Smarter enrichment media preparation for food microbiology labs

Media preparation remains a significant operational challenge in food microbiology laboratories. Traditional workflows can be time-consuming, labor-intensive and difficult to scale, placing pressure on laboratory productivity, consistency and resources.

In this SelectScience® webinar, experts from Oxoid Remel Microbiology (Acquired from Thermo Fisher Scientific) will explore how laboratories can rethink enrichment media preparation and introduce a new solution to the bottleneck commonly associated with this step - the InstaFlux™ workflow, a media-on-demand approach designed to simplify media preparation and support more productive, traceable food microbiology workflows.

Jaakko McVey, Senior Manager, Product Management, will examine the operational challenges associated with conventional media preparation and why this part of the laboratory workflow has remained difficult to optimize. He will discuss how new approaches, including concentrated media and automation, can help laboratories respond more effectively to changing sample volumes while reducing the burden associated with routine media preparation.

Irene Rapti, Global Product Manager, will bring a practical laboratory perspective shaped by five years of experience managing food microbiology laboratories. She will explore how challenges around productivity, traceability, staffing and operational efficiency can be addressed in practice, and demonstrate how the InstaFlux workflow brings media-on-demand into routine sample preparation.

Attendees will gain practical insight into how InstaFlux can help reduce manual media preparation, improve workflow consistency, support traceability and allow skilled laboratory staff to spend more time focused on sample testing rather than media preparation.

Who should attend?

This webinar is designed for professionals involved in food microbiology testing and laboratory operations, including:

• Operations directors
• Laboratory directors and managers
• Food safety and quality leaders
• Contract testing laboratory professionals
• Continuous-improvement teams
• Senior microbiology professionals

Certificate of attendance
If you attend the live webinar, you will automatically receive a certificate of attendance, including a learning outcomes summary, for continuing education purposes. If you view the on-demand webinar, you can request a certificate of attendance by emailing [email protected].

Webinar details

• Cost: Free to attend
• Location: Online
• Duration: 60 minutes

Registration is required to secure your place. If you register but can’t attend live, you will receive a link to the on-demand recording once it becomes available.

Who should attend?

This webinar is designed for professionals involved in food microbiology testing and laboratory operations, including:

• Operations directors
• Laboratory directors and managers
• Food safety and quality leaders
• Contract testing laboratory professionals
• Continuous-improvement teams
• Senior microbiology professionals

What will this webinar cover?

Key learning objectives:

• Understand the operational challenges and hidden resource demands associated with traditional enrichment media preparation
• Explore how media-on-demand can change the way laboratories prepare and use enrichment media
• See how the InstaFlux™ workflow combines concentrated media, automated gravimetric dilution and digital traceability
• Understand how a more standardized workflow can help reduce manual preparation and improve consistency
• Explore how laboratories can improve scalability and make more effective use of skilled staff and laboratory resources
• Consider the practical factors involved when moving from conventional media preparation to a more automated workflow

Join the webinar to explore:

• Where are the biggest hidden inefficiencies in traditional media preparation?
• How can laboratories respond more easily to changing daily sample volumes?
• What does “media on demand” look like in a routine food microbiology laboratory?
• How can InstaFlux help reduce the manual burden associated with enrichment media preparation?
• How can gravimetric dispensing, barcode-enabled workflows and digital records support consistency and traceability?
• What should laboratories consider when evaluating whether a new media preparation workflow is right for their operation?

Presenter: Jaakko McVey ( Senior Manager, Product Management – Microbiology, Thermo Fisher Scientific)

Jaakko McVey is a Senior Manager, Product Management at Thermo Fisher Scientific with responsibility for food microbiology workflow innovation. He focuses on translating customer workflow challenges into practical commercial and product strategies, with particular emphasis on laboratory productivity, operational efficiency and scalable food safety testing.

Presenter: Irene Rapti (Global Product Manager, Thermo Fisher Scientificic)

Irene Rapti is a Global Product Manager at Thermo Fisher Scientific with five years of experience managing food microbiology laboratories. She brings a practical, customer-focused perspective on the realities of lab workflows, including productivity, traceability, and operational efficiency. Irene works closely with customers and commercial teams to turn operational pain points into practical solutions that help food testing laboratories work more efficiently and confidently.

Moderator: Matilde Marques (Assistant Editor, SelectScience)

Matilde Marques is a Life Sciences Assistant Editor at SelectScience and a science communicator specializing in translating complex research into clear, engaging content for a global audience. She holds a BSc in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Plymouth, an MSc in Science Communication from the University of the West of England, and a Certificate of Specialization in Clinical Sexology from the Portuguese Society of Clinical Sexology (SPSC). During her Master’s degree, she completed a placement at BBC Science Focus, building a strong foundation in science storytelling.  

At SelectScience, she produces editorial content spanning cancer research, multiomics, sequencing, gene editing and CRISPR technologies, synthetic biology, cell culture and imaging, and lab automation. She works closely with scientists and industry leaders to deliver accurate, insight-driven content for the scientific community. Known for her ability to distill complex concepts into accessible narratives, Matilde helps bridge the gap between scientific innovation and real-world application.