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2017 ChABSA Pre-Symposium Workshops 

June 13, 2017

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ChABSA is pleased to offer this year's pre-symposium workshops*.

 

How to Respond Emergency Situations in Biocontainment Laboratories - Dave Harbourt (4 Hours Morning Session)

This course is intended to cover some basic information of emergency response situations along with the key features of a containment laboratory that may be affected during an emergency situation.  This course will go over the key aspects of an HVAC, building electrical design, and plumbing systems.    This will not be an engineering course; it is intended to be a brief overview so biosafety professionals understand the right questions to ask during emergency situations.

 

Practical Strategies for Improving the Safety Culture of your Institution- Julie Zobel/Diann Stedman (4 Hours Morning Session)

A logical approach to evaluating the safety culture of your institution and implementing meaningful improvements.  As result of completing this course, the participant will be able to:  Evaluate the safety culture at their institution, Develop a proactive strategy for implementing changes and improvements in the culture, Use a risk based approach to prioritizing improvements, Employ effective methods for educating, engaging and empowering stakeholders, and utilize meaningful metrics to document changes and improvements in the safety culture.

Risk Assessment Considerations for Cutting Edge Fluorescent Microscopy Techniques - Jennifer Goodnight/Meghan Seltzer (4 Hours Afternoon Session)

From increased resolution to longer imaging sessions for live cell imaging to better in vivo imaging techniques, the field of microscopy is rapidly changing.  The types of fluorescent microscopes being developed today push the boundaries of physics, chemistry, and biology.  In this course, we will discuss the importance of the advances in microscopy over the past few decades and how “modern” microscopes differ from traditional fluorescence microscopes.  As these systems become commercially available, it will be important for safety professionals to understand the unique features of these microscopes and the integrated risk assessment approach needed to mitigate their hazards.  We will discuss through lectures and case studies how to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment for new microscopy systems.  We will also cover laser safety basics including but not limited to:  hazard assessment, selection of personal protect equipment, laser enclosures and curtains, signage, standard operating procedures, institutional policies, and relevant safety standards.  We will also discuss considerations for biological hazards on these microscopes such as manipulation of the samples on the scopes, how to disinfect microscope parts, sample transport, signage, standard operating procedures, research collaborations, and room ventilation.  Finally, we will discuss some of the other hazards associated with imaging techniques such as electrical, chemical, and other physical hazards. 

Synthetic Biology, Genome Editing Technologies, and Gene Drives - Catherine Mancini (4 Hours Afternoon Session)

This course will provide a broad background and overview of biosafety and biosecurity concerns involving synthetic biology, gene-editing techniques, and gene drives. The course will provide an overview of the most common gene editing techniques [including Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas system, Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases (TALENs), Zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and other systems] and how they are being used in modern biological research. This course will also discuss the emerging field of gene drives, which is when a genetic element spreads through a population of organisms over generations despite providing no reproductive advantage to the organism. Participants will have an opportunity to participate in activities and discuss case studies on these topics.

*Classes subject to cancelation due to low enrollment, speaker difficulty or at the discretion of the ChABSA council.

This four-hour course will provide a broad background and overview of biosafety and biosecurity concerns involving synthetic biology, gene-editing techniques, and gene drives. The course will provide an overview of the most common gene editing techniques [including Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)/Cas system, Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases (TALENs), Zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs) and other systems] and how they are being used in modern biological research. This course will also discuss the emerging field of gene drives, which is when a genetic element spreads through a population of organisms over generations despite providing no reproductive advantage to the organism. Participants will have an opportunity to participate in activities and discuss case studies on these topics.