The transformation of scientific discovery into a robust, effective food safety system requires more than research; it requires a bridge to practice. Hosted by Agroscope, one of the 17 key partners in the EU project CATALYSE, the World Food Safety event is dedicated to turning innovations into impacts by fostering direct dialogue between those who innovate and those who implement innovations.

The CATALYSE project, launched in 2024, redefines collaboration by turning a network into an engine for real-world impact, ensuring that all food safety actors can thrive.

The event webpage is now online: link

Event

• Bridging the gap: Explore how to connect scientific discoveries with real-world applications.
• Cutting-edge research: Gain insights into breakthrough research and innovations.
• Accelerating meaningful change: Join a cross-sector dialogue between industry, science, and policy to foster systemic progress.

The event webpage is now online (Events).

GENEVA (ILO News) – The 113th International Labour Conference (ILC) concluded on 13 June with the adoption of the first-ever international labour standards aimed at preventing exposure to, and protecting workers from, biological hazards in the workplace, a landmark step in global efforts to safeguard occupational health and safety across all sectors.

The Convention (C 192) calls on Member States to formulate national policies and adopt measures on occupational safety and health that include the prevention and protection against biological hazards, and the development of preparedness and response measures to deal with accidents and emergencies. It requires employers to adopt preventive and protective measures, in collaboration with workers, who must also be informed and trained on the hazards and risks.

The accompanying Recommendation provides detailed guidance on implementation, including risk assessment, early warning systems, preparedness, and response measures (for example in the event of outbreaks, epidemics, or pandemics) and training. It also further elaborates on the definition of biological hazards and risk and lists specific routes of exposure and transmission – such as airborne, contact, or vector-borne pathways.

Taken together, the instruments offer a powerful, adaptable framework to prevent biological risks in every type of workplace, now and into the future. Conventions are legally binding international treaties that may be ratified by member States, while Recommendations serve as non-binding guidelines.

For Full text click here

Documents linked abover in the Yellow Boxes

Full Recommendation in german:
​​​​​​​https://zkbs-online.de/fileadmin/user_upload/Downloads/Stellungnahmen/Viren/Betacoronavirus_pandemicum_SARS-CoV_akt._2025.pdf

Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) course One Health

organized by the Veterinary Public Health Institute of the University of Bern, Switzerland.

Further details for all who are interested can be found at this link.

Laboratory biosecurity guidance

Citation

World Health Organization. (‎2024)‎. Laboratory biosecurity guidance. World Health Organization. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/377754. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO

Relation

This publication is the update of the document published in 2006 entitled “Biorisk management: laboratorybiosecurity guidance”:

https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/69390

Resolution

is now indexed to resolution WHA77.7, which sounds very luckily, and available from the following link: https://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA77/A77_R7-en.pdf

The detailed programmes for the preconference courses and the main conference will be released later this year. Following this year’s success, our expectation is that the 2025 conference and courses will be EBSA’s biggest event to date. We invite all potential sponsors and exhibitors to register now and secure their participation in this prestigious event.

Stay tuned for more updates and prepare to join us for an engaging and insightful conference in May 2025!

You may register online for it:

https://geneticresearch.scnat.ch/de/events/uuid/i/9354bca7-86a4-5e0a-88e5-d1c6f7d1ba0f-RNA-Technologien_Wie_ver%C3%A4ndern_sie_Medizin_und_Pflanzenschutz

Der Nachweis des H5N1 Influenza-Virus in Kühen in den USA lässt vielerorts die Alarmglocken läuten. Ist das Virus aus Vögeln bereits an an Säugerwirte angepasst? Besteht Gefahr einer Übertragung auf Menschen durch die Nähe zu Kühen? Wird das Virus auch nach Europa oder gar in die Schweiz kommen?

Das Multidisziplinäre Zentrum für Infektionskrankheiten (Universität Bern) und das Genfer Zentrum für Neuartige Viruskrankheiten (Universität Genf und Universitätskliniken Genf) werden zusammen mit nationalen und internationalen Expert:innen die Informationen, die zurzeit bekannt sind, erläutern und besonders die Bedeutung für die Schweiz diskutieren.

Registriertung

Präsentationen (jeweils 5 Minuten), gefolgt von einer Frage- und Antwortrunde mit allen Expert:innen (siehe unten):

"Woher kommt die Vogelgrippe in Kühen in den USA und wie sieht es im Moment aus?": Prof. Dr. med. vet. Martin Beer, PhD

"Vogelgrippe-Virus in Kühen – gibt es Risiken für die Schweiz?": Dr. med. vet. Barbara Wieland, PhD

"Influenza-Viren in Milch, was bedeutet das für die Milchverarbeitung?": Dr. Fabian Wahl, PhD

*Veranstaltung findet auf Deutsch statt*

On Monday April 22, BBP organises a live workshop on Biocides, with 2 sessions (focussing on the actions taken in the Netherlands and the actions taken by Biocides for Europe to make the BPR feasible) and presentation of the results of the EBSA-survey on biocides. We would also like to take the opportunity to hear from our members whether/where there are still issues regarding biocides (focus will be on the Belgian situation). The potential issues will be taken up by the EBSA TF BPR that is working on strategies to come to a more focused / applied use biocides for our activities. In the afternoon, we will roll up our sleeves for a practical spill training.   

Registration deadline April 15th and the maximum number of participants has been set at 40.

Check out all information and register here

Discrete microsclerotia of C. pseudonaviculata from culture were treated with eight commercially available sanitizers (ZeroTol 2.0, Oxidate, Sanidate, X³, Greenshield, and Lysol Concentrate at maximum label rates, plus 70% Ethanol and 0.6% sodium hypochlorite) to determine effective methods of disinfestation of nursery beds and benches. Ethanol proved most effective, killing microsclerotia in less than 5 min. ZeroTol, 10% bleach, and 70% ethanol were used in comparison tests of microsclerotia of C. pseudonaviculata and C. henricotiae. Microsclerotia of C. henricotiaewere found to be more sensitive regardless of size. This finding, along with other research that has found differences in fungicide sensitivity and thermotolerance between the two species, suggests that differences between the species should be elucidated.

Accepted for publication 8 January 2016. Published 14 January 2016.

Further information may be found here.

More information can be found here.

Link

Link.

• Basics of biosafety (for lab workers)
• Working in biosafety cabinet (for lab workers)
• Packaging and waste management (for med. practices)
• Transport of biological agents (for courier services)
• Customized trainings

For further details, please check their website.

> Deutsch
> Francais
> Italiano
> English

Questions like these are discussed in the opinion piece in Science. See the following link for more details.

The Framework calls on leaders and other stakeholders to take actions to safely unlock the benefits of the life sciences.

The document may be downloaded here.

German & French only (see below)

Sehr geehrte Damen und Herren

Suissepro, der Dachverband der Fachgesellschaften für Sicherheit und Gesundheitsschutz am Arbeitsplatz, organisiert am 15. September 2022 eine Hybrid-Veranstaltung im Hotel National in Bern und online, mit Simultanübersetzung.

Die 4. Fachtagung suissepro «Interdisziplinarität und Unternehmenskultur» wendet sich an Führungskräfte, Personalverantwortliche (HR) sowie Akteure im Gebiet Arbeitssicherheit und Gesundheitsschutz am Arbeitsplatz.

Sie finden das Programm in der Anlage und unter https://www.suissepro.org/pdf/suissepro-Fachtagung_2022_Programm_D_def.pdf

Freundliche Grüsse

Das Organisationskomitee

Michel Guillemin, Catherine Tomicic, Herbert Manser, Marie-Carmen Piguet, Ludwig Binkert, Bruno Albrecht

-------------------------------------------------------------

Mesdames et Messieurs,

Suissepro, l’association faîtière des sociétés pour la protection de la santé et sécurité au travail, organisera le 15 septembre 2022 une manifestation hybride à l’hôtel National à Berne et en ligne, avec traduction simultanée.

La 4^ème Journée suissepro «Interdisciplinarité et culture d’entreprise» s’adresse aux managers et responsables RH des entreprises, ainsi qu’aux acteurs dans le domaine sécurité au travail et protection de la santé à la place de travail.

Vous trouverez le programme en annexe et sous https://www.suissepro.org/pdf/suissepro_Fachtagung_2022_Programm_F_def.pdf

Meilleures salutations,

Le comité d’organisation

Michel Guillemin, Catherine Tomicic, Herbert Manser, Marie-Carmen Piguet, Ludwig Binkert, Bruno Albrecht

Researcher gets COVID-19 in lab

17 Dec 2021 12:21 PM

A Taiwanese researcher contracted SARS-CoV-2 while working with infected mice in a biosafety level 3 laboratory at the Genomics Research Center of Academia Sinica in Taipei, in the first known case of laboratory transmission of the virus. Authorities suspect the vaccinated researcher was infected via a mouse bite. The genomic sequence of the variant infecting the researcher matched that of the lab’s mice and not strains in the surrounding community, Taiwan’s Central Epidemic Command Center reported on 11 December. More than 800 potential contacts have tested negative, and Academia Sinica has promised an investigation and a review of the lab’s safety procedures. The incident is likely to bolster claims that a lab leak could have sparked the pandemic.

Link

Article on the Definition of Gain-of-Function Research

07 Oct 2021 3:37 PM

The so-called “gain of function” research has been recently debated in the context of viral research on coronaviruses and whether it is too risky to undertake such experiments. However, the meaning of “gain of function” or “GOF” in a science policy context has changed over time. The term was originally coined to describe two controversial research projects on H5N1 avian influenza virus and was later applied to specific experiments on coronavirus. Subsequent policies and discussions have attempted to define GOF in different ways, but no single definition has been widely accepted by the community. The fuzzy and imprecise nature of the term has led to misunderstandings and has hampered discussions on how to properly assess the benefit of such experiments and biosafety measures.

Please see the following link for more details.

Meeting Announcement - Journée suissepro

21 Sep 2021 11:38 AM

4. Journée suissepro

Interdisziplinarität und Unternehmenskultur

Am 15. September 2022 findet die 4. Fachtagung / Journée suissepro im Hotel National, Bern, statt.

Die Tagung wendet sich an Fachkräfte im Gebiet Sicherheit und Gesundheit am Arbeitsplatz, sowie an Führungskräfte.

Die Technik und die  Globalisierung haben die Bedingungen und das Umfeld der Arbeit stark verändert, mit möglichen negativen Auswirkungen auf die Gesundheit der Arbeitnehmenden. Die aktuelle Pandemie COVID-19 beeinflusst die Arbeitsweise in Unternehmen. Die Unternehmenskultur (z.B. Führung, Interaktion, Kommunikation) kann wesentlich zur Gesundheit der Mitarbeitenden beitragen. Namhafte Referentinnen und Referenten aus Wissenschaft und Praxis werden unterschiedliche Aspekte zu diesem Themenkomplex aufzeigen.  

4ème Journée suissepro

Interdisciplinarité et culture d’entreprise

Le 15 septembre 2022 la 4^ème Conférence Journée suissepro aura lieu à l’Hôtel National à Berne.

La conférence s’adresse aux managers et responsables RH des entreprises. La globalisation de l’économie a fortement modifié l’organisation et les conditions de travail et a engendré de sérieux problèmes pour la santé des personnes actives. La crise actuelle avec la Pandémie COVID 19 a changé la façon de travailler dans les entreprises et l’un des facteurs clés qui influence la santé des collaborateurs.trices est la culture de l’entreprise où la collaboration, la communication, les interactions avec la direction jouent un rôle crucial. Des orateurs de premier plan au niveau scientifique et pratique vont présenter ce thème complexe sous différents angles.

Laboratory Exposures from an Unsuspected Case of Human Infection with Brucella canis

26 Aug 2021 10:50 AM

An article was recently published in Emerging Infectious Diseases detailing the laboratory exposure to Brucella canis. More details may be found here.

New Guideline on Handling of Medical Waste

23 Aug 2021 10:13 AM

The new guideline may be downloaded at the following link (not available in English).

Call for Abstracts – IFBA Virtual Conference, November 1-3, 2021

02 Aug 2021 12:20 PM

IFBA are now inviting abstract submissions to be considered for presentation at the IFBA’s biosafety and biosecurity conference “A Vision of Tomorrow”, to be held virtually November 1-3, 2021. All abstract submissions must be submitted through the online submission platform no later than September 10^th.

For further conference details and instructions for submitting your abstract please visit:

https://internationalbiosafety.org/news-events/ifba-biosafety-conference/

While we are unable to meet in person this year, we are excited to gather our international biosafety community together virtually. Join us for this dynamic and engaging event, interact and connect with colleagues from around the world, and be part of the ideas and innovations that will define biosafety and biosecurity in the years to come.

France issues moratorium on prion research after fatal brain disease strikes two lab workers

29 Jul 2021 1:12 PM

France issues moratorium on prion research after fatal brain disease strikes two lab workers.

See the following link for more details.

Article on Brucella LAIs published

02 Jun 2021 1:40 PM

Please refer to the following article for further information.

Information Resources on Disinfectants

28 May 2021 1:37 PMYves Hartmann (Administrator)

Find a collection of some iInformation resources on disinfectants in the professional forum.

Mapping BSL4s around the world

28 May 2021 1:35 PMYves Hartmann (Administrator)

Locate every BSL4 Lab around the world:

Follow Link

Article on Zika Virus LAIs Published

26 Apr 2021 1:31 PM

An article by Hills et. al. on Zika virus laboratory-associated infections in the US was published in Emerging Infectious Diseases. The article may be downloaded at the following link.

EBSA Offers a New Webinar on the 4th Edition of the WHO LBM

09 Feb 2021 5:26 PM

WHO LBM4 – Biorisk management beyond risk groups and biosafety levels

March 4th, 13:00-15:00 CET
Free for EBSA members, non-members pay 40 euro.

Link for further information and registration.

Publication of 4th edition WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual

14 Jan 2021 5:30 PM

Please be advised that the 4th edition of the WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual, together with the 7 supplemental monographs, has now been published. The 4th edition adopts a risk-based approach allowing for optimal use of resources and sustainable biosafety and biosecurity practices relevant to each laboratory's unique situation. Subject-specific monographs providing more detailed information have been included in the following areas:

- risk assessment

- laboratory design & maintenance

- biosafety cabinets

- personal protective equipment 

- decontamination & waste management

- biosafety program management

- outbreak preparedness & resilience

You may access the manual and each of the monographs at the following link: Laboratory biosafety manual, 4th edition.

Interesting Article on Hygienic Measures During the Plague and How It Compares to Today's Measures Against SARS-CoV-2

11 Jan 2021 11:53 AM

An interesting article on measures taken during the plague in the 16th century and how it compares to what is currently in place in many countries to combat SARS-CoV-2 was published by the BBC. Please see the following link for further details.

23 Jun 2020 9:34 AM

Emerging Infectious Diseases published an article on a laboratory-associated Dengue virus infection where the authors speculate it may have been caused by an improper doffing of gloves. The article may be downloaded here.

As an aid for training re. doffing of gloves, we recommend the following link.

SBNet Cancels 2020 Annual Meeting

15 May 2020 4:36 PM

After careful consideration regarding the ongoing spread of COVID-19 Council decided not to go ahead with the SBNet 2020 Annual Meeting in Zürich (August 20^th - 21^st, 2020).

We have been monitoring the coronavirus situation with the health, safety, and well-being of our guests in mind.

Nevertheless, we are very happy to announce that we will organise a free Webinar on the afternoon of August 20^th and that we attempt to postpone the meeting in Zürich to 2021 (August 26^th - 27^th).

We ask for your patience as we work diligently to prepare the webinar and provide additional information to you.

Also, we kindly ask registrants who have already paid their fees to contact the SBNet office regarding a refund.

Stay healthy and take care!

Laboratory biosafety guidance related to coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

14 May 2020 11:28 AM

WHO has published interim biosafety guidelines for work with SARS-CoV-2. The document can be accessed here.

UK Guidance on Safe Handling of SARS-CoV-2 Laboratory Samples

08 Apr 2020 9:05 AM

Public Health England issued a guide on the safe handling and processing of SARS-CoV-2 laboratory samples. Details may be found here.

Potential role of inanimate surfaces for the spread of coronaviruses and their inactivation with disinfectant agents

24 Mar 2020 10:08 AM

Please refer to the following article looking at disinfectants that inactivate SARS-CoV-2.

How Hand Sanitisers Protect Against Infections

06 Mar 2020 7:34 AM

An interesting article on how hand sanitisers work, including some training material, can be found at this link.

In times of near mass hysteria and bulk buying of hand sanitisers and face masks as well as stocking large amounts of food, it is important to remember what we have in the arsenal to use in the fight against infectious diseases and how it works. The article also contains a great link to an article on Ignaz Semmelweiss who was the first to observe that doctors washing their hands before baby deliveries drastically reduced the number of women who died after childbirth. A timely reminder of the importance for hand-washing.

NIOSH Publication on Occupational Risk Assessment

05 Mar 2020 7:44 AM

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of the USA updated their publication on Practices in Occupational Risk Assessment. Interested parties should follow this link. 

Career Feature in Nature on the Biosafety Profession

05 Mar 2020 7:39 AM

Nature just published an article in their career feature series on biosafety professionals. You may find the article here.

WHO guidance documents for laboratory work with SARS-CoV-2

14 Feb 2020 7:21 AM

WHO has published its interim guidance for laboratory biosafety related to 2019-nCoV/COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2. Please refer to the following links for further details:

Laboratory guidance

Laboratory biosafety

Biosafety Guidelines for Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV)

03 Feb 2020 2:34 PM

The following biosafety guidelines are available to assist laboratories in the safe handling of samples containing the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). 

SBNet Officially Affiliated with ABSA International

02 Feb 2020 8:22 AM

SBNet is now officially affiliated with ABSA International. Amongst other benefits, SBNet members profit from a 30% discount to the Journal "Applied Biosafety". Please check the members' section for further details.

New Biorisk Manager App

24 Jan 2020 12:24 PM

A new App for biosafety professionals may be downloaded from the Biological Risk Management Network.

Following the direct links for:

Apple

Android

Laboratory testing for 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in suspected human cases

20 Jan 2020 1:48 PM

The purpose of this document is to provide interim guidance to laboratories and stakeholders involved in laboratory testing of patients who meet the definition of suspected case of pneumonia associated with a novel coronavirus identified in Wuhan, China.

For more information, please see the following link.

FLI Publishes Recommendations for Disinfections

13 Jan 2020 7:09 AM

Friedrich-Löffler Institute (FLI) published recommendations for disinfections in case of animal disease outbreaks. Please see the following link for further details.

Review Article on Academic Lab Safety

08 Jan 2020 7:56 AM

Although not directly biosafety related, the review article on academic lab safety published in Nature Chemistry may be of interest. We would like to quote the following paragraph from the article, which, we believe, very nicely summarises challenges also found within our field:

"The benefits of establishing academic lab safety research programmes
would be substantial. Ultimately, the goal would be to decrease the rate and severity of accidents in academic labs, ensure that lab personnel stay safe and healthy, and that equipment, laboratory and buildings are protected. This is also likely to have a spillover effect into industry — better-trained, more safety-conscious students would make better industrial employees. Undoubtedly, there would be financial savings related to the cost of accidents, insurance rates and lawsuits."

For more details, please see the following link.

Publication of ISO 35001: Biorisk management for laboratories and other related organizations

06 Jan 2020 4:00 PM

ISO 35001: Biorisk management for laboratories and other related organizations has been published. This document defines a process to identify, assess, control, and monitor the risks associated with hazardous biological materials. This document is applicable to any laboratory or other organization that works with, stores, transports, and/or disposes of hazardous biological materials. This document is intended to complement existing International Standards for laboratories.

For further details, please click here.

01 Dec 2020 7:23 AM

Dear ABSA Affiliate Officers;

The Chesapeake Area Biological Safety Association (ChABSA) is pleased to once again offer remote viewing of our Technical Series Seminars this year to all ABSA affiliates.  ChABSA is excited to provide our local, national and global members with a variety of Biosafety related development seminars in the areas of Biosafety related techniques and oversight, Biosecurity and Biosafety related Science.  Similar to other ABSA affiliated events, attendance to any ChABSA Technical seminar will count toward the Credentialing Maintenance (CM) Points For the Professional Biosafety Certification (RBP/CBSP) and other Professional Safety Certifications (CIH/CSP).  ChABSA has partnered with the Alliance of Hazardous Materials Managers (AHMP) Cyber Chapter to allow participants to view and participate in each of our technical seminars. 

The dates for the upcoming ChABSA Technical Seminar Series for the 2020-2021 year are:

• • September 15, 2020
  • November 17, 2020
  • December 2^nd, 2020 (see presentation info below)
  • January 14, 2021
  • March 9, 2021
  • May 11, 2021

ChABSA will provide updates regarding the content of each seminar dates listed above in the near future.  Due to the challenges of the Global Novel Coronavirus Pandemic ChABSA is pleased to offer access to all “Virtual Only” Technical Seminars free of charge for all ABSA affiliated members.  ChABSA would appreciate it if you filled in your ABSA affiliation information when you register for this event using the link information below.  If you are interested in supporting ChABSA to help off-set the cost for providing these virtual seminars, please register for a ChABSA membership.  Membership registration information is below.

ChABSA membership:

ChABSA, the Chesapeake Area Biological Safety Association, is an incorporated, non-profit organization that is an affiliate of the American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) established in 1987.  It’s members span many different professional disciplines in Public, Private, Academic, Military and Commercial business sectors.  Many of our ChABSA members have become Presidents and Council members of ABSA. 

The benefits of becoming a ChABSA member include:

1. 7. Free remote access to all of our Technical Seminars (5 total which will provide 2.5 CM points)
   8. Reduced pricing for our Annual Scientific Symposium and Pre-Symposium Workshop Professional Development Classes
   9. Email notification of local Maryland, DC, Virginia Biosafety related job opportunities
   10. Ability to volunteer within several different ChABSA related planning committees to increase member networking opportunities

Membership registration is done directly through our webpage (www.ChABSA.org) or by clicking on the following link: https://www.chabsa.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=7&Itemid=156

ChABSA has three different membership options:

• • Student Membership: A matriculated student with an interest in biological safety shall be eligible for Student Membership. Student Members shall neither have the right to vote nor the right to hold elective office. Cost: $5.00
  • Individual Membership: Any person with an interest in biological safety shall be eligible for Individual Membership. Individual Members shall be eligible to vote, to hold office, to serve on committees, and to enjoy other rights of the Association. Cost: $25.00
  • Corporate Membership: Any company or organization with an interest in biological safety shall be eligible for Corporate Membership. Each Corporate Member may designate up to three persons as Individual Members. Each of these three individuals shall be eligible to vote, to hold office, to serve on committees, and to enjoy other rights of the Association. Cost: $75.00

Additional ChABSA information can be found on the internet by visiting ChABSA’s main webpage: www.ChABSA.org

December 2^nd , 2020 Seminar Information:

This is a virtual only meeting!!!!

Biosecurity, Biosafety, and Bioethics Conference

24 Nov 2020 9:12 AM

AIChE is holding an online conference on Biosecurity, Biosafety and Bioethics. Please see the following link for further details.

For a 50% discount use the following code (BIOSEC0521) and register at this link.

6th Edition of the BMBL Published

19 Nov 2020 7:12 AM

CDC has just published the 6th edition of the BMBL. An electronic version may be downloaded here.

In Vivo Model to Show Evidence of the Effect of Surgical Masks

11 Nov 2020 7:49 AM

Please see the following link to a new publication with results on the effect surgical masks may have in controlling spread of SARS-CoV-2. The paper is the first of its kind studying the effect of surgical masks in an in vivo model.

Publication on Laboratory Exposures

28 Sep 2020 5:25 PM

The Public Health Agency of Canada recently published data on laboratory exposures that occurred in Canada in 2019. The results may be found at the following link.

EBSA Online Webinars & Courses 2020

23 Sep 2020 4:58 PM

EBSA has published several online webinars and courses. Information may be obtained from the following links:

Webinars

Courses

New Publication on Low-Cost Measurement of Face-Mask Efficacy

14 Aug 2020 11:08 AM

Please see the following link re. the recent publication by Fischer, et al. on low-cost measurement of face-mask efficacy and their comparison of different types of face-masks. Very pertinent information during these trying times and the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

New Event by Skan Pure Solutions and FHNW Muttenz Announced

30 Jul 2020 11:31 AM

Skan Pure Solutions in collaboration with the Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz (FHNW) have just announced a new event that may be of interest to our members.

Corona Stories - Expert Experiences from Industry, Research, Public Health and Governmental Authorities.

Please see the following link for further details and how to register for the event.

WHO guidance on implementing regulatory requirements for biosafety and biosecurity in biomedical laboratories: a stepwise approach

24 Jul 2020 2:21 PM

We would like to draw your attention to the recently published "WHO Guidance on Implementing Regulatory Requirements for Biosafety & Biosecurity in Biomedical Laboratories: A Step-Wise Approach".  The document provides practical information and guidelines designed to support policy-makers and national regulatory bodies to develop and strengthen national biosafety and biosecurity regulatory frameworks. The document may be accessed at the following link.

New Article on Laboratory-Associated Infections

06 Jul 2020 8:22 AM

Brandel et al. describe the outbreak of variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease following an exposure 7.5 years prior. Please see the following link for more details.

30 Jul 2019 3:41 PM

The Swiss Society for Occupational Safety invites you to register for their meeting on August 29th 2019 in Zurich. More infos may be found here.

SwissErgo - Save the Date

29 Jul 2019 7:39 AM

SwissErgo holds its exchange of experiences on November 29th 2019. More information may be found in the attached documents (French, German).

ABSA's 62nd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference

11 Jul 2019 1:42 PM

ABSA will hold its 62nd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference in Birmingham, Alabama, USA between November 15th and 20th 2019. The preliminary program may be downloaded here.

Interview with Secretary General Published in Sicherheitsforum

02 Jul 2019 1:12 PM

SBNet's Secretary General was interviewed following SBNet's successful application to become a member of suissepro. The interview has now been published in Sicherheitsforum and may be found here.

Suissepro Day 2019

20 Jun 2019 12:25 PM

Registration is now open for Suissepro Day 2019. The program as well as registration information may be found here.

All SBNet members may register as suissepro members and thus qualify for discounted registration rates.

Interview with Secretary General Published in SafetyPlus

28 May 2019 7:16 AM

SBNet's Secretary General was interviewed following SBNet's successful application to become a member of suissepro. The interview has now been published in SafetyPlus and may be found here.

New course on MALDI-TOF MS offered at SUPSI

22 May 2019 9:17 AM

The Scuola Universitaria Professionale delle Svizzera Italiana (SUPSI) is proud to announce its training course on MALDI-TOF mass spectronomy. The course is scheduled for October 23rd - 25th 2019 at SUPSI.

During the course participants will have the possibility to work with and compare all machines and databases on the market (Vitek-MS, Bruker Biotyper, Saramis , ....). There will be a theoretical introduction to the basics of MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry, presentation of the different systems available for clinical diagnostics and research, laboratory applications for the identification of microorganisms from clinical and environmental samples (bacteria, filamentous fungi, yeasts) and from insects (mosquitoes), using different instruments and databases. In addition, a series of presentations given by experts will provide the needed basic concepts and the appropriate tools for the evaluation of the analyses.

Please see the link for further information and how to register for the course.

Open letter of the SBNet Council regarding the planned introduction of biosecurity measures into the Containment Ordinance

20 May 2019 9:25 AM

Earlier this year SBNet was asked to evaluate the proposed changes to the Containment Ordinance. Whilst some proposed changes were highly welcomed by council, others, especially those concerned with laboratory biosecurity aspects, were strongly opposed. Unfortunately, it appears that authorities do not agree with SBNet's view on these issues which is why we feel the need to further address the proposed amendments with regard to the introduction of additional laboratory biosecurity measures.

Please follow this link to SBNet Council's open letter to all interested parties (German only).

We kindly ask you to voice your oppinions towards these changes and address them with the relevant authorities.

SBNet is now a member of suissepro

16 May 2019 1:31 PM

SBNet successfully applied for membership in suissepro. Membership was granted by the delegates of suissepro on April 4th 2019.

Suissepro is the umbrella association of the different associations for worker's health and safety in Switzerland. For more information please visit their website at www.suissepro.org.

SBNet council is convinced that our members will benefit in many ways from working more closely with the member associations of suissepro.

For those of you interested, SBNet members now also profit from discounted subscriptions to SafetyPlus which is the new official publication of suissepro.

Facility-Associated Release of Polioviruses into Communities - Risks for the Posteradication Era

14 May 2019 3:46 PM

Please find the link to the article below the abstract.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative continues to make progress toward the eradication target. Indigenous wild poliovirus (WPV) type 2 was last detected in 1999, WPV type 3 was last detected in 2012, and over the past 2 years WPV type 1 has been detected only in parts of 2 countries (Afghanistan and Pakistan). Once the eradication of poliomyelitis is achieved, infectious and potentially infectious poliovirus materials retained in laboratories, vaccine production sites, and other storage facilities will continue to pose a risk for poliovirus reintroduction into communities. The recent breach in containment of WPV type 2 in an inactivated poliovirus vaccine manufacturing site in the Netherlands prompted this review, which summarizes information on facility-associated release of polioviruses into communities reported over >8 decades. Successful polio eradication requires the management of poliovirus containment posteradication to prevent the consequences of the reestablishment of poliovirus transmission.

Link

Incorporating dual-use concerns into science education

17 Apr 2019 8:19 AM

Please see the following link for a treatise on incorporating concerns for dual-use into science education: Novossiolova, 2019.

Training Opportunity at the Lab Excellence Academy in Hamburg

12 Apr 2019 3:52 PM

The Lab Excellence Academy (LEAC) offers a course titled "Faszination Biosafety - Aktuelle Trends und Risiken".

More information may be obtained on their website or in the attached flyer.

Two New Articles Published - LAI & Contamination due to PPE Removal

09 Apr 2019 8:13 AM

Laboratory exposure to Coccidioides: lessons learnt in a non-endemic country

Coccidioides is a primary pathogenic fungus, which infects humans through highly infectious arthroconidia, causing substantial morbidity including life-threatening disseminated infections. Due to the low infectious dose, laboratory personnel might become infected during diagnostic procedures. Accordingly, coccidioidomycosis is reported as the most frequent laboratory-acquired systemic mycosis worldwide. This risk is aggravated in nonendemic countries, where the diagnosis may not be suspected. We report on an inadvertent exposure of 44 persons to Coccidioides posadasii in a clinical microbiology laboratory in Chile, the measures of containment after rapid diagnosis with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and the lessons learnt in a non-endemic setting.

Floor and environmental contamination during glove disposal

Background: Evidence suggests that doffing and possibly disposal of used personal protective equipment (PPE) can lead to environmental contamination. Aim: To ascertain the potential for site and floor contamination when medical gloves are inappropriately disposed. Methods: Fifteen healthcare workers (HCWs) disposed of gloves inoculated with bacteriophage and a chemical dye into a wastebasket, located 1.22 m away. Following each trial, designated sample areas were visually inspected with a blacklight for fluorescent dye stains and swabbed with a 3M Letheen Broth sponge to quantify the bacteriophage. Findings: The area closest to the participant (<0.30 m) had the highest bacteriophage concentrations (geomean: 6.9  103 pfu/100 cm2 ; range: 8.07 to 3.93  107 pfu/100 cm2 ). Bacteriophage concentrations were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in areas 0.61 m compared to >0.61 m from the HCWs. Although the farthest distances (1.22e1.52 m) resulted in 14% bacteriophage- and 4% fluorescent dye-positive occurrences, there was no significant difference (P ¼ 0.069) between the tracers. The bacteriophage and chemical dye indicate highest environmental contamination nearest the HCWs and both tracers could be appropriate for PPE disposal training. Conclusion: HCWs use gloves every workday and potentially could contaminate surrounding surfaces and floors, during improper disposal practices. Therefore, proper disposal techniques are required to minimize pathogen transmission by establishing industry-wide policies, adequate training, and education to HCWs.

New Article Published with Recommendations for Containment and Management of Gene Drives in Arthropods

05 Apr 2019 9:01 AM

The journal Vector-Borne and Zoonotic Diseases published an article on laboratory containment and management of gene drive systems in arthropods. Please refer to the abstract below as well as the link to the article website.

Recommendations for Laboratory Containment and Management of Gene Drive Systems in Arthropods

Versatile molecular tools for creating driving transgenes and other invasive genetic factors present regulatory, ethical, and environmental challenges that should be addressed to ensure their safe use. In this article, we discuss driving transgenes and invasive genetic factors that can potentially spread after their introduction into a small proportion of individuals in a population. The potential of invasive genetic factors to increase their number in natural populations presents challenges that require additional safety measures not provided by previous recommendations regarding accidental release of arthropods. In addition to providing physical containment, invasive genetic factors require greater attention to strain management, including their distribution and identity confirmation. In this study, we focus on insects containing such factors with recommendations for investigators who are creating them, institutional biosafety committees charged with ensuring safety, funding agencies providing support, those managing insectaries handling these materials who are responsible for containment, and other persons who will be receiving insects—transgenic or not—from these facilities. We give specific examples of efforts to modify mosquitoes for mosquito-borne disease control, but similar considerations are relevant to other arthropods that are important to human health, the environment, and agriculture.

Link to article.

OIE Publishes New Dual Use Guidelines

05 Mar 2019 7:26 AM

OIE just published new guidelines to address the dual-use condundrum in research, specifically, research into animal pathogens. The guidelines may be found at the following link.

Infectious Diseases at the Workplace

01 Mar 2019 6:17 AM

A new study looking at infectious diseases occurring in the workplace in the USA between 2006 and 2015 was published recently. The article and its findings, which may be of value to our members, can be found here.

The Future of Containment?

15 Feb 2019 1:51 PM

A new opinion piece on the future of containment has just been published. Interested parties may find the article here.

Two Articles on Room Fumigation Published in Applied Biosafety

04 Feb 2019 11:23 AM

Recently, two articles on room fumigation, including the use of aerosolised hydrogen peroxide, were published in Applied Biosafety.

Comparison and Validation of Three Fumigation Methods to Inactivate Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus

Plasma-Activated Aerosolised Hydrogen Peroxide (aHP) in Surface Inactivation Procedures

New Guidelines for the Safe Handling of Animals

08 Jan 2019 7:57 AM

The Federal Office for the Environment published its guidelines for the safe handling of animals in containment. The document may be downloaded here:

German

French

14 Dec 2018 9:21 AM

EBSA will hold its annual meeting from April 2nd to 5th 2019 in Bucharest, Romania. Further details may be found here.

New Article on Laboratory Exposures to Pathogens and Toxins

06 Nov 2018 8:46 AM

The Public Health Agency of Canada released their latest data on laboratory exposures to pathogens and toxins from the year 2017. The article may be found in the following link.

New Articles Covering Current Biosecurity Challenges

05 Oct 2018 9:04 AM

Below you may find links to two recent articles on biosecurity issues our community and the world at large are currently facing. The first article discusses the implications of generating synthetic viruses, while the second article looks at gene drives in agro-sciences and how this may impact our lives.

If you feel like discussing these issues or simply want to let us know your thoughts on this, please use our forum. We will gladly take your comments and forward them to our national authorities to further discuss future developments in the field.

Synthetic Viruses - Anything New?

Agricultural Research or a New Bioweapon System?

Documentary on Bioterrorism

18 Sep 2018 11:02 AM

The UK's Telegraph newspaper filmed parts of a documentary on the threat of bioterrorism during this year's SBNet Meeting talking to a number of participants. Please see the following links for further details:

Article

YouTube

The SBNet Council would like to express its deep-felt sadness at the untimely passing of Helmut Bachmayer.

29 Aug 2018 7:50 AM

With the passing of Helmut Bachmayer Europe has lost a pioneer of biosafety. His human, humorous and unflustered personality will be sorely missed by many people who were fortunate to have crossed his path. As an expert he was unequalled. He defended scientific meticulousness on all levels vigorously. Helmut influenced processes and guidelines of many companies. His input to the standardisation of biosafety management systems was pivotal. Helmut was also engaged in national and international biosafety associations. His contribution to strengthen biosafety in Europe, co-initiating the industry meetings during the ABSA conference as well as his involvement as a biosafety expert for WHO are just a small number of examples depicting Helmut's influence. His continued interest in all matters of biosafety followed him to the last.

Additionally, Helmut, with his courses and presentations, was a wonderful trainer and mentor to numerous biosafety experts on both sides of the Atlantic. A great number of people lost a father figure, mentor and friend whom they owe a great amount of gratitude, personally as well as technically.

It is Helmut's wish that today's biosafety experts continue his curious, vigorous and humorous way to develop and promote biosafety in all its facets.

RIP

SBNet Meeting 2018 and AGM 2018

27 Aug 2018 2:42 PM

We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to each and everyone who participated in the 12th Applied Biosafety Meeting in Lugano on August 23rd and 24th 2018, be that as participant, speaker, exhibitor or sponsor. Preliminary feedback from a number of people indicates that the meeting was a roaring success. Thank you. All this would not be possible without your continued support!!!

All presentations will be made available in the members' section once we have received permission from presenters.

If you have any feedback, suggestions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact our office at swissbiosafety@wildapicot.org.

Furthermore, during the AGM held on August 23rd 2018 members present accepted some modifications to our bylaws. You may find the updated version on our website or here.

Last but not least, we would like to kindly invite you to our next meeting scheduled for August 22nd & 23rd 2019 in Berne. Mark your calendars! Keep an eye on our website for any further news or developments in the field of biosafety.

Risk Assessment Guidelines

09 Aug 2018 8:27 AM

We would like to draw your attention to two new risk assessment guides currently available online from the Public Health Agency of Canada as follows:

Pathogen Risk Assessment

Biosecurity Risk Assessment

Article on the Frequency of Instrument, Environment and Laboratory Worker Contamination During Routine Diagnostics

31 May 2018 11:25 AM

Yarbrough et al. looked at contamination of instruments, the environment and laboratory staff during routine diagnostics work in the laboratory. The article, published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, may be accessed through the following link.

7th Biosafety Conference of the Italian Biosafety Platform

25 Apr 2018 8:24 AM

The Italian Biosafety Platform will be holding their 7th Biosafety Conference in Siena from September 13th to 14th. More information may be found under the following link.

WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual

20 Apr 2018 9:29 AM

WHO is currently working on a new edition of its Laboratory Biosafety Manual. Please see the link for further details.

WHO commemorates the 40th anniversary of smallpox eradication

17 Dec 2019 10:21 AM

The World Health Organization commemorated the 40th anniversary of smallpox eradication today, recognizing the historic moment on 9 December 1979 when the end of smallpox was confirmed to have been eradicated. Five months later, in May 1980, the 33rd World Health Assembly issued its official declaration that ‘the world and all its peoples have won freedom from smallpox’.

Please see the following link for more information.

German LabConCert Webinar Series

10 Dec 2019 11:33 AM

German LabConCert in collaboration with HT Lab Tec GmbH offers another webinar in their series entitled "System solutions for critical rooms in hospitals and laboratories". The webinar slated for December 12th 2019 will be presented by Claus Schweinheim who will discuss tightness requirements and test methods for different room types. Please see the following links for further details:

German

English

Article on Infectious Aerosols

28 Nov 2019 6:57 AM

The following article may go back a few years, but is still relevant as it looks at concentration, size distribution and infectivity of airbourne particles, in particular those carrying swine viruses.

Article

WHO launches GLI TB Laboratory Safety Handbook

25 Nov 2019 6:29 AM

The Global Laboratory Initiative (GLI) is pleased to announce the launch of the TB laboratory safety handbook. This tool was launched on the margins of the 50^th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Hyderabad earlier this week. This Handbook draws on decades of experience working in culture and DST laboratories. It focuses on how to work safely in order to reduce the risk of infection or injury and protect the laboratory workforce and the wider community against unintentional exposures or releases of pathogenic biological agents.

Factors that have led to potential and confirmed exposures to biological agents include absence or improper use of personal protective equipment, inadequate or ignored risk assessments, lack of standard operating procedures, and/or insufficiently trained personnel. 

The intended audience of this Handbook is laboratory staff who conduct procedures to test samples potentially containing Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

The handbook may be downloaded here.

SwissErgo annual conference 29. Nov 2019

22 Sep 2019 4:37 PMYves Hartmann (Administrator)

The SwissErgo annual conference will take place on November 29th 2019 on the topic of flexibility at work and its relationships with employees' health and performance.

The program is available now.

Interested persons can register via https://swissergo.ch

Meeting Report - Security for Emerging Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology Threats

19 Sep 2019 9:54 AM

Through the Science for Peace and Security Programme, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) convened an Advanced Research Workshop to explore the core questions of biosecurity for synthetic biology. The workshop was co-organised by EPFL (International Risk Governance Center)
and the US Army Engineer Research and Development Center, and hosted by EPFL.

VECTOR INSTITUTE (Novosibirsk, Russia) - Explosion & Fire

18 Sep 2019 7:07 AM

An explosion has caused a fire at a Russian biological research facility that's one of only 2 centers in the world known for housing samples of the smallpox virus.

More details may be found here.

Canada Publishes Data on LAIs in 2018

09 Sep 2019 9:22 AM

The Public Health Agency of Canada’s Centre for Biosecurity is mandated to prevent, detect and respond to public health risks posed by the use of human pathogens and toxins in Canada. The Centre for Biosecurity oversees activities conducted under the Human Pathogens and Toxins Act (HPTA) and the Human Pathogens and Toxins Regulations (HPTR). In December 2015, the Centre for Biosecurity established a national surveillance system, the Laboratory Incident Notification Canada (LINC), for the mandatory reporting of laboratory incidents involving human pathogens and toxins. 

The most recent data has just been published by the Canadian authorities and may be downloaded here.

SBNet now officially affiliated with IFBA

04 Sep 2019 8:47 AM

SBNet has officially gained affiliation with the International Federation of Biosafety Associations (IFBA). Please see the attached press release for more information.

The meeting report may be downloaded here.

13th Applied Biosafety Meeting & Minutes of the 9th AGM of the SBNet

02 Sep 2019 1:21 PM

We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to each and everyone who participated in the 13th Applied Biosafety Meeting in Bern on August 22nd and 23rd 2019, be that as participant, speaker, exhibitor or sponsor. Preliminary feedback from a number of people indicates that the meeting was a roaring success. Thank you. All this would not be possible without your continued support!!!

All presentations will be made available in the members' section once we have received permission from presenters.

Additionally, members may find the minutes of the 9th AGM in the members' section of our website.

New Member App for iOS

06 Apr 2018 2:51 PM

A member app is now available to all members (currently only for Apple iOS).

With the app members can:

• • view the member directory
  • view a member's profile
  • email their fellow members
  • view the event calendar and event details
  • register for an event
  • view their existing event registrations
  • view their member profile

Deleting existing event registrations and updating your member profile can still only be done via our website.  

The app may be downloaded from Apple's App Store via the following link.

Article announcement

23 Mar 2018 10:49 AM

Please see below for a link to an article which may be of interest to you all:

http://jcm.asm.org/content/early/2018/03/15/JCM.00225-18.abstract?papetoc

Biosafety and Biosecurity Training Course

23 Mar 2018 10:24 AM

Please see the course announcement below.

You may be familiar with the Biosafety and Biosecurity Training Course, which was held in Fort Collins, CO, from 2004 – 2017. We had over 700 individuals from around the world attend the BBTC during that time. We have transitioned the on-site BBTC to a web based course, BBTC-Global. 2017 was the last year for the on-site BBTC in Fort Collins.

Please review the following information regarding the BBTC-Global. Note: Deadline for registration is May 15, 2018.

The BBTC-Global is a remote-based course presented through an interactive Learning Management System.  The course is chaired by Dr. Robert P. Ellis, and is facilitated by Mr. Sean Kaufman.

Topics include the most current information for the following:

General Session:

June-July, 20 hours presented in 10 modules (4 hours per week) – will be general Biosafety and Biosecurity.
Topics to be covered include rDNA/Synthetic NA (recombinant DNA) Guidelines; Risk assessment; Entity specific inspection and audit preparations and responses; Entity Specific Audit Program; Select Agent regulations and changes, administration, and inspection preparations; Design and management of insectaries; HEPA filters and biosafety cabinet certification; BSL–2 and BSL–3 Building Design and Operations; Synthetic Biology, Dual Use Research of Concern Guidelines/Oversight; Clinical and Public Health Lab Biosafety; and Ethics and Culture of Biosafety.

Animal Session:

July, 14 hours presented in 7 modules (4 hours per week); will be animal oriented.
Topics to be covered include large animal ABSL–2 and –3 facilities design, containment and management; Laboratory animal ABSL–2 and –3 facilities design, containment and management; Veterinary hospital, clinic, and farm and ranch Biosecurity [infection control]; Prion disease research Biosafety; ABSL-3 research with multiple agents/multiple species; Field Investigations; and Select Agent inspection preparations.

Plant Session:

August, 14 hours presented in 7 modules (4 hours per week); will be plant oriented.
Topics to be covered include Greenhouse design and management; Regulations and permit procedures; Containment of recombinant plants; Infectious disease research with plants; Biopharmaceuticals; Plant disease diagnostic lab network; Diseases of crops; and Select Agent inspection preparations.

Participants include individuals from universities, private industry, and government. Disciplines represented include biosafety, laboratory designers, laboratory management, program managers, veterinarians, vivarium management, maintenance and engineering, and facility operations.

A detailed schedule/program and faculty biographies are posted on our web site. Please continue to check the web site for updates: www.bbtcfortcollins.com

2018 Registration and Payment Information : Deadline to register for sessions is May 15, 2018

* General, Animal, and Plant Sessions, (Complete Course) June-July-August 2018: $2100

* General and Animal Sessions: $1600

* General and Plant Sessions: $1600

* General Only Session: $1000

* Animal Only Session: $700

* Plant Only Session: $700

Registration fee includes all course material and a course completion certificate.

NOTICE: The 2018 BBTC-Global Program will have the (ABSA) American Biological Safety Association Certification Maintenance Points (CM Pts) for biosafety professionals.

Registration information and detailed schedule/program are available at our web site:

http://www.bbtcfortcollins.com/

http://www.bbtcfortcollins.com/course-information/

The Course is chaired by Dr. Robert P. Ellis, PhD, CBSP.  For more information please contact Robert Ellis robert.ellis@colostate.edu or 970-491-8268

Or

Contact the Course facilitator, Mr. Sean Kaufman, MPH, at sean@seankaufman.com or 404-849-3966

Report by the Swiss Academy of Natural Sciences on Gene Drives

02 Mar 2018 11:37 AM

A meeting report on Gene Drives Held by the Swiss Academy of Natural Sciences and the Federal Office for the Environment may be downloaded under the following link.

There is also an anmated movie illustrating the process. Link.

Dual Use Research of Concern - Chemical Synthesis of Horsepox Virus

25 Jan 2018 7:23 AM

An article has been published on how to create horsepox virus from chemically synthesised DNA. Below are two links you may find interesting:

Article

Commentary

EBSA Nominations

19 Jan 2018 10:45 AM

EBSA is looking for nominations for council and workgroup members. Please see text below:

Dear Colleagues and friends,
You are cordially invited to participate in the 2018 nomination for:

3 positions on the EBSA council

• • President Elect
  • Treasurer
  • Regular Council member
  • 
    
  • 1 position on the Nomination Committee
  • 1position as Financial Auditor

Send in your nominations before February 12, 2018.
 
The nomination committee will review the candidates and the online ballot will be open February 19 - March 2 2018.
The newly elected members will be contacted by the president and officially introduced at the Annual General Meeting held during the Conference in Copenhagen.

If you know somebody who could make a difference to the activities of EBSA or you are willing to contribute, please submit your candidature or nominate one of your colleagues here.
 
Any questions please feel free to contact the secretariat.
 
EBSA Administration Office
Tel.: +32 (0) 9- 233 48 66
E-Mail: ebsa-office@ebsaweb.eu
Web: www.ebsaweb.eu

14 Dec 2018 9:21 AM

EBSA will hold its annual meeting from April 2nd to 5th 2019 in Bucharest, Romania. Further details may be found here.

New Article on Laboratory Exposures to Pathogens and Toxins

06 Nov 2018 8:46 AM

The Public Health Agency of Canada released their latest data on laboratory exposures to pathogens and toxins from the year 2017. The article may be found in the following link.

New Articles Covering Current Biosecurity Challenges

05 Oct 2018 9:04 AM

Below you may find links to two recent articles on biosecurity issues our community and the world at large are currently facing. The first article discusses the implications of generating synthetic viruses, while the second article looks at gene drives in agro-sciences and how this may impact our lives.

If you feel like discussing these issues or simply want to let us know your thoughts on this, please use our forum. We will gladly take your comments and forward them to our national authorities to further discuss future developments in the field.

Synthetic Viruses - Anything New?

Agricultural Research or a New Bioweapon System?

Documentary on Bioterrorism

18 Sep 2018 11:02 AM

The UK's Telegraph newspaper filmed parts of a documentary on the threat of bioterrorism during this year's SBNet Meeting talking to a number of participants. Please see the following links for further details:

Article

YouTube

The SBNet Council would like to express its deep-felt sadness at the untimely passing of Helmut Bachmayer.

29 Aug 2018 7:50 AM

With the passing of Helmut Bachmayer Europe has lost a pioneer of biosafety. His human, humorous and unflustered personality will be sorely missed by many people who were fortunate to have crossed his path. As an expert he was unequalled. He defended scientific meticulousness on all levels vigorously. Helmut influenced processes and guidelines of many companies. His input to the standardisation of biosafety management systems was pivotal. Helmut was also engaged in national and international biosafety associations. His contribution to strengthen biosafety in Europe, co-initiating the industry meetings during the ABSA conference as well as his involvement as a biosafety expert for WHO are just a small number of examples depicting Helmut's influence. His continued interest in all matters of biosafety followed him to the last.

Additionally, Helmut, with his courses and presentations, was a wonderful trainer and mentor to numerous biosafety experts on both sides of the Atlantic. A great number of people lost a father figure, mentor and friend whom they owe a great amount of gratitude, personally as well as technically.

It is Helmut's wish that today's biosafety experts continue his curious, vigorous and humorous way to develop and promote biosafety in all its facets.

RIP

SBNet Meeting 2018 and AGM 2018

27 Aug 2018 2:42 PM

We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to each and everyone who participated in the 12th Applied Biosafety Meeting in Lugano on August 23rd and 24th 2018, be that as participant, speaker, exhibitor or sponsor. Preliminary feedback from a number of people indicates that the meeting was a roaring success. Thank you. All this would not be possible without your continued support!!!

All presentations will be made available in the members' section once we have received permission from presenters.

If you have any feedback, suggestions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact our office at swissbiosafety@wildapicot.org.

Furthermore, during the AGM held on August 23rd 2018 members present accepted some modifications to our bylaws. You may find the updated version on our website or here.

Last but not least, we would like to kindly invite you to our next meeting scheduled for August 22nd & 23rd 2019 in Berne. Mark your calendars! Keep an eye on our website for any further news or developments in the field of biosafety.

Risk Assessment Guidelines

09 Aug 2018 8:27 AM

We would like to draw your attention to two new risk assessment guides currently available online from the Public Health Agency of Canada as follows:

Pathogen Risk Assessment

Biosecurity Risk Assessment

Article on the Frequency of Instrument, Environment and Laboratory Worker Contamination During Routine Diagnostics

31 May 2018 11:25 AM

Yarbrough et al. looked at contamination of instruments, the environment and laboratory staff during routine diagnostics work in the laboratory. The article, published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, may be accessed through the following link.

7th Biosafety Conference of the Italian Biosafety Platform

25 Apr 2018 8:24 AM

The Italian Biosafety Platform will be holding their 7th Biosafety Conference in Siena from September 13th to 14th. More information may be found under the following link.

WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual

20 Apr 2018 9:29 AM

WHO is currently working on a new edition of its Laboratory Biosafety Manual. Please see the link for further details.

27 Nov 2017 1:14 PM

The Swiss Society for Microbiology will be holding its annual congress on August 28th to 30th 2018 in Lausanne. Please see link for more details. 

Select Agent Oversight - GAO Report

01 Nov 2017 4:06 PM

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) today released a report on high-containment laboratories and Select Agent Program oversight. Key among the findings is the realisation that the focus of the program should shift to risk assessment to identify high-risk activities which are more likely to be of biosafety rather than biosecurity concern. For more details please see the report here. Furthermore, Reuters also published an article on the subject which may be accessed here.

Article and Interview in Conjuction with the 11th Applied Biosafety Meeting

18 Oct 2017 3:42 PM

Herbert Manser of riskcare published an article on the 11th Applied Biosafety Meeting as well as an interview with our former President Kathrin Summermatter in iza. Both documents may be downloaded here (German only):

article / interview 

Publication on Biosafety & Biosecurity Culture

06 Oct 2017 2:52 PM

The following article is available for download:

“Fostering an International Culture of Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Responsible Conduct in the Life Sciences” 

Link

BSL-3-Workshop "Fachkundige Person"

21 Sep 2017 11:13 AM

The above mentioned course takes place  in Langen, Germany, on November 15th 2017. More information may be obtained under this link.

Pathogen Safety Data Sheets

11 Sep 2017 2:55 PM

Health Canada has provided Pathogen Safety Data Sheets (PSDS) via Apps for Android and Apple devices. Please see the following links for further details:

Android

Apple 

Antibiotic Awareness Week 2017

07 Sep 2017 2:23 PM

Talking about antibiotic resistance – this is the aim of the International Antibiotic Awareness Week, which will be held  from 13 – 19 November 2017 in many different countries. Switzerland is also taking part in 2017. 

Please see the following link for further details.

De Novo Synthesis of Horsepox Virus

30 Aug 2017 9:48 AM

In March 2017, the American biotech company Tonix announced that a Canadian scientist had synthesized horsepox virus as part of a project to develop a safer vaccine against smallpox. The first de novo synthesis of an orthopoxvirus, a closely related group of viruses that includes horsepox and the variola virus that causes smallpox, crosses an important Rubicon in the field of biosecurity. The synthesis of horsepox virus takes the world one step closer to the reemergence of smallpox as a threat to global health security. That threat has been held at bay for the past 40 years by the extreme difficulty of obtaining variola virus and the availability of effective medical countermeasures. The techniques demonstrated by the synthesis of horsepox have the potential to erase both of these barriers. The primary risk posed by this research is that it will open the door to the routine and widespread synthesis of other orthopoxviruses, such as vaccinia, for use in research, public health, and medicine. The normalization and globalization of orthopoxvirus synthesis for these beneficial applications will create a cadre of laboratories and scientists that will also have the capability and expertise to create infectious variola virus from synthetic DNA. Unless the safeguards against the synthesis of variola virus are strengthened, the capability to reintroduce smallpox into the human population will be globally distributed and either loosely or completely unregulated, providing the foundation for a disgruntled or radicalized scientist, sophisticated terrorist group, unscrupulous company, or rogue state to recreate one of humanity’s most feared microbial enemies. The reemergence of smallpox—because of a laboratory accident or an intentional release—would be a global health disaster. International organizations, national governments, the DNA synthesis industry, and the synthetic biology community all have a role to play in devising new approaches to preventing the reemergence of smallpox. 

Link

International Course on Biosafety Principles

19 Jun 2017 12:08 PM

In September this year, an international course concerning the principles of biosafety will be organized by the University of Antwerp, Ghent University, the Université de Namur and the Institute of Tropical Medicine, in collaboration with the Biosafety and Biotechnology Unit of the Scientific Institute of Public Health and the company Perseus.

Flyer

https://www.uantwerpen.be/en/summer-schools/principles-of-biosafety/ 

Public Symposium on Gene Drive Technology

29 May 2017 11:34 AM

The Swiss Academy of Natural Sciences (SCNAT) organises a meeting on gene drives on September 18th 2017 in Ittigen. Further details may be found at the following link or here.

• Congrés national de la SFM

22 May 2017 11:19 AM

The French society of microbiology (SFM) will celebrate its 80th anniversary during the 13th national congress held from Monday 9th to Wednesday 11th October 2017 in Paris at the "Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie".

One theme will be dedicated to biosafety and biosecurity.

Don't hesitate to submit your abstract for poster or oral communication (deadline: 30th June 2017)

Click here to access to the preliminary program

• Swiss Academies Report "Misuse potential and biosecurity in life sciences research"

22 May 2017 11:16 AM

Swiss Academies Report 12 (3)

Misuse potential and biosecurity in life sciences research 

A discussion basis for scientists on how to address the dual use dilemma of biological research

https://naturalsciences.ch/service/publications/89034-misuse-potential-and-biosecurity-in-life-sciences-research

 The report is availalbe in English, French, German and Italian (you can switch to different languages at the top right corner).

• 20th Annual Meeting - EBSA Conference - "The Diverse World of Biosafety"

31 Mar 2017 7:54 AM

This year's EBSA conference will take place in Madrid, Spain between April 25^th and 28^th. For further information please see the following link.

• Guidelines for Biosafety in Teaching Laboratories

31 Mar 2017 7:47 AM

The safe handling of microorganisms in the teaching laboratory is a top priority. However, in the absence of a standard set of biosafety guidelines tailored to the teaching laboratory, individual educators and institutions have been left to develop their own plans. This has resulted in a lack of consistency, and differing levels of biosafety practices across institutions. Influenced by the lack of clear guidelines and a recent outbreak of Salmonella infections that was traced backed to teaching laboratory exposures, the Education Board of the American Society for Microbiology charged a task force to develop a uniform set of biosafety guidelines for working with microorganisms in the teaching laboratory. These guidelines represent best practices for safely handling microbes, based on the safety requirements found in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC)'s Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL). Guidelines for safely handling microbes at both biosafety level 1 (BSL1) and at biosafety level 2 (BSL2) were developed. The guidelines are brief by design for ease of use and provide educators with a clear and consistent way to safely work with microorganisms in the teaching laboratory.

Link

• Symposium: Misuse of biological research: Do we need to be concerned?

10 Jan 2017 10:57 AM

The symposium will take place on Friday, February 3rd 2017, 14:00 - 16:00, Campus Irchel, University of Zurich.

More information may be found here.

• White House announces review process for risky virus studies

10 Jan 2017 10:55 AM

Federal officials today released a plan to help U.S. agencies decide whether to fund controversial studies that make viruses more dangerous. The guidance may finally bring an end to a moratorium that has kept a handful of experiments funded by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on hold for more than 2 years.

The policy may be found here.

23 Dec 2016 7:13 AM

Hazardous substance information system of the German Social Accident Insurance

The GESTIS Biological Agents Database contains information for safe activities with biological agents at the workplace, e.g. the required technical, organisational and personal protection measures in the case of specific activities in laboratories, biotechnology and the husbandry of laboratory animals. It also supplies information on important properties of the various biological agents, e.g. their occurrence and pathogenic properties. It contains data on about 15000 biological agents. Information on activities in other sectors where biological agents may possibly occur (so-called "non-specific" activities, e.g. litter service or waste water industry) can be found in non-specific activity data sheets.

Link

• Guidance Document on Chemical Inactivation

21 Oct 2016 2:58 PM

A new guidance document on the chemical inactivation of organisms in liquids may be found on the following website (only German).

• Securité et sureté biologiques - Journée de brainstorming

20 Oct 2016 10:35 AM

French authorities are organising a brainstorming event focusing on biosafety and biosecurity on November 24^th 2017. The event is free of charge and open to all. More information may be obtained via the following link.

• 32nd International Congress on Occupational Health

19 Oct 2016 10:03 AM

The 32^nd International Congress on Occupational Health will take place in Dublin, Ireland, between April 29^th and May 4^th 2018. More information may be found under the following link: http://icoh2018.org/wp/

Symposium at the Geneva Centre for Emerging Viral Diseases

12 Sep 2016 4:04 PM

The Geneva Centre for Emerging Viral Diseases will holding a symposium on "Understanding Emerging Viral Diseases and and Their Public Health Impact" on November 3^rd and 4^th. More information may be found here.

ABSA launches new risk group app

31 Aug 2016 5:32 PM

ABSA International created an app for the ABSA Risk Group Database, which is available for Apple and Android devices. The app will allow users to access the ABSA Risk Group Database on their mobile devices. 

The ABSA Risk Group Database consists of international risk group classifications for Bacteria, Viruses, Fungi, and Parasites. In many countries, including the United States, infectious agents are categorized in risk groups based on their relative risk. Depending on the country and/or organization, this classification system might take the following factors into consideration: pathogenicity of the organism; mode of transmission and host range; availability of effective preventive measures (e.g., vaccines); availability of effective treatment (e.g., antibiotics); and other factors.

iPhone and iPad Instructions:

You can download the Risk Group Database app in the Apple iTunes store by searching for "Risk Group Database app."

Android Instructions:
You can download the Risk Group Database app in the Google Play Store by searching for "Risk Group Database."

The app only works when your device is connected to the internet.

Please send any comments or suggestions about the app to info@absa.org. An update is being planned for early October

ABSA International would like to express our sincere gratitude to the fellows at the National Biosafety and Biocontainment Program (NBBTP) for updating the ABSA Risk Group Database.

NSABB Recommendations for the Evaluation and Oversight of Proposed GOF Research

11 Jul 2016 2:13 PM

In May, the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) approved  recommendations for the evaluation and oversight of proposed Gain of Function Research of Concern (GOFROC), following a process involving a risk/benefit and ethical analysis and several public meetings. The recommendations focus on a small subset of Gain of Function (GOF) research proposals, or research generating a pathogen with pandemic potential that entails risks that warrant additional oversight beyond the current oversight. Decisions about whether to fund GOFROC would be based on a set of principles, including merit, a risk/benefit analysis, consideration of alternative methods, history of the investigator and the institution, ability to respond to lab accidents, and whether an organism contains a virulence gene from another organism with which it could not recombine in nature. Oversight of GOFROC would apply to all microorganisms meeting these criteria, not just GOF research with influenza, MERS and SARS virus, which are currently subject to a pause of research funding. The new evaluations would occur pre-funding to determine whether or not a GOFROC study should be undertaken. 

The NSABB report is available here. The next step is approval by the NIH director, HHS Secretary and other department heads. The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) will then develop new guidance for funding and oversight of GOF research. OSTP hopes to complete an overarching structure for GOF research and then to lift the year and a half funding pause on certain projects involving influenza, SARS and MERS, which is viewed as discouraging to the field of infectious diseases. The NSABB expressed satisfaction with the recommendations, as an affirmation that GOF research has public benefit and that the new guidance will provide assurance to the public that this research will receive greater scrutiny and oversight, although a regulatory approach and new statutes are not desirable.

Researcher Infected With Zika Virus During Laboratory Accident in Pittsburgh

13 Jun 2016 7:00 AM

With Zika Virus grabbing the attention of the general public, here some links to recent laboratory-associated infections involving Zika virus:

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2016/06/needle-stick-infects-lab-worker-zika-virus

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/researcher-infected-zika-virus-laboratory-accident-pittsburgh/story?id=39736836

http://www.post-gazette.com/news/health/2016/06/09/Fourth-case-of-Zika-virus-reported-in-Allegheny-County/stories/201606090159

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/11/science/lab-worker-in-pittsburgh-is-accidentally-infected-with-zika-virus.html?_r=0

2nd Train the Trainer for Biosafety Professionals Workshop announced

18 Apr 2016 11:38 AM

Due to immense interest in our first "Train the Trainer Course for Biosafety Professionals", we decided to offer another opportunity for interested parties to join our course. Please see the events page for more details. Once again, to offer the best possible interaction between attendees and trainers, registration is limited to 10 people.

Article on PPE

01 Mar 2016 7:20 AM

Here is a link to a review on face shields and their efficacy in infection control:

Article

Abstract

Face shields are personal protective equipment devices that are used by many workers (e.g., medical, dental, veterinary) for protection of the facial area and associated mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth) from splashes, sprays, and spatter of body fluids. Face shields are generally not used alone, but in conjunction with other protective equipment and are therefore classified as adjunctive personal protective equipment. Although there are millions of potential users of face shields, guidelines for their use vary between governmental agencies and professional societies and little research is available regarding their efficacy.

EBSA‘s 19th Annual Conference in Lille

17 Feb 2016 11:13 AM

This year's EBSA conference will take place in Lille, France between April 19^th and 22^nd. For further information please see the following link.