of the NPI process from an R&D lens and provide insightful strategies into how early-career scientists can model this process for new and emerging assays designed for microbiological analytes in food, food ingredients and environmental testing.
Presented by Lei Zhang (Neogen)
Dr. Lei Zhang is currently a principal scientist in Microbiology R&D Division at Neogen with the responsibility of New Product development, and she plays a major role in launching several pathogen detection kits. Lei received her Ph.D. in Poultry Science in 2002 from Auburn University, focusing on development of prevention and detection methods for Salmonella and Campylobacter from chicken carcasses. Lei worked at University of Georgia and Michigan State University before joining Neogen in 2012. She has worked on food safety related research projects through her entire career. Lei’s research projects involve detection of foodborne pathogens, such as Listeria spp., Listeria monocytogenes, STEC, Salmonella, Campylobacter, etc. and microbial indicators for hygiene and quality, such as toral plate count, E. coli and coliforms. Lei is actively involved in AOAC and is a member of AOAC’s Expert Review Panel (ERP) for Microbiology Methods and working group for Microbial Method Validation Guidance Revision.
