COVID-19

Reporting all biosafety errors could improve labs worldwide – and increase public trust in biological research

David Gillum, Kathleen Vogel, Rebecca Moritz The origin of SARS-CoV-2 remains a mystery. One theory is that the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 was transmitted from animals to humans – a fairly common occurrence. Another is that it came from a laboratory accident – a more infrequent circumstance. Around the world, scientists conduct many kinds of biological research experiments – from basic studies exploring how living systems operate to synthesizing novel organisms. Applications range from developing medical treatments to protecting the food supply to modifying bacteria to cleaning up oil spills and much more. A subset of experiments may also involve [...]

jay@irnoise.com2021-10-12T18:12:49-05:00October 12th, 2021|

The State Press: Behind the quick turnaround of ASU’s COVID-19 test

ABSA International2020-09-21T16:11:14-05:00September 15th, 2020|

New COVID-19 Resource: Brochure available on planning events during a pandemic

ABSA International is pleased to provide a brochure to assist organizations with providing a safe and healthy environment during periods when infectious diseases are of concern, such as the current COVID-19 pandemic. The information included serves as a guide for organizations to plan activities involving community members, volunteers, or others where personal interaction is slated to occur. COVID-19 and Your Community: How to plan an event during a pandemic (PDF 2MB)

ABSA International2020-09-09T07:21:15-05:00August 31st, 2020|

COVID-19 Joint Statement from ABSA International and CABS

May 4, 2020 Dear CABS and ABSA International Members and Partners, As leaders of the Canadian Association for Biological Safety (CABS) and ABSA International, we deeply appreciate the valuable work of our members and partners during this critical response to coronavirus disease (COVID-19). As neighbors, we plan to cultivate a strong relationship and encourage collaboration between the organizations and our members. As we know, viruses don’t respect borders so it is important to work together to ensure good biosafety and biosecurity practices. ABSA International and CABS would like to share the following resources with all of you and plan to [...]

ABSA International2020-07-29T15:02:34-05:00May 4th, 2020|

COVID-19 Joint Statement from ABSA International and AALAS

April 16, 2020 Dear AALAS and ABSA International Members and Partners, As leaders of AALAS and ABSA International, we deeply appreciate the valuable work of our members and partners during this critical response to coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Both professions, in most cases working together, are fighting to keep our workplaces and communities safe during the pandemic. ABSA International’s resources in biosafety and biosecurity and AALAS’s educational resources in laboratory animal science are both important to fighting the epidemic. ABSA International and AALAS want to share the following resources with all of you and plan to continue collaboration to assist [...]

ABSA International2024-01-15T17:52:36-06:00April 16th, 2020|

ABSA in the News: Embrace experimentation in biosecurity governance

Embrace experimentation in biosecurity governance Sam Weiss Evans, Jacob Beal, Kavita Berger, Diederik A. Bleijs, Alessia Cagnetti, Francesca Ceroni, Gerald L. Epstein, Natàlia Garcia-Reyero, David R. Gillum, Graeme Harkess, Nathan J. Hillson, Petra A. M. Hogervorst, Jacob L. Jordan, Geneviève Lacroix, Rebecca Moritz, Seán S. ÓhÉigeartaigh, Megan J. Palmer and Mark W. J. van Passel Science 368 (6487), 138-140. DOI: 10.1126/science.aba2932 Science Vol 368, Issue 6487 10 April 2020 Summary As biological research and its applications rapidly evolve, new attempts at the governance of biology are emerging, challenging traditional assumptions about how science works and who is responsible for [...]

ABSA International2020-05-22T13:36:34-05:00April 10th, 2020|

Decontamination and Reuse of N95 Respirators with Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor to Address Worldwide Personal Protective Equipment Shortages During the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Pandemic

Decontamination and Reuse of N95 Respirators with Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor to Address Worldwide Personal Protective Equipment Shortages During the SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Pandemic (PDF April 2020) Antony Schwartz et al. Duke University, Applied Biosafety: Journal of ABSA International This manuscript has been accepted to Applied Biosafety, publication forthcoming. This is a peer reviewed preprint and once the final publication is posted on the Sage website ABSA will provide a link for immediate open access. Download

ABSA International2020-05-22T13:36:19-05:00March 27th, 2020|

COVID-19 Joint Statement from ABSA International and APHL

March 26, 2020 Dear APHL and ABSA International Members and Partners, As leaders of APHL and ABSA International, we deeply appreciate the valuable work of our members and partners during this critical response to coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Both professions, in most cases working together, are fighting to keep our workplaces and communities safe during the pandemic. ABSA International’s resources in biosafety and biosecurity and APHL’s resources in public health and preparedness and response are both important to fighting the epidemic. ABSA International and APHL want to share the following resources with all of you and plan to continue collaboration to [...]

ABSA International2024-01-15T17:52:36-06:00March 26th, 2020|

COVID-19 Joint Statement from ABSA International and AIHA

March 24, 2020 Dear AIHA and ABSA International Members and Friends, As leaders of AIHA and ABSA International, we would like to jointly show our appreciation for our members during this tenuous time and the critical work they do for the global community. Both professions, in most cases working jointly together, are keeping our workplaces and communities safe. ABSA International’s resources in biosafety and biosecurity as well as AIHA’s resources in industrial hygiene are crucial to both professions and the community at large. ABSA International and AIHA want to share our resources with each organization’s members and plan to continue [...]

ABSA International2024-01-15T17:52:36-06:00March 24th, 2020|

ABSA in the News: Q&A: Coronavirus and COVID-19 Basics

Lumpen radio host Jamie Trecker interviews biosafety officer Allen Helm The following is an edited transcript of an interview with bacteriologist Allen Helm, a senior biosafety officer in the Office of Research Safety at the University of Chicago, about the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, conducted by host Jamie Trecker. The interview aired on March 11 on Lumpen Radio, WLPN: 105.5 FM. Reprinted with permission. ✶ ✶ ✶ ✶ Jamie Trecker: We wanted to try to talk to someone who deals with bugs [pathogens] in the laboratory and has some insight into biosafety. So I’m really pleased to welcome the [...]

ABSA International2020-05-22T13:35:48-05:00March 20th, 2020|