Maria Nelson has worked with the AOAC RI and AOAC INTERNATIONAL since 2003 as a technical consultant coordinating microbiology and chemistry method validation studies in the Performance Tested MethodsSM (PTM) and Official Methods of AnalysisSM (OMA) programs. Nelson also served as a technical advisor for AOAC contract-related activities and microbiology validation guidelines. She has worked in the biotechnology industry developing a variety of test methods using many techniques, with 6 years specifically in developing and validating microbiological test kits. Nelson earned a bachelor’s degree in bacteriology and a master’s degree in microbiology from the University of California, Davis. Maria can be reached at [email protected].