Public Relations and Marketing (PRM) - September 2024

Chair: Robin Tobias
Co-Chair: Daniela Didier

PRM has been actively partnering with the ABSA Public Relations Firm and has applied the information learned through this collaboration to the existing Media Toolkit Project in progress. We continue to work on Biosafety and Biosecurity Month as an opportunity for our community to recognize, reflect, promote, and advocate for biosafety and biosecurity in research and healthcare. Our goal for this year is to create new resources and showcase past project examples that could be accessed by ABSA members to share and promote the event at their respective institutions. We will use social media as a platform to distribute important messages and reminders throughout the month of October to highlight Biosafety and Biosecurity Month. We continue to work on projects that frame biosafety, biosecurity, and biological research in a positive way. We are interested in learning more about public relations and marketing, then applying this information to new initiatives.

Member Resources Committee (MRC) - September 2024

Chairs: Dee Zimmerman and Betsy Weirich

The Member Resources Committee (MRC) has instituted the New Member Outreach Program, a personal communication between the new member and the MRC volunteers. The purpose is to welcome them to ABSA International and provide a point of contact for questions and chats. Our hope is that this will encourage new members to become more comfortable and involved with ABSA.

Affiliate Relations Committee - September 2024

Co-Chairs: Lia Vizzotti and Parimala Arokiaraj

The Affiliate Relations Committee has been actively scouting for fresh candidates to join our network. If you, as an ABSA International member, know of any biosafety associations in your region, we encourage you to nominate them!

Here’s the website if you are seeking more information about the affiliate program at ABSA.

Looking forward to seeing members in person at the conference this fall.

Affiliate Relations Committee - June 2024

Co-Chairs: Lia Vizzotti and Parimala Arokiaraj

We have been actively scouting for fresh candidates to join our network. If you, as an ABSA International member, know of any biosafety associations in your region, we encourage you to nominate them!

Member Resources Committee - June 2024

Chairs: Dee Zimmerman and Betsy Weirich

The Member Resources Committee is currently working on an outreach process to provide new members with a point of contact to engage and facilitate access to ABSA resources, as well as a friendly face at the annual conference. The list of recommended courses for incoming biosafety professionals is being updated and will be posted in the coming weeks. The list will include the 2024 professional development courses for both in-person and virtual offerings and upcoming webinars.

Public Relations and Marketing (PRM) - January 2024

Chair: Robin Tobias
Co-Chair: Daniela Didier

The Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PRM) is happy to welcome new members this year as well as a new rotation of Chair and Co-Chair. We are actively involved in partnering with the ABSA public relations firm and plan to apply the information learned through this collaboration to the existing media toolkit that we previously developed before circulating. We continue to work on Biosafety and Biosecurity Month as an opportunity for our community to recognize, reflect, promote, and advocate for biosafety and biosecurity in research and healthcare. We are in the beginning stages of planning new projects that will frame biosafety, biosecurity, and biological research in a positive way. Other ongoing projects include participation in a joint webinar with the APHL on laboratory design and construction and providing resources to the ABSA community in the form of templates, blog posts, etc. PRM is also interested in diversity, equity, and inclusion both in terms of how it applies to ABSA members and to the people we serve at our respective institutions.

Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) - January 2024

Co-Chairs: Lia Vizzotti and Parimala Arokiaraj

The Affiliates Committee is pleased to announce that the Brazilian Biosafety & Biosecurity Society (SB3) has been approved as an affiliate of our organization. SB3’s commitment to promoting biosafety and biosecurity aligns perfectly with our mission, and we believe that their expertise and contributions will greatly enhance our efforts in this field. We extend our warmest welcome to SB3 and look forward to a fruitful collaboration in the future.

We are currently working with the Eurasian Biosafety Society who have expressed interest in becoming an affiliate.

In 2024, the committee plans to meet with the chairs of the affiliate groups. The purpose of these meetings would be to exchange ideas and resources with other local/regional associations.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium (EIDC) - January 2024

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

EIDC Toolboxes (https://absa.org/toolboxes/) continue to be updated monthly with the most recent resources. Below are the new resources added in the second half of 2023:

• New toolboxes compiling information on recent outbreaks including Other Zoonotic Agents and Parasites
• The Labroots Video featured during the 2023 ABSA Annual Conference: Introducing the EIDC Toolbox recording was posted to the Toolbox website—this is an introduction to the Toolboxes, what they are, and how to use them in conducting your risk assessments.

Betsy Gilman Duane and Ed Stygar continue to pursue the goal of restoring the ABSA-OSHA Alliance, which produced various useful resources over several years.

Member Resources Committee (MRC) - January 2024

Chairs: Dee Zimmerman and Betsy Weirich

Member Resources Committee (MRC) had a productive meeting during the ABSA conference this year. Several ABSA members attended.

The MRC facilitates the relationship between members within ABSA International. The MRC supports and enhances biosafety and biosecurity knowledge by providing sustained opportunities for biosafety and biosecurity communication, education, and mentoring.

Responsibilities/Initiatives include assisting members with getting involved in ABSA teams and committees; highlighting training opportunities and resources for members new to the biosafety profession; facilitating mentorship opportunities for new and existing members and developing the mentorship program guidelines; and hosting the new member reception and other activities to welcome new members at the annual ABSA conference.

The MRC provides resources for new and existing ABSA members. There have been two successful mentee/mentor placements over the last 2 years. MRC met with the credentialing board during the open session to determine how we can collaborate to help new members complete applications for RBP/CBSP credentials. The long-term goal for MRC was shared—to be more inclusive of international members; welcoming them, helping them get involved, and finding mentorship opportunities for them alongside our domestic members.

Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) - September 2023

Co-Chairs: Lia Vizzotti and Parimala Arokiaraj

1. Application from the Brazilian Association:

   We have received an application from the Brazilian Association for affiliation with our organization. The application was reviewed and approved by the committee members. It was carefully evaluated to ensure the affiliates’ mission and goals align with ABSA’s values. Final approval for affiliation will come from the ABSA Council.

2. Prospective Affiliate from Eurasia:

   In our ongoing efforts to expand our global network, we have reached out to a potential affiliate from Eurasia. We have initiated contact with the organization to explore the possibility of establishing a partnership. This exciting opportunity has the potential to strengthen our presence in the region and promote collaboration on shared goals.

As the Affiliates Committee, our main objective is to foster meaningful connections with organizations that share our vision and can contribute to our mission. We believe that these recent developments signify progress towards achieving our goals, and we are enthusiastic about the potential positive impact these affiliations can bring.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PRM) - September 2023

Chair: Danielle Rintala
Co-Chair: Robin Tobias

PRM is working to prepare for Biosafety and Biosecurity Month through finalizing a permanent graphic to represent the month that can be reused annually. Biosafety and Biosecurity Month is recognized in October annually and is an opportunity for our community to recognize, reflect, promote, and advocate for biosafety and biosecurity in research and healthcare. We are also developing a Media Toolkit to provide resources for interfacing with the media for biosafety and biosecurity professionals. We look forward to October and to see you at the Conference. 

Member Resources Committee (MRC) - September 2023

Chairs: Dee Zimmerman and Betsy Weirich

The MRC has posted the recommended listing of Preconference and Virtual courses for biosafety professionals entering the profession. MRC is seeking ABSA members that would be interested in mentoring, please email info@absa.org with your information which will be forwarded to the MRC. 

Public Relations and Marketing Committee - June 2023

Chair: Danielle Rintala
Co-Chair: Robin Tobias

The Public Relations and Marketing Committee has been busy shifting its strategy to focus more on the public relations piece of our group this year. We are exploring training opportunities so we can learn more about public relations. We are working on a media toolkit to help guide biosafety and biosecurity professionals when they are approached by the press or other media outlets to make a statement, participate in an interview, etc. We are also beginning the stages of permanently shifting away from themed Biosafety and Biosecurity Month and more towards an inclusive, celebratory month-long event to use as an opportunity to highlight, leverage, recap, and spotlight biosafety and biosecurity. We are always welcoming new members and new ideas. If you would like to share your ideas with us, we welcome them.

Member Resources Committee (MRC) - June 2023

Chairs: Dee Zimmerman and Betsy Weirich

The MRC replaced the previous Membership and Mentoring Committees. They continue to review the current information on ABSA.org. The review results in updates to the website, making member information more comprehensive and easier to find. The MRC has completed the annual review of “New Member Welcome Letter” that is provided to new members. The updated list of recommended courses for incoming biosafety professionals is now posted at https://absa.org/membership/ under “New to the Biosafety Profession”. The list has a wide range of course material to support biosafety professionals. The mentorship program is under revision. Please contact the MRC if you are interested in either being mentored or taking the especially important role of a mentor. A current CV, description of your current job duties, and the areas of interest for mentoring should be provided to help the MRC identify a mentor. For more information, please contact info@absa.org. 

Member Resources Committee (MRC) - January 2023

Chairs: Dee Zimmerman, Betsy Weirich

The MRC met in October during the ABSA Annual Conference in Milwaukee. The committee reviewed the P&Ps with two new members and discussed the role of the MRC as advocates for the ABSA membership, encompassing both membership and mentoring. As advocates the MRC is available to support members during the credentialing process, provide guidance and information involving career development, as well as providing an avenue for ABSA members who are interested in a formal mentoring program. The MRC has posted recommended courses for those new to the biosafety profession, which can be found at Entering Biosafety Professional Recommended Course List. The list will be updated periodically as new courses become available. If you are interested in being a mentor or would like to be involved in the MRC, please go to the ABSA Get Involved form here and fill it out with your interest in the MRC.

ABSA Ambassadors - January 2023

Chair: David Harbourt
Co-Chair: Marian Downing

Karen Byers provided information at the NEBSA Symposium on October 22 about Applied Biosafety’s acceptance into PubMed. She also provided a preconference course on laboratory acquired infections (LAIs) at the November 4 Southern Biosafety Association Symposium.

Nicole Marlenee, Stephanie Kutz, and Mylissia Smith provided a 1-hour webinar for the Safety Committee of the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians at their national meeting (Oct. 8). The topic was “Biorisk Management Topics in the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory and Necropsy Suite,” and this was attended by 33 safety representatives. This webinar was a joint effort with APHL.

Membership Resources Committee (MRC) - September 2022

Chairs: Dee Zimmerman and Betsy Weirich

The MRC has been reviewing the current information on ABSA.org and my.ABSA.org. The review will result in updates to the websites with information for the MRC. The Membership Resources Committee is a new committee that replaces the previous Membership and Mentoring Committees. The MRC can be found under Groups on the my.ABSA.org page.

MRC will be introducing new members to the benefits of ABSA International with the “New Member Welcome Letter.” A recommended list of basic courses for incoming biosafety professionals is now being posted under MRC. The list has a wide range of course material to support biosafety professionals. Please reach out to MRC should you have any questions. The mentorship program is running so please contact the MRC if you are interested in either being mentored or taking the especially important role of mentor.

The MRC is working with the ABSA Office in support of the New Member Reception at the ABSA Conference in Milwaukee. The reception will be on Sunday evening so please check the program for the time and location. MRC looks forward to meeting our new members in-person.

Membership Resources Committee - June 2022

Chairs: Dee Zimmerman and Betsy Weirich

The Membership Resources Committee (MRC) facilitates the relationship of members within ABSA International. The MRC supports and enhances biosafety and biosecurity knowledge by providing sustained opportunities for biosafety and biosecurity communication, education, and mentoring.

ABSA Ambassadors - June 2022

Chairs: David Harbourt and Marian Downing

The Ambassadors Committee is currently looking for additional volunteers to join the committee and continue our mission of outreach and awareness of biosafety and ABSA International. The committee is also reviewing the policies and procedures along with updates to presentations used for ABSA outreach.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PR/M) - June 2022

Chairs: Danielle Rintala and Robin Tobias

The Public Relations and Marketing Committee is pleased to announce plans for this year’s Biosafety and Biosecurity Month. We would like to focus on the core components of what October should be used to highlight at their institutions: ethical research, transparency, training, engagement, and stewardship of biosafety and biosecurity. We feel that after the last 2-1/2 years, it is vital for both of us as professionals and for the ABSA organization to really bring it back to the core of who we are, what we do, and how we can support an environment of safe science at our institutions. We invite each committee within ABSA to consider what they would like to spotlight during October to support this plan from the vast wealth of tools, resources, and more that you have developed for ABSA, and we invite our membership to consider how they would like to spotlight their Biosafety and Biosecurity Programs at their institutions. We are finalizing graphics to use for Biosafety and Biosecurity Month and will be sharing resources through the link: absa.org/biosafety-biosecurity-month/. We welcome feedback, ideas, and comments about Biosafety and Biosecurity Month. We also have been working on creating a list of Subject Matter Experts in Biosafety and Biosecurity. If you know of someone who knows their stuff about a specific subject area, or you are a subject matter expert, please let us know.

ABSA Ambassadors - January 2022

Chairs: David Harbourt, Marian Downing

Most volunteer activities continue to be remote, due to the pandemic. Karen Byers presented on HIV research biosafety to the Boston Biosafety Working Group in September. The BSWG forum is organized by the Boston Public Health Commission to foster communication with EMS, fire, police, BL3 lab managers. Karen also met with AMEXBIO to tape a 1- hour presentation on “Risk Assessment for Clinical and Research Labs during COVID” and had a Q & A session with AMEXBIO leadership. Jairo Betancourt has been advising AMEXBIO for the last 2 years on the implementation of their virtual conferences, contributing lectures and helping with the selection of speakers. AMEXBIO speakers included Patty Olinger, John Lowe, and Esmeralda Meyer on topics ranging from biosafety support for clinical care to OHS challenges during the pandemic.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PR/M) - January 2022

Chairs: Danielle Rintala and Robin Tobias

Public Relations and Marketing thanks everyone for their participation in Biosafety and Biosecurity Month. We also appreciate feedback about graphics and information provided during October. We invite our community of professionals to share ideas with us to consider for 2022 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month, public relations outreach, and marketing initiatives. We would also like to invite any biosafety and biosecurity professionals interested in public relations and marketing to join our committee.

ABSA Ambassadors - October 2021

Chair: David Harbourt

Most volunteer activities continue to be remote, due to the pandemic. In July, Lolly Gardiner gave a 2.5-hour presentation/workshop on the Biosafety Profession to university students for the American Society of Virology. Scott Patlovich is serving on the IBC for Rice University as a community member. He also gave a 1-hour virtual presentation to the IOSH Singapore Branch in September entitled “Biorisk management successes and challenges in biomedical laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) - October 2021

Chairs: Lia Vizzotti and Parimala Arokiaraj

The affiliate committee is working with the Ambassador committee to provide information as needed to keep the community informed.

International Engagement Committee (IEC) - October 2021

Chair: Eric Cook

The IEC is working closely with the TTR committee to do a comparative review of the new WHO edition and highlight changes in the same manner the BMBL editions were evaluated. The IEC continues to work in translating COVID documents into different languages to provide tools for the biosafety community.

Mentoring Committee - October 2021

Chair: Althea Treacy

The mentoring committee has matched several ABSA members with mentors. They are also continuing to look for more mentors to support the ABSA community.

ABSA Ambassadors - July 2021

Chairs: David Harbourt and Marian Downing

Outreach opportunities for speakers have dwindled during the pandemic, but some members were able to spread the word about ABSA and the field of Biosafety/Biosecurity. Scott Patlovich serves as a Community Member on the Rice University IBC. Marian Downing serves as a Community Member on the UTMB (University of Texas Medical Branch) IBC and the Johnson Space Center Biosafety Committee. Sherry Bohn serves as a Community Member on the USAMRIID IBC. Sherry also presented to several 3rd and 4th grade science classes in her community on “What is a Biosafety Professional?” Barb Owen serves as a member of the NBBTP Scientific Advisory Board, mentoring biosafety fellows. Barb presented on “Biosecurity Successes in an International Pharmaceutical Company” for the 2021 ABSA Virtual Biosecurity Symposium. Melissa Morland (ABSA Update) and Barb Owen (Implementing a Biosecurity Program at a Pharmaceutical Institution) presented on June 9 at the 2021 ChABSA Annual Scientific Virtual Symposium.

Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) - July 2021

Chairs: Lia Vizzotti and Parimala Arokiaraj

The Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) is represented by 14 members who are engaged in biosafety work in hospitals, biomedical research, government, academia, and consulting. 2020 was unusually quiet due to the pandemic. The group of members offered COVID 19 assistance through ABSA to reach out to members worldwide where needed. The new affiliates formed in 2019 were:

• Approved, Northern California ABSA
• In review with ABSA Council, Swiss Biosafety Network
• In review with ABSA Council, Argentine Association for Microbiology
• Potential Affiliate, Malaysia ABSA
• Potentially Affiliate, Tanzania

Since the 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference was virtual, the committee did not get a chance to meet in 2020. We will convene in 2021 through.

Public Relations/Marketing Committee (PR/M) - July 2021

Chairs: Eric Rouse and Danielle Rintala

The PR/M is working on all the logistics of the 2021 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month. The theme for 2021 is “Innovation in Biosafety and Biosecurity”. Additional information about the biosafety and biosecurity month activities will be forthcoming.

International Engagement Committee (IEC) - January 2021

Chairs: Eric Cook and Anne-Sophie Brocard

This year the International Engagement Committee (IEC) developed and implemented a mentoring program for the ABSA International membership called Biorisk Management Connect (BRM Connect). It was piloted at the 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Virtual Conference. The project team members conducted an orientation for the newly selected mentors and mentees on November 6, 2020 at the conclusion of the ABSA virtual conference. BRM Connect has representation from Kenya, Malaysia, Egypt, and several states within the United States of America. Visit the ABSA website to see the 2020 BRM Connect cohort at: absaconference.org/brmconnect. The event included a “getting-to-know” session, tips on project planning and successful mentoring, speakers from the Sandia “Twinning Program” to share their mentoring experiences, and a breakout session for the mentor/mentee(s) for planning their goals and objectives. Since the orientation, mentors and mentees have been regularly meeting to finalize their goals and have been diligently working on implementing the project within the next 3-6 months. We look forward to the mentors and mentees presenting their projects at the next ABSA conference and/or publishing in ABSA’s Applied Biosafety Journal. Good luck mentors and mentees!

Public Relations /Marketing Committee (PR/M) - January 2021

Chairs: Eric Rouse and Danielle Rintala

The Public Relations/Marketing Committee (PR/M) would like to thank everyone for a successful annual conference and all the effort put into Biosafety and Biosecurity Month 2020, “The Role of Biosafety and Biosecurity in Mitigating Emerging Risk.” We know this year has been challenging for everyone both personally and professionally; however, we would like to commend the Biosafety and Biosecurity Community for all the work that they have done in supporting their peers, organizations, and communities.

Membership Committee - January 2021

Chairs: Malissa Mayer-Diaz and Kelly Flint

The Membership Committee continues to work with the ABSA International Office and Council to ensure the new members of ABSA are given the support they need. New Emeritus Membership applications are being accepted and processed as needed. We look forward to working with the International Engagement Committee to create Conference Buddies to help new members (both international and U.S. based) in navigating their time at the ABSA International annual conference. As always, we are looking for new members to the committee who will bring their ideas on how to engage the whole ABSA International membership.

Mentoring Committee - January 2021

Chairs: Althea Treacy and Rebecca Moritz

The Mentoring Committee continues to work on the forum, creating a space where people can ask questions and get them answered by a biosafety professional.

ABSA Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) - January 2021

Chairs: Lia Vizzotti and Parimala Arokiaraj

The ABSA Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) is unusual in that it only has work to do when another group requests to be affiliated with ABSA. The Affiliate group has collaborated with the International Engagement Committee to have the COVID ABSA trifold translated.

International Engagement Committee (IEC) - September 2020

Chairs: Eric Cook and Anne-Sophie Brocard

The International Engagement Committee (IEC) is working hard to enhance the upcoming virtual 63rd ABSA Conference. They are looking at a variety of ideas to encourage international attendees to come to the ABSA Conference virtually and trying to pair up ABSA members who speak languages other than English with international attendees, particularly first-time attendees. Additionally, they are working to translate some of the COVID-19 toolbox resources, focusing on Spanish and Arabic, and branching out to other languages as possible.

Mentoring Committee - September 2020

Chairs: Althea Treacy and Sarah Ziegler

The Mentoring Committee continues to work on the forum, creating a space where people can ask questions and get them answered by a biosafety professional.

ABSA Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) - September 2020

Chairs: Lia Vizzotti and Parimala Arokiaraj

The ABSA Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) is unusual in that it only has work to do when another group requests to be affiliated with ABSA. While they did have one tentative request from an international group, that group has not responded recently. They are ready to assist as soon as they receive information.

ABSA Ambassadors - September 2020

Chair: Marian Downing

Many ABSA Ambassadors continue to self-isolate this quarter. Virtual activities included a Bloodborne Pathogen/COVID-19 session for Ronald McDonald volunteers given by Chris Thompson, and a session entitled "Lessons Learned in the Effluent Decontamination Selection Process" by David Harbourt for a joint ChABSA/AIHA meeting in March. Bob Ellis participated in 3 webinars for the CSU Center for Healthy Aging to answer community questions regarding public health safety and COVID-19. Ongoing activities by Ambassadors include Betsy Gilman Duane's work with S4NP (Safety for Non-Profits) towards a proposed webinar via the Massachusetts Non-Profit Network to review COVID-19 biosafety information. Karen Byers is working with COBTH (Conference of Boston Teaching Hospitals) on SARS-CoV-2 research reopening plans.

Public Relations and Marketing (PR/M) Committee - September 2020

Chairs: Eric Rouse and Danielle Rintala

The Public Relations and Marketing (PR/M) Committee hopes that this finds you and your membership/organization safe and healthy during this trying time. Each year, ABSA International sponsors Biosafety and Biosecurity Month to raise awareness about the importance of Biosafety and Biosecurity. To recognize the role biosafety and biosecurity professionals play in responding to emerging risks in our laboratories, institutions, and communities, the theme for 2020's Biosafety and Biosecurity Month is "The Role of Biosafety and Biosecurity in Mitigating Emerging Risk." The PR/M Committee is working to provide materials and resources for this year's theme. We are creating items optimized for remote usage, and these items will be available on the event webpage at https://absa.org/biosafety-biosecurity-month. We are also collaborating with a number of peer committees and task forces in support of various efforts to serve our community and to assist with the 2020 ABSA International Virtual Conference. We hope through collaboration to turn the unique challenges of 2020 into opportunities.

Membership Committee - September 2020

Chairs: Malissa Mayer-Diaz and Kelly Flint

The Membership Committee has been working with International Engagement Committee (IEC) on a buddy system for the conference, but those plans are rapidly changing due to the conference now being online only. They have approved multiple emeritus members.

International Engagement Committee (IEC) - June 2020

Chairs: Eric Cook, Anne-Sophie Brocard

The International Engagement Committee has been very busy reaching out to various ABSA International members to help with translating the materials in the Covid-19 Toolbox. They have also been gathering links and information from other sites and making it available to the international community. In addition, they are working to analyze the data on a survey that was sent out several months ago, which got responses from 19 countries. They also are working with the Mentoring Committee on a "buddy program" to help match international conference attendees with members who speak the same language, to help with networking and to make people feel more comfortable and welcome in the community.

Mentoring Committee - June 2020

Chairs: Althea Treacy, Sarah Ziegler

The Mentoring Committee is still working on adapting a forum for use for ABSA members only. It is live, but still in testing phase. They are working with the International Engagement Committee on a "buddy program" to encourage networking among new members/conference attendees, with a focus on partnering people who speak the same languages.

ABSA Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) - June 2020

Chairs: Lia Vizzotti, Parimala Arokiaraj

2019 was interesting for the committee as the following affiliates were reviewed:

• Approved, Northern California ABSA
• Approved, Swiss Biosafety Network

Our annual meeting at the 62nd ABSA Conference in Birmingham was well attended by representatives from the following affiliates NEBSA, FRABSA, Southern Biosafety Association, Canada, AMEXBIO, LBIONET, NORCAL, MID ATLANTIC, and SEBSA. Affiliates presented updates which included at least an annual symposium offered to the community and online training courses. All affiliates had scheduled conference calls throughout the year. In addition, the Mexico contingent offered help to their neighbors that ranged from organizing meetings to providing training or help with risk assessments. All these activities were on voluntary basis.

ABSA Ambassadors - June 2020

Chair: Marian Downing

Many ABSA Ambassadors were self-isolating this quarter. Anthony Schwartz gave an ABSA Update and covered 2019 Conference Highlights at the CaBSA meeting in February. Krista Murray gave an ABSA International/Biosafety overview at the February University of Delaware "Emergency Animal Management Course."

Public Relations and Marketing (PR/M) - June 2020

Chairs: Eric Rouse, Danielle Rintala

The Public Relations and Marketing Committee hopes this finds everyone in our ABSA family well and safe. We are in a time like no other and must adapt to best serve both our membership and the biosafety and biosecurity community at large. We are pleased to announce that the Council has approved the theme "The Role of Biosafety and Biosecurity in Mitigating Emerging Risk" as the theme of the 2020 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month. The committee is hard at work planning numerous resources addressing not only external risks but adaptation to the challenges that you, as Biosafety and Biosecurity Professionals, are facing in this rapidly evolving landscape. In this respect, we are also excited to report that the we are pursuing a number of collaborative efforts with our peer committees and task forces to create the resources to support you in accomplishing new goals, fulfilling developing roles, and sustaining your essential knowledge in biosafety and biosecurity. Stay safe, hang in there, and we look forward to seeing all of you soon!

ABSA International’s Promotional Videos and YouTube Channel - June 2020

Thanks to the Public Relations/Marketing Committee, ABSA has new promotional videos for ABSA and our ABSA Conference. The videos can be found at https://absa.org/ and on ABSA International's YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/xAQPZxMvqRY. Also, ABSA's YouTube channel has video interviews of conference presenters and keynotes. Feel free to share the video, use it in presentations, or link to it from your websites.

International Engagement Committee (IEC) - February 2020

Chair: Eric Cook
Co-chair: Anne-Sophie Brocard

The International Engagement Committee (IEC) has identified 8 general regions of the world and new contacts are identified by region. Different members of the committee specialize their focus and contacts in these regions to gain better familiarity with the biosafety practices and needs of these regions. The committee is focusing on engagement of new members during upcoming ABSA meetings, including setting up "one-on-one" meetups with international meeting attendees, to help the new attendee get the most of an event through networking. The committee has also sent out a survey for international nonmembers and is currently doing data analysis on over 300 returned surveys.

Mentoring Committee - February 2020

Chair: Althea Treacy
Co-chair: Sarah Ziegler

The Mentoring Committee is working on creating a new forum where people can post a specific biosafety or biosecurity question and have it answered by an acknowledged biosafety/biosecurity professional. It will not be like the Listserve, but instead will have target posts to get more subject matter expert input and be more organized to enable a reader to search for information. Current mentee requests are coming in slowly and the committee is working to identify the best way to match a mentor and a mentee.

Membership Committee - February 2020

Chair: Malissa Mayer-Diaz
Co-chair: Kelly Flint

The Membership Committee has added new members and continues to work with the ABSA International Office and Council to ensure the new members of ABSA are given the support they need. The Committee is working with the International Engagement committee to create Conference Buddies to help new members (both international and U.S.-based) in navigating their time at the ABSA International annual conference.

ABSA Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) - February 2020

Co-chairs: Lia Vizzotti and Parimala Arokiaraj

ABSA Affiliate Relations Committee (ARC) is represented by 14 members who are engaged in biosafety work in hospitals, biomedical research, government, academia and consulting.

2019 was interesting for the committee as the following affiliates were reviewed:

Approved, Northern California ABSA

Approved, Swiss Biosafety Network

In review with ABSA Council, Argentine Association for Microbiology

Potential Affiliate, Malaysia ABSA

Potential Affiliate, Tanzania

Our annual meeting at the 62nd ABSA conference in Birmingham was well attended by representatives from the following affiliates NEBSA, FRABSA, Southern Biosafety Association, Canada, AMEXBIO, LBIONET, NORCAL, MID ATLANTIC and SEBSA. Affiliates presented an update, which included at least an annual symposium offered to the community and online training courses. All affiliates had scheduled conference calls throughout the year. In addition, the Mexico contingent offered help to their neighbors that ranged from organizing meetings to providing training or help with risk assessments. All these activities were on voluntary basis.

ABSA Ambassadors - February 2020

Chair: Marian Downing

The ABSA Ambassadors continue to spread the word about ABSA and the Biosafety profession.
Meghan Seltzer gave an ABSA Update at the ChABSA Annual Symposium in June, and Marian Downing gave an ABSA Update at the Fall Southern Biosafety Association meeting in November.

Karen Byers spoke about Laboratory Acquired Infections at the AMEXBIO Meeting in November, and she also spoke to the 3rd Academic Meeting of the Life Science Institute (the Biomedical Engineering Forum of China) in November, covering the procedures and equipment used in analysis of LAI.

Melissa Morland spoke in April at the Biodefense Summit, Implementation of the National Biodefense Strategy, National Academy of Sciences in Washington DC, addressing ABSA's efforts to assist in Goal #2: Ensure Biodefense Enterprise Capabilities to Prevent Bioincidents.

Bob Hawley addressed Safety Culture and Climate! with a biosecurity panel composed of Georgetown University Graduate Students in the Biohazardous Threat Agents and Emerging Infectious Disease Program.

Eric Rouse participated in a free joint ABSA International and APHL webinar on October 31--ZOMBIES, MAD SCIENTISTS, AND SPACE WARS: Leveraging Pop Culture to Promote Staff Engagement with an Annual Laboratory Safety Fair as part of National Biosafety Month efforts.

Marian Downing spoke in October about ABSA Updates and Sandia Twinning at the UT School of Public Health, Infection Prevention and Biosafety Course.

In January 2020, Richard Gilpin gave a 2-hour technical seminar Legionella Risk Management for Safety Professionals at a joint meeting of ChABSA and the Potomac Section of AIHA in Gaithersburg MD.

Jim Klenner took the opportunity in January to speak about ABSA International to a group of BSOs in training in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PR/M) - February 2020

Chair: Eric Rouse
Co-chair: Danielle Rintala

The Public Relations and Marketing Committee would like to thank everyone for their efforts in making Biosafety and Biosecurity Month 2019 a success. From hosting events at your institutions, to contributing materials and interviews, we could not have accomplished so much without your support. At the 2019 conference in Birmingham, Alabama, we engaged membership with special "See Me" stickers to reinforce the theme of visibility. We would also like to express gratitude to those that submitted to the ABSA International Biosafety and Biosecurity Promotional Awards and allowing us to display their submissions at the conference. Additionally, we worked with the ABSA office to create an amusing series of biosafety/biosecurity themed magnets that were offered at the ABSA Store Conference Pop-up. If you missed them, they are available at the ABSA Store for purchase now.

We are looking forward to seeing more of the amazing work you do in 2020! This was ABSA International's second year coordinating Biosafety and Biosecurity Month, and we are already working excitedly on 2020's efforts.

International Engagement Committee (IEC) - September 2019

Co-chairs: Eric Cook and Anne-Sophie Brocard

The IEC has been working to develop a survey to distribute to biosafety professionals outside of the US. The survey will target those who are not members of ABSA International and will gather information to help inform leadership about the needs and interests of these professionals and how ABSA International can improve its services and image to grow internationally. Members of the committee have divided-up the world into eight regions and are gathering key contacts in these regions to help distribute the survey. The IEC is also working with other committees to help improve the experience for participants from outside the US at the ABSA Conference. If you have experience, contacts, language abilities and/or interest in international biosafety/ biosecurity, please contact education@absa.org to join or support the IEC in these efforts.

ABSA Ambassadors - September 2019

The ABSA Ambassadors continue to spread the word about ABSA and the Biosafety profession. David Gillum presented at Georgetown University's "Biosecurity Collaborations with the Research Community: Challenges and Successes."

Marian Downing represented ABSA International in a Biosafety Roundtable at the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) Annual Meeting entitled "Preparing Sentinel Clinical Laboratories: Safety, Biological Risk Assessments and Other Biosafety Issues."

Bob Hawley taught a session on Biological Toxins for graduate students at the Georgetown University School of Medicine. He also presented a session at the Johns Hopkins Control of Biohazards Course on "The Biosafety Professional-A Path to Earning Credibility and Support." Bob and Joe Kozlovac also collaborated on a 2-hour ABSA-sponsored webinar covering "Toxin Science and Safety."

Krista Murray spoke about biosafety to ABSA International and Affiliate organizations in two sessions to an international audience: Poultry Disease Outbreak Management & Regionalization Certificate Symposium and The Emergency Poultry Disease Response Certificate Symposium.

Karen Byers will speak at the MABioN symposium about updated Lab Associated Infection material, the LAI Database and the Applied Biosafety Journal. Karen will also present to BRAP (BioRisk Association of the Philippines) in conjunction with the Philippine Association of Medical Technologists on these topics.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PR/M) - September 2019

Co-chairs: Eric Rouse and Danielle Rintala

The PR/M Committee is hard at work preparing materials and logos for the October 2019 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month. The theme is "Beyond the Lab: Increasing the Visibility of Biosafety and Biosecurity." The logos and posters for promotional materials are now available and additional promotional materials are in progress. Visit the webpage for the 2019 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month at: . We hope to make handouts, videos, and more as part of this event to provide to the biosafety and biosecurity community. Check the Biosafety and Biosecurity Month page regularly for updates!

International Engagement Committee - April 2019

Co-chairs: Eric Cook and Anne-Sophie Brocard

The IEC is a new committee this year. Our primary focus is to promote and help improve ABSA’s engagement, outreach, and growth beyond the United States. We just finalized a draft of our Policies and Procedures and are awaiting approval from the Council and Bylaws Committee. We have divided the world into 10 regions and will assign a member or two from our committee to be the primary liaison in each region. They will represent the IEC and be responsible for our information gathering and outreach activities in that region. We plan to do another survey of needs and outreach to members, affiliates, and potential ABSA members who live outside the U.S. in the coming months.

ABSA Ambassadors - April 2019

Lead: Marian Downing

The ABSA Ambassadors continue to spread the word about ABSA and the Biosafety profession.

Mary Cipriano continues to work with her local hospital on their Biosafety programs. Currently, she is working with the Occupational Health Nurse to ensure appropriate Caregiver Health (for approximately 1600 employees and volunteers) regarding screening and vaccination programs.

Bob Hawley presented “Life Everlasting! Embracing “Life-transition of Retirement” as part of the Kaufman Lunch Break Series Go-To Training.

Marian Downing presented to 14 sites of the NASA EHS Community, via WebEx, “Biosafety Basics” including a high-level overview of Biosafety levels/facilities, risk assessment, waste handling and training.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PR/M) - April 2019

Co-chairs: Eric Rouse and Danielle Rintala

The 2018 Biosafety Month was a recognized success for ABSA International. As the face of ABSA is ever evolving to further highlight the importance of biosecurity, “Biosafety Month” will now be known as “Biosafety and Biosecurity Month.” The ABSA Public Relations and Marketing (PR/M) Committee is excited to announce the October 2019 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month theme will be: “Beyond the Lab: Increasing the Visibility of Biosafety and Biosecurity.” The focus will be centered around outreach, education and training, school visits, supporting the STEM disciplines in teaching and learning, and how biosafety and biosecurity professionals are more than just compliance people. By increasing visibility, we increase the likelihood that individuals may pursue biosafety as a profession and promote transparency (as applicable and practical) about research involving biological materials to the public. This also supports efforts by ABSA to establish and promote biosafety and biosecurity in universities and colleges. Throughout October 2019, spotlights will focus on these ideas, highlight ABSA members that are already doing these things, and showcase ABSA’s involvement in increasing the visibility of biosafety and biosecurity. These efforts will extend into November, where the components of increasing visibility will apex at our annual conference. The PR/M Committee hopes you are as enthusiastic as we are for what 2019 holds for “Beyond the Lab: Increasing the Visibility of Biosafety and Biosecurity!”

ABSA Ambassadors - December 2018

Lead: Marian Downing

The ABSA Ambassadors have been busy since the last update. Activities have included:

Richard Gilpin gave an ABSA Update to the IBC at Medimmune in August and November, and also presented on Biosafety IT to the ISC2 conference in September. He gave a talk on Legionella Biosafety at the ASM Maryland Chapter (ASM President Seminar) in September.

Mary Cipriano continues to work with her local hospital clinical laboratory, now moving on to generating a waste SOP.

Karen Byers presented on laboratory acquired infections, the ABSA LAI Database and the ABSA Journal at the Asian Pacific Biosafety Association Biorisk Conference in Beijing, China in August. She has also provided a narrated PowerPoint presentation relative to Laboratory acquired infections with HIV, with discussion of prevention options to be presented to medical professionals at an International Conference on Emerging and Re-emerging Diseases being held in November in Guangxi China. The same presentation will also be used in December in Nanning City, Guangxi at a conference related to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.

Marian Downing presented to UT Houston School of Public Health students in October on ABSA Programs and Training Opportunities, membership benefits, history of ABSA, etc.

Meghan Seltzer presented an ABSA Update at the ChABSA symposium in June, and also did outreach to first grade students in November on biosafety as a career.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PR/M) - December 2018

Chair: Joshua E. Turse

The Public Relations and Marketing Committee would like to thank everyone for making Biosafety Month 2018 a success this year. This event was only possible through your contributions and participation. We are already looking forward to Biosafety Month 2019! Additionally, the PR/M Committee is discussing opportunities for future campaigns centered on biosecurity and making the biosafety professional more visible in the research community. We are excited to see what 2019 brings.

ABSA Ambassadors - September 2018

Lead: Marian Downing

The ABSA Ambassadors have been very busy since the last update. Activities include:

Bob Hawley presented on Biological Toxins (Georgetown U School of Medicine) and spoke on "The Biosafety Professional-Earning Credibility and Support" at the Control of Biohazards Course (Johns Hopkins). Bob and AJ Troiano gave a go-to-training session on "The Next Generation of Leadership in Biosafety."

Richard Gilpin gave an ABSA update for the Control of Biohazards Course (Johns Hopkins) and at the NSF Legionella Conference (Baltimore). Richard also presented an ABSA Update and program overview at the CSHEMA Annual Conference in Baltimore.

Krista Murray spoke at the Delaware Laboratory Preparedness Advisory Committee meeting about the field of Biosafety and ABSA as a resource. She also spoke twice at the Poultry Disease Outbreak Management and Regionalization Certificate Symposium on ABSA and international affiliate programs.

Barb Owen promoted ABSA and ABSA Credentialing at the NJ AIHA CIH Review Course in Baltimore and gave an ABSA Update at the MABSA June Symposium.

Karen Byers presented on laboratory acquired infections and the ABSA LAI Database at the June AMExBio Conference in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

Marian Downing presented an ABSA update and on public health outreach efforts at the Southern Biosafety Association Meeting in April. Marian also presented a Poster at the National APHL meeting in June entitled "ABSA International Outreach-What Can We Do for You?" Marian recorded sessions on Biorisk Management, Biosafety as a career path, and ABSA programs for the Loyola University School of Nursing Course for Infection Control Practitioners.

Pat Condreay presented an ABSA update to the August 2018 MABioN Symposium.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee - September 2018

Co-chairs: Joshua Turse, Eric Rouse, and Lolly Gardiner

The Public Relations and Marketing Committee continues to concentrate on 2018 Biosafety Month, a period of time when individuals and organizations are encouraged to focus on and reinforce their attention to biosafety and biosecurity standards. 2018 Biosafety Month will be held in October this year. The theme for this year-"Promoting a Culture of Biosafety and Responsibility"-was announced in July with the social networking hashtag #getyourcultureon. Shortly after, the official logo and marketing graphics materials were released for use by biosafety and biosecurity stakeholders. Updates and additional supporting materials will continue to be provided by ABSA International, through both email outreach and posted to the Biosafety Month website, leading up to the 61st Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference in Charleston, South Carolina. A special feature will also appear in Applied Biosafety. We hope you will join us in Charleston where the presentation "Biosafety Month 2018: ABSA International Responses to Members' Needs" will provide an inside look on how ABSA has approached management of this valuable initiative for our community. Visit .

Affiliates Committee - May 2018

Co-Chairs: Jennifer Gaudioso and Despina Felis

The Affiliates Committee reviews requests by groups for acceptance into ABSA International as an Affiliate. There have not been any application submissions since the last Update e-newsletter.

ABSA Ambassadors - May 2018

Lead: Marian Downing

The ABSA Ambassadors have given a variety of presentations to a wide range of audiences (see Ambassador Committee efforts below). Recently, they gave a webinar titled "Practical Disinfection Guidance for the Clinical Laboratory" in conjunction with the Public Health Preparedness and Response Program. Marian Downing will be presenting a poster on ABSA International, "What Can We Do for You," at the June APHL meeting. Ambassador Committee efforts since December 2017:

Barbara Owen
ASU Biosecurity Workshop
December 7-8, 2017
University/Researchers, Biosafety professionals, Biosecurity professions and government organizations such as FBI, CDC and NIH
~200
1 hour
ABSA Biosecurity Task Force Update/Q&A

Rebecca Moritz
Presentations (2) at a middle school
December 1, 2017
Middle School
45
Biosafety as a career

Rebecca Moritz
Middle school career day
December 7, 2017
Middle school career day
50
Biosafety as a career

Rebecca Moritz
Middle school career day
December 7, 2017
Middle school career day
50
Biosafety as a career

Pat Condreay
CDC Symposium
February 12, 2018
Biosafety professionals
~200
15 minutes
ABSA update and task force update

Membership Committee - May 2018

Co-chairs: Malissa Mayer-Diaz and Kelly Flint

The Membership Committee met at the conference and are working on revising the New Member Survey. They are also working with the PCC to create "roadmaps" for new attendees and ABSA International members to see what courses are of best benefit to new members who are attending the conference.

Mentoring Committee - May 2018

Co-chairs: Althea Treacy and Sarah Ziegler

The Mentoring Committee is following-up on people who requested to be either mentors or mentees. They are actively recruiting and accepting both and request that anyone who wishes to be a mentor/mentee to please update their my.ABSA profile.

Membership Committee - December 2017

Co-chairs: Malissa Mayer-Diaz and Kelly Flint

The Membership Committee has a new chair, Malissa Mayer-Diaz. Kelly Flint will be serving as co-chair, and Je T'aime Newton is thanked for her years of service. They are working on a "New Member" survey, and are talking on how to work with PCC and Marketing on member retention. ABSA International Membership-there were 284 new members for 2017; 1,506 current members (148 of which are international members); 47 countries represented; and 38 Emeritus Members.

Nominating Committee - December 2017

Chair: Maureen O'Leary

The new chair of the Nominating Committee is Maureen O'Leary. This committee will not be meeting for a few months until it is time to begin requesting nominees for the next elections. Last year's Nominating Committee produced an excellent panel of nominees.

The ABSA Ambassadors have just been added to the Membership/Leadership team. The ABSA Ambassadors are now a Committee (promoted from a Task Force) since the conference in Albuquerque. They are beginning work on P&Ps for the committee and expect to be reviewing them soon.

Mentoring Committee - December 2017

Co-chairs: Althea Treacy and Sarah Ziegler

The Mentoring Committee is following-up on people who have requested to be either mentors or mentees. They are actively recruiting and accepting both, and request that anyone who wishes to be a mentor/mentee update their my.ABSA profile. They are also looking for a new chair as the current chair has met the term limit requirements.

Public Relations Committee - February 2017

Membership Committee - February 2017

Nominating Committee - February 2017

Mentoring Committee - February 2017

ABSA Ambassadors Task Force - February 2017

Affiliate Relations - October 2016

Co-Chairs: Despina Felis and Jennifer Gaudioso
 
The ABSA International Council approved the Affiliate Ribbons for the conference in October. Several affiliates participated.  Feedback from the Affiliates regarding the ribbons was positive. For more information on Affiliates go to http://absa.org/affiliates/.

Mentoring Committee - October 2016

Co-Chairs: Althea Capul and Sarah Ziegler

The Mentoring Committee has submitted an ABSA-wide request for potential Mentees and Mentors to establish Mentoring Program profiles in my.absa.org. If you are interested in becoming a Mentor or are looking to join the program as a Mentee, information can be found on the Welcome page of my.absa.org. Follow the link to participate in the Mentoring Program. All ABSA International members are welcome!

Nominating Committee - October 2016

Chair: Marian Downing
 
Many thanks to the 2016 Nominating Committee: Janet Peterson, Scott Patlovich, Hallie Hoskins, and Deb Howard. Also, thanks to all the final candidates and others who were contacted and made some difficult decisions.

Membership Committee - October 2016

Co-Chairs: JeT'Aime Newton and Malissa Mayer-Diaz
 
This quarter the Membership Committee contacted all new members that were interested in getting more information/joining ABSA International committees. They are still receiving the responses and putting them into contact with the Chairs of the committees. We have 274 new members so far this year, which includes 43 new international members. The Membership Committee continues to review Emeritus applications as submitted.

Public Relations Committee - October 2016

Chair: Rebecca Moritz and Joshua Turse

The Public Relations Committee worked with SME's Kelly Tyrell, University of Wisconsin Madison, and Jim Newman, KGB Texas Communications, to develop the course titled Media and Public Relations for Biosafety Professionals. This course was offered during the ABSA Conference.

Emerging Infectious Disease Committee (EIDC) - September 2024

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

The EIDC posted updates and new resources for the Influenza toolbox and Viral Hemorrhagic Fever as new information becomes available. During this quarter, Ami Patel led the assembly of the Prion toolbox and Betsy Gilman-Duane continued to nurture the revival of the ABSA-OSHA collaboration. We request your feedback on the value of the Toolboxes to the ABSA professionals. Please send your comments and suggestions to info@absa.org with the subject header: EIDC feedback.

Legislative Affairs/Regulatory & Technical Review Committee (TRR) - September 2024

Co-Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Karon Floyd

The TRR and Legislative Committee chairs continue to work with the leads for the Regulatory and Technical Affairs Team to finalize the merger of these two ABSA committees. A new set of P&Ps have been generated and await the final approval of the ABSA Council. Stay tuned for more information and meeting notice.

On the regulatory front, the TRR and Legislative Committee worked on two drafts to be used by the ABSA Council to submit comments to the following regulatory/legislative documents:

1. USDA APHIS Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service titled Agricultural Bioterrorism Protection Act of 2002; Biennial Review and Republication of the Select Agent and Toxin List Docket No APHIS-2019-0018 D. D Docket No APHIS-2019-0018/HHS/CDC: Possession, Use, and Transfer of Select Agents and Toxins; Biennial Review of the List of Select Agents and Toxins. ABSA submitted one of 72 comments (Comment from American Biological Safety Association (ABSA-International).
2. A newly proposed life sciences research oversight bill, recently released by Senator Paul. The proposed bill aims to establish comprehensive oversight frameworks for life sciences research, touching on critical aspects of biosafety, biosecurity, and ethical standards. Members of the TRR, LC, and members of the ABSA community provided a draft to be used by the ABSA Council to ensure that the legislative measures aligned with best practices and address potential concerns within the biosafety and biosecurity community.

Biological Select Agent and Toxin Community Advocate Committee - June 2024

Co-Chairs: Kelly Flint and Anthony R. Sambol

The Biological Select Agent and Toxin Community Advocate Committee is in a rebuilding phase. The committee is working on planning webinars for the 2024 calendar year and looking to add to its membership. The main requirement of membership is being part of a Select Agent program (i.e., current RO and ARO). Please visit the Teams and Committee page on the ABSA website and use the “Get Involved” button to volunteer.

Emerging Infectious Disease Committee - June 2024

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

The Emerging Infectious Disease Committee welcomed three members in 2024; Joanna Spinato, Brett Haltiwanger, and Kristie Yeakle.

New toolboxes have been created for Prions and Parasites, be sure to check them out. The committee continues to update the toolboxes monthly and recently added new resources to the Influenza and Pox toolboxes. Lastly, we added the links to the CDC reference books for vaccine-preventable diseases, Pink Book 14th Ed 2021, and for travel medicine, Yellow Book: Health Information for International Travel, 2024.

Legislative Affairs/Regulatory & Technical Review Committee - June 2024

Co-Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Karon Floyd

The Legislative Affairs Committee and the Regulatory and Technical Review Committee have merged together. The new committee is co-chaired by Esmeralda Meyer and Karon Floyd. The co-chairs are still reviewing and modifying the committee charters, roles, and responsibilities. We are looking forward to the new year with excitement and the impact ABSA International makes on the biosafety community.

Legislative Affairs Committee - January 2024

Chair: Karon Floyd
Co-Chair: Brian O’Shea

The Legislative Committee has been a little busy this year. We reviewed the request for comments on the Proposed Revisions to the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines) regarding potential changes to the policies for oversight of Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) and the Potential Pandemic Pathogen Care and Oversight (P3CO) Policy Framework. The Legislative Committee provided comment alongside ABSA Technical and Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) Chaired by Esmerelda Meyer. We are currently reviewing, with some stakeholders, the process of BSO notifications of CDC/USDA permits.

We are continuing the transition to merge with the Technical & Regulatory Review (TRR) Committee. We are still reviewing and modifying the committee charters, roles, and responsibilities. We are looking forward to the new year with some excitement and the impact ABSA makes on the biosafety community.

Biological Select Agent and Toxin (BSAT) Community Advocate Committee (CAC) - January 2024

Co-Chairs: Kelly Flint and Anthony R. Sambol

The BSAT Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) is in a rebuilding phase. Support from the CDC had been re-initiated, and together the committee and CDC are planning webinars for the 2024 calendar year. The BSAT CAC is looking to add to its membership. The main requirement of membership is being part of a Select Agent Program, i.e., current RO and ARO. Please visit the Teams and Committee page on the ABSA Website and use the “Get Involved” button to volunteer.

Coming soon the BSAT CAC is looking to offer a webinar on Emergency Response in High-Containment Labs. Please be on the lookout for an announcement.

Legislative Affairs Committee - September 2023

Chair: Karon Floyd

This past year has been a year of changes. After the Legislative Affairs Committee experienced a change in leadership, it was decided to merge the Legislative Affairs Committee with the Technical Review Committee. We found that these two committees had very similar objectives and performed roughly the same duties. Understanding that and that their bylaws were similar, it just made sense.

Committee members just recently participated I recently had the pleasure of attending a lunchtime meeting hosted by NTI on “Encouraging Congressional action on dual-use bioscience research of concern,” featuring Dr. Gerald “Gerry” Parker and Dr. Jaime Yassif. It was held at the Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC.

The two speakers took turns explaining to a room of staffers and interns the issues related to emerging bioscience and biotechnology, such as the need to mitigate the risks of dual-use research with dangerous pathogens without stifling innovation, and the biosecurity risks posed by artificial intelligence enabled bio-design tools. They ended by urging congressionalist's of the importance for funding and their forethought on legislation on these and other biosafety/biosecurity issues. They referenced the NSAAB 12 recommendations for biosafety and biosecurity as well as the need for oversight of pathogen research and emerging tools and capabilities. They spoke on DNA Sequencing screening and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other technologies and capabilities and the need for oversight.

On Committee matters, we continue to monitor for new and proposed legislation and stand ready to assist the Council in legislative review. The TRR and Legislative Affairs Chairs are currently discussing optimization of the roles and responsibilities assigned to each Committee leveraging the ABSA members’ expertise. It is our hope to submit a more refined and efficient committee process to the council for consideration.

Training Tools/Resources (TTR) Committee - September 2023

Chair: Maya Nair
Co-Chair: Will Pinard

The Training Tools/Resources committee met virtually in May, June, and July 2023. Members continue reviewing resources from various sources. Currently we are reviewing the resources developed by international biosafety professionals who participated in the Twinning Project in collaboration with Sandia National Laboratories. These resources are from different countries representing diverse backgrounds that will enhance the TTR website page. ABSA members are encouraged to leave feedback and suggestions for the committee.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium (EIDC) - September 2023

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

EIDC Toolboxes (on ABSA website main page) continue to be updated monthly with the most recent credible resources. Here are additional contributions so far for 2023:

1. Recently added toolboxes include those for Fungi and Waterborne Diseases, and additional resources for parasitic diseases.
2. The EIDC submitted a 2023 Conference proposal entitled A Panel on Risk Assessment of Laboratory Activities involving Emerging or re-Emerging Infectious Microorganisms–this panel is expected to be recorded and delivered as a virtual platform via Labroots during the conference.
3. Posted a Blog on Waterborne and Fungal Diseases in June 2023.
4. Betsy Gilman Duane and Ed Stygar have been in contact with OSHA in hopes of restoring the ABSA-OSHA Alliance, which produced various useful resources over several years.

Lastly, EIDC welcomed three new members in 2023: Travis McCarthy, Susan Harper, and Ami Patel.

Technical & Regulatory Review (TRR) - September 2023

Chair: Esmeralda Meyer

Members of the TRR Committee continue to monitor the Federal Register for instances where proposed regulatory changes are announced. At the request of the ABSA leadership, the TRR prepared a draft document with comments and recommendations to the WHO Biosecurity Guidance in July 2023. Conversations between the Team Leaders for Regulatory & Technical Affairs occurred and the Chair of the TRR and Legislative Affairs discussed the next steps regarding branding and P&Ps.

Technical & Regulatory Review (TRR) - June 2023

Chair: Esmeralda Meyer

Members of the TRR Committee continue to monitor the Federal Register for instances where proposed regulatory changes are announced. The TRR and Legislative Affairs Chairs are discussing optimization of the roles and responsibilities assigned to each committee leveraging the ABSA members' expertise. Stay tuned.

Legislative Affairs Committee - June 2023

Chair: Karon Floyd

Early in the year, there was a change in leadership. The Chair, Brian O’Shea, stepped down and the Co-Chair, Karon Floyd, assumed responsibilities as the Chair of the Legislative Affairs Committee. Mr. O’Shea agreed to continue to assist the committee. Members of the Legislative Affairs Committee reviewed and provided comments on a Bill proposed by Senator Ted Cruz. We continue to monitor new and proposed legislation and stand ready to assist the Council in legislative review. The TRR and Legislative Affairs Chairs are currently discussing optimization of the roles and responsibilities assigned to each committee leveraging the ABSA members' expertise. It is our hope to submit a more refined and efficient committee process to the ABSA Council for consideration.

Biological Select Agent and Toxin (BSAT) Community Advocate Committee (CAC) - June 2023

Chair: Kelly Flint
Co-chair: Anthony Sambol

The BSAT Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) is in a rebuilding phase. This group no longer has a CDC support contract and is looking to redefine itself. At this time, all activities will be supported by ABSA International. The BSAT CAC is looking to add to its membership and the only requirement of membership is being part of a Select Agent program, i.e., current RO or ARO designations, and those holding a current SRA clearance. Please visit the Teams and Committee page on the ABSA Website and use the “Get Involved” button to volunteer.

The BSAT CAC is looking to offer a webinar on CDC/USDA Inspections Lesson Learned and general information sharing. Please be on the lookout for an announcement to come late summer.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium (EIDC) - January 2023

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer, Marian Downing

The EIDC continues to compile, assess, and post biosafety resources for all Toolboxes. The existing Toolboxes for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19, Zika, Influenza, Viral Hemorrhagic Fever, Antibiotic/Antimicrobial Resistance, Polio Virus, and Pox Viruses continue to be updated monthly, as new information becomes available. New in January will be a toolbox for Water-borne diseases, so check back often.

The EIDC wishes to send a farewell to David White and Luis Ochoa Carrera who are stepping down from this Committee. We thank David White for his service to the EIDC since its inception. We also thank Luis for his service to the EIDC and now as President-Elect of ABSA. Lastly, we are looking for feedback on the value of the Toolboxes to the ABSA professionals. Please send your comments and suggestions to info@absa.org with the subject header: EIDC feedback.

Legislative Affairs Committee - January 2023

Co-Chairs: Karon Floyd and Brian O’Shea

The Legislative Affairs Committee has been working to monitor proposals for legislation on Capitol Hill that may have a potential impact on biological research and/or research oversight. Most recently, ABSA was asked to review and provide feedback regarding the draft bill from Ted Cruz (R-TX), to require the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy to establish a repository of Institutional Biosafety Committee minutes for Federally funded research projects that involve potential pandemic pathogens, and for other purposes. The committee met to discuss and review the proposed legislation and provided comments regarding this bill to ABSA Council. The Legislative Affairs Committee is excited to see staffers and legislators on Capitol Hill looking to and reaching out to ABSA International and its members for assistance in the drafting legislation such as this.

Technical & Regulatory Review (TRR) - January 2023

Chair: Esmeralda Meyer

During the last quarter of 2022, the Technical and Regulatory Review Committee contributed to the ABSA Council request to respond to Senate Bill Legislation to Establish a Repository of Institutional Biosafety Committee Minutes for Federally Funded Research Projects that Involve Potential Pandemic Pathogens, and For Other Purposes (Senator Cruz). Several members of the TRR provided feedback via email to the Legislative Affairs Committee and the recommendations were submitted to the ABSA Council by December 7. The TRR Chair continued to review the Federal Register weekly as part of the responsibilities of the TRR. Lastly, David Pawlowski, Chair of the TRR, announced that he would be stepping down as Chair to join the forces of the Legislative Affairs Committee. We thank David for his continued service as Chair of the TRR. Esmeralda Meyer will continue as Chair and during the first quarter of 2023 she will lead the review of the TRR P&Ps, including the selection process for a Co-Chair.

Technical and Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) - September 2022

Chair: David Pawlowski
Co-Chair: Esmeralda Meyer

This quarter, the TRR committee assisted with ABSA responses to two items. The first item was published in the Federal Register entitled, “Screening Framework Guidance for Providers and Users of Synthetic Nucleic Acids.” As published, this regulation would add a burden to both the producers of synthetic nucleic acids and to the end users. The second item reviewed was proposed legislation for a Centralized Management Strategy for Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Biorisk Management. This bill has the potential to dramatically alter the oversight of biological research at the Federal level.

Emerging Infectious Disease Committee (EIDC) - September 2022

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

The EIDC has been busy this summer compiling and assessing biosafety resources for Monkeypox and Polio. The Monkeypox section has been posted on the ABSA EIDC Toolboxes page and it is updated regularly. Biosafety-related resources for Polio were also compiled by the members of the EIDC and made available through the distribution lists. The existing Toolboxes for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19, Zika, Viral Hemorrhagic Fever, Antibiotic/Antimicrobial Resistance, and Influenza continue to be updated monthly, as new information becomes available. The EIDC assembled a basic list of basic Biosecurity resources and passed them on to the Training Tools and Resources team (TTR) for review and potential inclusion in the ABSA TTR page. Lastly, we are looking for feedback on the value of these resources to the ABSA professionals. Please send your comments and suggestions to info@absa.org with the subject header: EIDC feedback.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium - June 2022

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

The Emerging Infectious Diseases Committee continues to update the SARS-CoV-2, Zika, Influenza, Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses, and Antimicrobial Resistance toolboxes. The committee is also reviewing documents created during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that these reflect current guidance.

Technical and Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) - June 2022

Chairs: David R. Pawlowski and Esmeralda Meyer

The TRR committee has been busy this quarter. Similar to the BMBL (Biosafety in Microbiological & Biomedical Laboratories) 6th edition summary published to the ABSA website, we have completed a summary of the WHO LBM (Laboratory Biosafety Manual) 4th edition and its accompanying monographs in collaboration with the International Engagement Committee. We hope to see this work published on the website in the upcoming quarter. In addition, the TRR reviewed the WHO Global Action Plan IV draft for the Polio Containment. Lastly, the TRR is currently reviewing the ”Screening Framework Guidance for Providers and Users of Synthetic Oligonucleotides” document published in the Federal Register from DHHS.

Technical and Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) - January 2022

Chairs: David R. Pawlowski and Esmeralda Meyer

The Technical and Regulatory Review has teamed with the International Engagement Committee to review the 4th edition of the WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual (WHO LBM) using a similar approach to the 6th Edition of the BMBL that was recently published on the ABSA website. Members of the International Engagement Committee will review the WHO LBM and its monographs and write executive summaries, which will then be coalesced into an easy to navigate electronic site for use by the international biosafety community.

The TRR continues to monitor the Federal Register for relevant publications.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium - January 2022

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

The EIDC has updated the toolboxes for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19, Influenza, Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (including Ebola Virus), Zika Virus, and Antibiotic/Antimicrobial Resistance. We look forward to receiving feedback from the ABSA members to improve the content and organization of the toolboxes. Lastly, the EIDC welcomes Kenneth Shenge as the new member of the EIDC starting January 1, 2022.

Technical and Regulatory Review (TRR) Committee - October 2021

Chairs: David R. Pawlowski and Esmeralda Meyer

The TRR has teamed with the International Engagement committee to review the 4th edition of the WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual (WHO LBM) using a similar approach to the 6th Edition of the BMBL that was recently published on the ABSA website (absa.org/bmbl). Members of the International Engagement Committee will review the WHO LBM and its monographs and write executive summaries which will then be coalesced into an easy to navigate electronic site for use by the International Biosafety community.

The TRR continues to monitor the Federal Register for relevant publications.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium (EIDC) - October 2021

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

OSHA published the interim final rule for the Occupational Exposure to COVID-19; Emergency Temporary Standard on June 21,2021. OSHA requested Comments on any aspect of the ETS and whether the ETS should be adopted as a permanent standard by August 20, 2021. The Emerging Infectious Diseases Committee worked with the Technical and Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) on drafting a “Comment” to this temporary standard. The ABSA Council reviewed and approved the Comment, and it was posted on September 1, 2021.

The EIDC continues to update the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 toolbox bi-weekly. The Hemorrhagic Fever Virus (HFV) toolbox has been renamed to include information about Ebola Virus outbreaks, and outbreaks caused by Marburg Virus and other hemorrhagic fever viruses.

Lastly, the EIDC worked on a proposal to the ABSA Council to ask the question How will ABSA International support implementation of ISO 35001:2019? The discussion is appropriate at this time as ABSA is charting the roadmap for the coming years.

Technical and Regulatory Review (TRR) Committee - July 2021

Chairs: David R. Pawlowski and Esmeralda Meyer

The ABSA Technical and Regulatory Review (TRR) Committee has published the “Summary of Changes to the Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories 6th Edition (BMBL-6)” that can be found at https://absa.org/bmbl/. Along with the summary is a side-by-side comparison of editions 5 and 6 published as a downloadable spreadsheet. These documents are intended to be helpful resources as you read and review the newest edition of the guidelines, not as a substitute. The TRR also advised ABSA Council on joining the AIHA led “Joint Consensus Statement on Addressing the Aerosol Transmission of SARS CoV-2 and Recommendations for Preventing Occupational Exposures.” Lastly, the TRR reviews the Federal Register daily to identify items interest or consequence to the biosafety community.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium (EIDC) - July 2021

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

During the first semester of 2021, the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 toolbox was redesigned based on the feedback provided by the users. The EIDC also updated the document “Considerations for Handling Potential SARS-CoV-2 Samples” to include handling of synthetic nucleic acids and viral vectors associated with the COVID-19 vaccines (the Spanish and French versions were also updated). Additionally, a new toolbox was added to reflect the current threat caused by Antibiotic/Antimicrobial resistant microbes. Members of the EIDC published the article titled “Considerations for Laboratory Biosafety and Biosecurity During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: Applying the ISO 35001:2019 Standard and High-Reliability Organizations Principles” in ABSA’s Applied Biosafety journal. This manuscript showcases how the biorisk management standard published by ISO in 2019 and principles followed by High-Reliability organization may be applied by laboratories handling COVID-19-related samples to ensure a safer workplace.

Lastly, the EIDC worked with the ABSA Office on drafting the safety plans for the upcoming PPB and BBTC in-person training sessions, and ABSA International’s Annual Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Ongoing projects include drafting a support statement for ABSA International to join the AIHA Consensus on Addressing the Aerosol Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and Recommendations for Preventing Occupational Exposures and drafting a comment in response to the Request for Information (RFI) from Non-Federal Stakeholders: Advancing the Medical Reserve Corps with the American Rescue Plan HHS-ASPR-2021-0013 posted on May 20, 2021, in the Federal Register.

Biological Select Agent and Toxins Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) - January 2021

Chairs: Angela Birnbaum and Eric Jeppesen

The Biological Select Agent and Toxins Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) hosted two webinars in July and August covering panel topics. The committee hosted the Select Agent Users Workshop in two separate components, one focusing on a “Regulatory Section” and the other Focusing on a “User Section” held on November 18 and December 2, consecutively.

The BSAT CAC continues to review posts, respond to questions, and share information on the Select Agent Forum; the online listserv for SRA approved personnel. The BSAT CAC provides feedback from the Forum anonymously to the Federal Select Agent Program, so that they may respond to concerns, and clarify regulatory issues from the select agent community. Interested SRA approved individuals are encouraged to join the Forum by emailing the ABSA office at Education@absa.org, with “SA Forum” in the subject line.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium (EIDC) - January 2021

Chairs: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

The Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium (EIDC) released the resource for the community titled COVID-19 and Your Community—How to plan an event during a pandemic in early September 2020.

EIDC frequently reviews the web traffic to the Toolbox and surveys the potential readership to determine areas for improvement and enhancement. Action items includes working hand-in-hand with the webmaster and the ABSA Office to ensure that links are always current, and information is relevant and updated in a timely fashion. Also, in December 2020 members of the ABSA distribution lists received a COVID-19 Toolbox user experience survey. The EIDC will use the feedback provided by users to refresh and enhance the Toolbox.

The EIDC is indebted to its first Chair, Paul Tranchell, who stepped down at the end of December 2020. Paul led the newly formed Emerging Infectious Diseases Consortium between 2015 and 2019. Similarly, the EIDC thanks the support and encouragement provided by Jim Welch as the ABSA Council Liaison. Mr. Welch stepped down in November 2020 in accordance with the ABSA International Bylaws. Margie Juergensmeyer will be the ABSA Council Liaison for the 2020-2021 year. Welcome Margie!

Technical & Regulatory Review (TRR) - January 2021

Chairs: David Pawlowski and Esmeralda Meyer

The World Health Organization (WHO) requested that ABSA International provide feedback on Annex 2 titled “Biorisk management standard for poliovirus-essential facilities holding wild poliovirus materials” and Annex 3 titled “Annex 3 Biorisk management standard for poliovirus-essential facilities holding only OPV/Sabin poliovirus materials (no WPV)” of the Global Action Plan to minimize poliovirus facility-associated risk after type-specific eradication of wild polioviruses and sequential cessation of oral polio vaccine use GAP III. The ABSA Council assigned this task to the Technical & Regulatory Review (TRR) in early September. The collated technical and editorial feedback on the 16 elements included in each annex was sent back to the ABSA Council for review and final submission to the WHO.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The National Institutes of Health (NIH) released the 6th edition of the Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) in November of 2020. The TRR is in the process of generating executive summaries for each section of the BMBL 6th Edition, which will be made available to the membership after peer-review.

The TRR members continue to monitor the Federal Register looking for any relevant request for comments, changes in regulation, etc., that are being released by federal regulatory agencies.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium (EIDC) - September 2020

Leads: Esmeralda Meyer and Marian Downing

The Emerging Infectious Diseases Consortium (EIDC) updated the existing webpages for Ebola Virus and Zika Virus. The Emerging Infectious Diseases Toolboxes can be accessed from the ABSA International home page. A new Toolbox is now available to provide updates on the rising threat of the G4 EA Avian-Like Influenza Virus (https://absa.org/influenza/).

A new resource for the community will be released in the coming days which includes considerations for when individuals or organizations are planning events, so stay tuned.

Members of the committee continue to collate the weekly updates for the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 toolbox to ensure that it provides the most current information to various stakeholders.

Administratively, the EIDC generated its Policy and Procedures and the ABSA International Council approved its transition from a Consortium to a Committee under the Regulatory and Technical Affairs Team.

Technical & Regulatory Review Committee - September 2020

Chairs: David Pawlowski and Esmeralda Meyer

The Technical & Regulatory Review (TRR) committee continues to monitor the Federal Register for meetings and publications affecting the Biosafety community. The TRR leadership team is actively planning for the teams' review and response to the anticipated publication of the 6th edition of the BMBL.

BSAT Community Advocate Committee - September 2020

Chairs: Angela Birnbaum and Eric Jeppesen

The BSAT Community Advocate Committee (CAC) hosted webinars covering the topics of Personnel Suitability on July 22, 2020 and Virtual Inspections--The 5W's on August 20, 2020. The committee is also working on the coordination and agenda for the upcoming Select Agent Users Workshop. Dates and agenda will be finalized and circulated.

The BSAT CAC continues to review posts, respond to questions, and share information on the Select Agent Forum; the online listserv for SRA approved personnel. The BSAT CAC also provides feedback from the Forum anonymously to the Federal Select Agent Program, so that they may respond to concerns, and clarify regulatory issues from the select agent community. Interested SRA approved individuals are encouraged to join the Forum by emailing the ABSA office at education@absa.org with "SA Gram" in the subject line.

Public Relations and Marketing (PR/M) Committee - September 2020

Chairs: Eric Rouse and Danielle Rintala

The Public Relations and Marketing (PR/M) Committee hopes that this finds you and your membership/organization safe and healthy during this trying time. Each year, ABSA International sponsors Biosafety and Biosecurity Month to raise awareness about the importance of Biosafety and Biosecurity. To recognize the role biosafety and biosecurity professionals play in responding to emerging risks in our laboratories, institutions, and communities, the theme for 2020's Biosafety and Biosecurity Month is "The Role of Biosafety and Biosecurity in Mitigating Emerging Risk." The PR/M Committee is working to provide materials and resources for this year's theme. We are creating items optimized for remote usage, and these items will be available on the event webpage at https://absa.org/biosafety-biosecurity-month. We are also collaborating with a number of peer committees and task forces in support of various efforts to serve our community and to assist with the 2020 ABSA International Virtual Conference. We hope through collaboration to turn the unique challenges of 2020 into opportunities.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium (EIDC) - June 2020

Leads: Esmeralda Meyer, Marian Downing

The Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium continues to collate the weekly website updates for the ABSA International SARS-CoV2/COVID-19 toolbox https://absa.org/covid19toolbox/. Since mid-March, the committee has generated 14 documents in the areas of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 disinfection, personal protective equipment, laboratory/research, and shipping. Finalized documents are forwarded to the ABSA Office for formatting and coordinating the upload. The committee is thankful for the contributions of Julie Savage and Brenda Rivera-Alcozer who directly support this endeavor. In addition, the EIDC has revised and updated the document Considerations for Handling Potential SARS-CoV-2 Samples to reflect updated guidelines and availability of new studies with relevant data.

Lastly, the EIDC relies on its members and other experts to review and ensure the accuracy of the documents. The following subject matter experts have been asked to review draft documents: Dr. Nicole Duffy and Gary Borkowski reviewed and commented on the Example risk assessment for using SARS-CoV-2 in laboratory animals, and Dr. Paul Meechan and Shoolah Escott reviewed and commented on the SARS-CoV-2 Sample Type Risk Assessment. Thanks to Richard Le (FSU) for sharing his EHS Laboratory Checklist for Restarting Research Activities and Dr. Diane Fleming for providing her insight on COVID-19 prevention. Recommendations and comments are discussed and resolved by the Committee prior to finalizing the documents.

Below is the list of EIDC-generated documents currently posted in the SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 Toolbox.

• Disinfection:
  • COVID-19 FAQs for Disinfection (PDF)
• Personal Protective Equipment:
  • COVID-19 FAQs PPE Use (PDF)
  • Differences between cloth face covering, mucosal protection and respiratory protection (PDF)
• Laboratory/Research
  • Considerations for Handling Potential SARS-CoV-2 Samples (PDF)
  • [Spanish] Consideraciones para la Investigación con SARS-CoV-2 (PDF)
  • [French] Considerations for Handling Potential SARS CoV 2 Samples (PDF)
  • SARS-CoV-2 Sample Type Risk Assessment (PDF)
  • Example - Risk Assessment for Work with SARS-CoV-2 in Laboratory Animals (PDF)
• COVID-19 FAQs for Continuing at work (PDF)
• COVID-19 FAQs for Working from Home (PDF)
• COVID-19 FAQs for employees in the workplace (PDF)
• COVID-19 FAQs for Employers Preparing for Workers to Return to the Workplace (PDF)
• Environmental Health & Safety Checklist for Restarting Research Activities (MS Word)
• Packaging and Shipping SARS-CoV-2 Packaging and Shipping Information (PDF)

To support the international biosafety professional, EIDC has worked with the ABSA Office and the International Engagement Committee to make selected documents available in other languages. The infographic Considerations for Handling Potential SARS-CoV-2 Samples was translated to Spanish by Luis Ochoa Carrera. The same document was translated to French by Anne-Sophie Brocard, Sylvie Blondelle, and Nabila Seridi. Both documents are available in the SARS-CoV-2/ COVID-19 toolbox webpage.

Lastly, members of the EIDC and the ABSA Office promote the weekly updates and documents through multiple ABSA Listserve posts and social media including LinkedIn and Twitter. Additional communication strategies include an opening slide promoting the Toolbox during ABSA webinars.

Technical & Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) - February 2020

Chair: David Pawlowski
Co-chair: Esmeralda Meyer

The Technical and Regulatory Review (TRR) committee has had a busy quarter to end 2019. Members of the committee reviewed and responded to 3 Federal actions or publications. First, the National Labor Relations Board was seeking comments to a proposed rule regarding the non-employee status of university and college students working in connection with their studies. This rule change could have implications to OSHA rules applicability for many ABSA members. Second, we responded to the EPA draft strategy entitled, "Antimicrobial Performance Evaluation Program (APEP): a Draft Risk-Based Strategy to Ensure the Effectiveness of Hospital-Level disinfectants." Finally, the TRR commented on draft rule DHHS 42 CFR 71, Control of Communicable Diseases: Importation of Human Remains.

The TRR committee would also like to thank Yolanda Stringer for her invaluable service as the Chair of the committee, her 3-year term ended in November. During her time as Chair, Yolanda worked tirelessly and with great success to organize and respond to the myriad of reviews taken on by the TRR committee. Yolanda's committee leadership will be missed, thankfully she is continuing as a contributing member. Attempting to fill Yolanda's shoes, David Pawlowski has been identified as the TRR committee chair. Dave served as Yolanda's Co-Chair during her tenure and is very grateful for her tutelage. Dave is also very grateful to Esmeralda Meyer who has agreed to serve as Co-chair of the TRR committee. Finally, the TRR committee has accepted 3 new members: Nick Chaplinski, Kristie Yeakle, and Michael Chute. Welcome to the team!

Emerging Infectious Disease Task Force - February 2020

Lead: AJ Troiano

The task force left off in Q3 2019 in a "stand-by" mode. The originally purpose of the committee in the backdrop of the Ebola Outbreak Response of 2014-2015 was to help build Alliance Partners with ABSA for increased communication and alignment of resources when faced with emerging threats. The members worked hard to identify other professional organizations who shared common interests in biosafety, biosecurity, infection control, public health, and emerging pathogens.

While there was some initial success, as time went on, Ebola moved out of the spotlight and our collective conscience shifted to other areas. The task force continued to build alliance partners and prepare for the next emerging outbreak that could hit the United States. We looked to identify subject matter experts within alliance partners as well as ABSA who could prepared canned talks to pursue at conferences/course offerings/etc. So many working parts go into outbreak response, from front line hospitals and public health laboratories, first responders, research laboratories, to biosafety professionals, we strived to create a platform that linked all of us together.

Now with Coronavirus in the spotlight, we are working to reinvigorate the Task Force and refocus our efforts. Stay tuned!

Legislative Affairs Committee - February 2020

Chair: Brian O'Shea
Co-chair: Karon Floyd

The Legislative Affairs Committee recently reviewed H.R. 4373 (ENGINEERING BIOLOGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 2019) and provided feedback and advice to ABSA Council as to potential areas of opportunity and influence for ABSA International. A letter on behalf of ABSA International and the Legislative Affairs Committee was sent to Representative Johnson (Chair of the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology) offering ABSA International's support of the initiative. The bill currently resides with the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. The Legislative Affairs Committee will continue to monitor the progress of this bill through the Senate, as well as other congressional actions that may affect biological research.

Biological Select Agent and Toxins Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) - February 2020

Chair: Angela Birnbaum
Co-chair: Eric Jeppesen

The Biological Select Agent and Toxins Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) hosted the Annual SRA Users Workshop in Birmingham Alabama on November 21, 2019. The workshop had attendance from ROs, AROS, SRA cleared persons and scientists. Topics at the meeting included an open discussion with directors Dr. Sam Edwin from the Division of Select Agents and Toxins (DSAT) and Dr. Jack Taniewski from Agricultural Select Agent Services (Ag-SAS). What was scheduled for an hour session lasted all morning with many ideas from the regulated community for improvement and enhancing the working relationship with the Federal Select Agent Program. In addition, a presentation on inspection preparation "Aiming for Zero: Avoiding Common Select Agent Findings," presented by Amy Vogler and Shelley Jones of Northern Arizona University. The workshop was ended with group session involving drill exercises and incident response. The workshop was attended by 54 people.

The Committee continues to review posts, respond to questions, and share information on the Select Agent Forum; the online Listserve for SRA approved personnel. The BSAT CAC also provides feedback from the Forum anonymously to the Federal Select Agent Program, so that they may respond to concerns, and clarify regulatory issues from the select agent community. Interested SRA approved individuals are encouraged to join the Forum by emailing the ABSA office at education@absa.org with "SA Gram" in the subject line.

Technical & Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) - September 2019

Co-chairs: Yolanda Arriaga Stringer and David Pawlowski

TRR conferred discussing two public meetings (pertaining to the National Biodefense Strategy and the National Association for Biomedical Research) for future potential contributions and the New York State Regulated Medical Waste Regulation, which it subsequently reviewed as it pertains to BSL-3 and Select Agent waste removal and treatment. The TRR submitted comments to the World Health Organization (WHO) Laboratory Biosafety Manual, 4th Edition, in joint participation with the International Federation of Biosafety Associations (IFBA). Most recently, the TRR submitted a review to the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for Proposed Rule "Approval of Laboratories to Conduct Official Testing; Consolidation of Regulations." The TRR continues to monitor, review, and comment on documents on behalf of ABSA International. Please don't hesitate to identify and notify us of potential opportunities.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium Task Force - September 2019

Lead: AJ Troiano

The Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium Task Force changed leadership as of 2018 with AJ Troiano, PhD, RBP, Scientist II-Life Sciences at Environmental Health & Engineering, Inc. taking over for Paul Tranchell. As such, we sought to first reinvigorate our Vision and Strategy:

Vision: Collaborate with appropriate professional organizations in order to create sustainable strategies and expertise for responding to emerging infectious diseases.

Strategy: Identify strengths and roles of each organization as it relates to biological public and occupational health surrounding emerging infectious diseases. Share information to enhance the professional quality and interaction of organizational members.

As of 2018, we had nine action steps in our charter. Throughout the course of last year, we managed to reduce this to six to streamline our efforts:

1. Identify strengths of ABSA in emerging issues as well as areas where we can learn from other organizations.
2. Consortium Members work with current ABSA Liaison designees, ABSA staff, and others to connect with an Alliance Partner's organizational leadership (elevate ABSA within organization).
3. Develop a comprehensive list of presentations that we would like to make available to other organizations. The Consortium will focus on 1- to 1.5-hour presentations. The presentations will be registered with the Credentialing Committee to provide CM points for developers, presenters, and attendees. These can be presented at dinner meetings or as a presentation during one of their symposiums.
4. Identify training opportunities and resources that can be made available to public health institutions and frontline staff in the wake of emerging infectious diseases (example, NETEC)
5. Identify funding sources to support the Speakers Bureau.
6.   Publicize the courses to our Alliance Partners. When one of their groups would like a topic of interest, they contact ABSA to arrange for a presentation.

Currently, we have a core group of alliance partners that have been identified to work with. In order to spread awareness of the EIDC, we began creating promotional material (Marian Downing, lead) in the form of a poster and/or brochures. However, in the wake of the growing Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the task force has focused its efforts recently on how to address this public health emergency, applying our collective knowledge of the 2014 epidemic. We will continue to work with our alliance partners and ABSA leadership to address this growing threat, as well as exploring the option of moving this task force to an official ABSA committee to increase our membership and reach a wider audience of professionals.

Biological Select Agent and Toxins Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) - September 2019

Co-chairs: Angela Birnbaum and Eric Jeppesen

The BSAT CAC offered another webinar for the Select Agent community. The webinar was held on August 13, 2019 and was titled "SELECT AGENT SMORGASBORD: TRAININGS, INSPECTIONS, AND SHUTDOWNS...OH MY!" Based on survey participant feedback for this upcoming webinar, we are excited to offer more information on training development, select agent inspection experiences from a Responsible Official (RO), a principal investigator and a laboratory staff member. We will also provide information on an RO's experience with facility decommissioning. In addition to the ongoing webinars, we will be developing the agenda for the Select Agent User Workshop to occur on Thursday, November 21, 2019 in Birmingham, Alabama.

The committee continues to review posts, respond to questions, and share information on the Select Agent Forum; the online listserve for SRA approved personnel. The BSAT CAC also provides feedback from the Forum anonymously to the Federal Select Agent Program, so that they may respond to concerns, and clarify regulatory issues from the Select Agent community. Interested SRA approved individuals are encouraged to join the Forum by emailing the ABSA office at education@absa.org with "SA Gram" in the subject line.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PR/M) - September 2019

Co-chairs: Eric Rouse and Danielle Rintala

The PR/M Committee is hard at work preparing materials and logos for the October 2019 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month. The theme is "Beyond the Lab: Increasing the Visibility of Biosafety and Biosecurity." The logos and posters for promotional materials are now available and additional promotional materials are in progress. Visit the webpage for the 2019 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month at: . We hope to make handouts, videos, and more as part of this event to provide to the biosafety and biosecurity community. Check the Biosafety and Biosecurity Month page regularly for updates!

Legislative Committee - April 2019

Chair: Brian J. O’Shea

The Legislative Committee has not met this quarter, but continues to monitor legislative discussions from Capitol Hill for any potential impacts to biological research sciences as well as discussions from the Federal Select Agent Program and the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense.

Biological Select Agent and Toxins Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) - April 2019

Co-chairs: Angela Birnbaum and Eric Jeppesen

In January of 2019, Colleen Driskill stepped down from her position of Co-chair of the Biological Select Agent and Toxin Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC). She served as Co-chair since the initiation of the Select Agent Task Force, which became the BSAT CAC in at the end of 2017. Her contributions were numerous, and we thank her for her efforts during her tenure. Eric Jeppesen, of MRIGlobal, has agreed to step in as Co-chair along with existing Co-chair, Angie Birnbaum. Eric brings the committee many years of experience in developing and implementing select agent programs, and the BSAT CAC is looking forward to his contribution.

The BSAT CAC spent the last couple of months preparing for the select agent community webinar entitled “Training Curriculum Development: Select Agent Entity Experiences” which was held on March 21, 2019. This compliance area is a hot topic among the select agent regulated community, and this webinar will offer various approaches that may be used to develop strategies that meet the requirements of select agent regulations.

The BSAT CAC has requested that committee members brainstorm ideas for the RO Mentorship initiative that would pair new ROs with those with more experience. This is an exciting endeavor that will further the knowledge base of ROs and a plan will be developed from the members for the members. Any ABSA member is welcome to forward ideas for mentoring to the BSAT CAC.

The committee continues to review posts, respond to questions, and share information on the Select Agent Forum; the online Listserve for SRA approved personnel. The BSAT CAC also provides feedback from the Forum anonymously to the Federal Select Agent Program, so that they may respond to concerns, and clarify regulatory issues from the select agent community.

Interested SRA approved individuals are encouraged to join the Forum by emailing the ABSA office at info@absa.org with “SA Gram” in the subject line.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PR/M) - April 2019

Co-chairs: Eric Rouse and Danielle Rintala

The 2018 Biosafety Month was a recognized success for ABSA International. As the face of ABSA is ever evolving to further highlight the importance of biosecurity, “Biosafety Month” will now be known as “Biosafety and Biosecurity Month.” The ABSA Public Relations and Marketing (PR/M) Committee is excited to announce the October 2019 Biosafety and Biosecurity Month theme will be: “Beyond the Lab: Increasing the Visibility of Biosafety and Biosecurity.” The focus will be centered around outreach, education and training, school visits, supporting the STEM disciplines in teaching and learning, and how biosafety and biosecurity professionals are more than just compliance people. By increasing visibility, we increase the likelihood that individuals may pursue biosafety as a profession and promote transparency (as applicable and practical) about research involving biological materials to the public. This also supports efforts by ABSA to establish and promote biosafety and biosecurity in universities and colleges. Throughout October 2019, spotlights will focus on these ideas, highlight ABSA members that are already doing these things, and showcase ABSA’s involvement in increasing the visibility of biosafety and biosecurity. These efforts will extend into November, where the components of increasing visibility will apex at our annual conference. The PR/M Committee hopes you are as enthusiastic as we are for what 2019 holds for “Beyond the Lab: Increasing the Visibility of Biosafety and Biosecurity!”

Technical & Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) - April 2019

Co-chairs: Yolanda Arriaga Stringer and David Pawlowski

The Technical & Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) Co-Chairs provided a comment to the ABSA Council on the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) Request for Information on Integration Institutes for Cross-Cutting Biology and points of potential participation for ABSA International. Early participation by ABSA International in the NSF program development process could lead to new and exciting opportunities for biosafety professionals. Currently the TRR is providing a second opinion on an NIH OSP interpretation of the NIH Guidelines to a research question in consult to a university BSO and IBC. In a follow-up to a prior review, further elaboration of the TRR review of the ASM Sentinel Level Clinical Guidelines: Biosafety is being provided to the ABSA Council.

Technical & Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) - December 2018

Co-chairs: Yolanda Arriaga Stringer and David Pawlowski

The Technical & Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) enjoyed time at the ABSA International conference with a productive lunch meeting and much activity related to current reviews. The review for the NIH Office of Science Policy (OSP) Proposed Changes to the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines) prompted an ABSA e-mail blast to recruit comments from the ABSA membership to join with those from the TRR committee. In a rare move, and in response to member requests, the TRR draft comments submitted to ABSA Council were released to the ABSA International membership. The TRR also provided a response to the ABSA Council for the National Biodefense Steering Committee (NBSC) National Biodefense Strategy 2018 expressing interest in ABSA International partnering with the NBSC to reach the biosafety and biosecurity goals expressed. This time period culminated with a review of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Sentinel Level Clinical Guidelines for Suspected Agents of Bioterrorism and Emerging Infectious Diseases: Biosafety (Oct 2018) to compare and contrast with current biosafety guidance.

Legislative Committee - December 2018

Chair: Brian J. O'Shea

The Legislative Committee has continued to monitor legislative discussions from Capitol Hill for any potential impacts to biological research sciences as well as discussions from the Federal Select Agent Program and the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense.

The committee has also been discussing with the Public Relations Committee the possibility of producing a pamphlet highlighting how ABSA can be used as a resource of subject matter experts to discuss safety related research issues in the future.

Biological Select Agent and Toxins Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) - December 2018

Co-chairs: Colleen Driskill and Angela Birnbaum

The Biological Select Agent and Toxins Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) spent the late summer and fall preparing an agenda for the Annual Select Agent (SRA) Approved User Workshop, which took place following the ABSA International Conference on October 19, 2018 in Charleston, South Carolina.

The full-day workshop was attended by 68 people made up of Responsible Officials (ROs)/Alternate Responsible Officials (AROs), SRA Users from entities including academic institutions, corporate institutions, public health laboratories, and government (federal, state and local) laboratories. The agenda included a Q&A session with CDC/APHIS Directors, Information about Training, Public Health Lab Select Agent Experiences, IT Security Updates, Shipping Select Agents, Facility Verification, and a discussion on RO/ARO Mentoring-opportunities.

The BSAT CAC Co-chairs prepared a presentation about the committee for the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), Special Interest Group meeting during ABSA. Approximately 40 representatives attended the meeting. Discussions centered on how Public Health Labs could be more included in the activities of the committee. Some of the suggestions being pursued are: communicating information about the SA Online Forum to the APHL listserv and incorporating other members from the APHL community onto the BSAT CAC Committee that represent "stand-alone" public health labs vs. clinical labs in a large hospital or research facility.

The committee continues to review posts, respond to questions, and share information on the Select Agent Forum; the online listserv for SRA approved personnel. The BSAT CAC also provides feedback from the SA Forum anonymously to the Federal Select Agent Program, so that they may respond to concerns, and clarify regulatory issues from the select agent community. Interested SRA approved individuals are encouraged to join the Forum by e-mailing the ABSA International office at education@absa.org with "SA Gram" in the subject line.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee (PR/M) - December 2018

Chair: Joshua E. Turse

The Public Relations and Marketing Committee would like to thank everyone for making Biosafety Month 2018 a success this year. This event was only possible through your contributions and participation. We are already looking forward to Biosafety Month 2019! Additionally, the PR/M Committee is discussing opportunities for future campaigns centered on biosecurity and making the biosafety professional more visible in the research community. We are excited to see what 2019 brings.

Technical & Regulatory Review (TRR) Committee - September 2018

Co-chairs: Yolanda Arriaga Stringer and David Pawlowski

TRR works thoroughly and often quickly to submit reviews on behalf of ABSA International. The TRR reviews this year have included submissions to the: Federal Select Agent Program on inactivation of select agents and effluent decontamination systems; USDA APHIS regarding permit for release of genetically engineered virus; NIH National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences for a 5-Year Strategic Plan 2.0; and early in this review year to the World Health Organization for PPE relative to Ebola and Hemorrhagic Fever outbreaks. The TRR also followed-up on 2017 NIH Guidelines discussions by meeting with NIH Office of Science Policy members in preparation for future comment. The TRR monitors the Federal Register notices for comment opportunities and is considering several currently. Referrals are welcome from the ABSA membership for potential input on behalf of ABSA International.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium - September 2018

Co-chairs: A. J. Troiano and Susan Weekly

Due to increased job responsibilities, Paul Tranchell is no longer able to provide the time and effort needed to adequately lead this consortium. Paul appreciates the opportunity to lead this important and interesting team. A. J. Troiano, Staff Scientist II-Life Sciences at Environmental Health & Engineering, has agreed to take over the leadership role. Paul Tranchell will remain on the team, building a collaboration with the AIHA. The following progress has been made by the team.

Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC)-Esmeralda L. Meyer continues to make excellent progress in collaboration with this organization. They are progressing toward joint articles in their respective journals this fall. They have also obtained approval for a presentation at the ABSA International conference this October.

American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (ACVM)-David M. White is working on determining whether ABSA can provide content for websites and webinars that the College is considering.

Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)-Marian Downing and Debra Sharpe continue to make good progress in collaborations with the APHL.

American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine-Betsy Gilman Duane is working with Ed Stygar hoping to connect with their new Executive Director.

Biological Select Agent and Toxins Community Advocate Committee (BSAT CAC) - September 2018

Co-chairs: Colleen Driskill and Angela Birnbaum

The BSAT CAC added six new members in the spring and has been diligently working to fulfill their goal of providing a forum for the sharing of best practices among the select agent community.

The committee presented a webinar in March focusing on "Recent Select Agent Inspection Experiences." This was the most highly attended webinar to date with over 200 Security Risk Assessment (SRA) approved participants enrolled. The most recent webinar occurred on August 6 and was entitled "Entity Experiences Preparing for Select Agent Inspections." This webinar was also very well attended.

The BSAT CAC is planning the next SRA Approved Users Workshop that will take place Thursday after the ABSA International Conference (October 19, 2018). The preliminary agenda for the full-day program will include a question and answer period with regulators from the CDC Division of Select Agents and Toxins (DSAT) and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspectional Services (APHIS), and many other presentations and discussions related to aspects of working with select agents and toxins. This event will also allow time for networking and problem solving for individuals from various entities.

The committee continues to review posts, respond to questions, and share information on the Select Agent Forum; the online listserv for SRA approved personnel. The BSAT CAC also provides feedback from the forum anonymously to the Federal Select Agent Program, so that they may respond to concerns, and clarify regulatory issues from the select agent community. Interested SRA approved individuals are encouraged to join the forum by emailing the ABSA International office at info@absa.org with "SA Gram" in the subject line.

Public Relations and Marketing Committee - September 2018

Co-chairs: Joshua Turse, Eric Rouse, and Lolly Gardiner

The Public Relations and Marketing Committee continues to concentrate on 2018 Biosafety Month, a period of time when individuals and organizations are encouraged to focus on and reinforce their attention to biosafety and biosecurity standards. 2018 Biosafety Month will be held in October this year. The theme for this year-"Promoting a Culture of Biosafety and Responsibility"-was announced in July with the social networking hashtag #getyourcultureon. Shortly after, the official logo and marketing graphics materials were released for use by biosafety and biosecurity stakeholders. Updates and additional supporting materials will continue to be provided by ABSA International, through both email outreach and posted to the Biosafety Month website, leading up to the 61st Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference in Charleston, South Carolina. A special feature will also appear in Applied Biosafety. We hope you will join us in Charleston where the presentation "Biosafety Month 2018: ABSA International Responses to Members' Needs" will provide an inside look on how ABSA has approached management of this valuable initiative for our community. Visit .

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium Task Force - May 2018

Lead: Paul Tranchell

The Consortium is progressing towards initial collaborations with other professional organization. Members are contacting their primary partnering organizations and developing relationships. There is a need for considering a new leader for the consortium. If there is no one from the group that can step-up, we will be asking ABSA leadership for assistance in identifying a fresh face. The following specific progress has been made.

Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC)--Esmeralda L. Meyer
Esmeralda has successfully connected with AAALAC and is coordinating a joint journal publication. Papers have been submitted and publication is anticipated the Fall timeframe. She has also proposed a panel discussion at the ABSA International Conference.

Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)-- Marian Downing and Debra Sharpe
Marian continues to make excellent progress with the APHL. She is working with the APHL Partners Forum. Efforts include developing a list serve. Also, Marian worked with APHL and ASM to provide a 1-hour webinar that was well attended and well received. She submitted a Letter to the Editors of the ABSA Journal Applied Biosafety promoting volunteering at Public Health Labs, which was published in Volume 23, Number 1, 2018. Marian submitted a proposal for a presentation at the APHL conference. While her presentation was not accepted, a poster presentation was and the poster has been developed by ABSA International. This may be of use in other outreach efforts as well.

American Society of Microbiology (ASM)--Don Callihan
Don has been trying to make inroads with ASM. He is currently pursuing opportunities to partner regarding applying for funding of projects and training. Don is also working with the Global Health Initiative to highlight ABSA's international reach and extend the initiative beyond the US. ABSA can work through national organizations to support a more international process.

American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine--Betsy Gilman Duane
Betsy indicated that there was strong interest in collaboration; however, the organization's Executive Director changed and interest slowed. Now that the new Executive Director has been in place for a while, Betsy and Ed Stygar are attempting to reconnect and reenergize the collaborations.

American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians--Dave White
Dave has found interest in connecting with the group, but there no substantive actions have been developed. He suggested using the poster developed by Marian as an outreach. The use of the poster was discussed as a more general tool for outreach to other organizations. It was suggested that the poster be made available on ABSA International's website for widespread use. We also discussed cross advertising ABSA webinars. ABSA can forward notices to organizations, but also develop a standardized e-mail that team members can distribute to contacts that are made in other organizations.

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium Task Force - December 2017

Lead: Paul Tranchell

The Consortium is progressing towards initial collaborations with other professional organization. Members are contacting their primary partnering organizations and developing relationships. The quality of the initial contacts varies and team members are making progress. The following specific progress has been made.

Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care (AAALAC)--Esmeralda L. Meyer
Esmeralda has successfully connected with AAALAC and is coordinating a joint journal publication on animal safety. The materials will be published in ABSA International's Applied Biosafety as well as the ILAR journal. A call for authors has gone out and they are anticipating publishing the journals in 2018.

American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA)--Paul Tranchell
Paul attended the Environmental Biosafety Committee meeting at the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition. There was strong agreement with the concept of collaboration and a plan to submit presentations for two roundtables at the 2018 AIHCe. Unfortunately, they were unable to complete the process within the 2018 submission. Paul will continue to follow-up for a future date.

Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)--Marian Downing and Debra Sharpe
Marian continues to make excellent progress with the APHL. Marian attended an APHL Partners Meeting in September. ABSA International sponsored a Special Interest Group Meeting in Albuquerque at the ABSA Conference. Deb Sharpe, Bill Homovec, and Marian spoke briefly on what ABSA International can offer public health and clinical labs (training, credentials, accreditation, affiliate meetings for CE, listserv, etc.). There were 20 or so attendees there.

Select Agent Task Force - February 2017

Legislative Affairs Committee - February 2017

Technical & Regulatory Review Committee - February 2017

Public Relations Committee - February 2017

Emerging Infectious Disease Consortium - February 2017

Public Relations Committee - October 2016

Chair: Rebecca Moritz and Joshua Turse

The Public Relations Committee worked with SME's Kelly Tyrell, University of Wisconsin Madison, and Jim Newman, KGB Texas Communications, to develop the course titled Media and Public Relations for Biosafety Professionals. This course was offered during the ABSA Conference.

Technical & Regulatory Review Committee - October 2016

Co-Chairs: Eric Steelman and Yolanda Arriaga

The Technical and Regulatory Review Committee (TRR) frequently reviews technical and regulatory documents and determines which documents need a deeper review and comment by the committee. In some cases, a technical review is determined to not be warranted based on further analysis or if other ABSA groups are involved.

The TRR did not submit specific comments during the last round of requests for input, but encouraged ABSA members to submit comments for issues they felt important.

Recently, the EPA requested comments in their efforts to ensure proper recordkeeping and training of personnel in institutions working with agents of dual-use concern. The TRR contacted the EPA and were given permission to view the checklist and other criteria that will be used to for the audit. The information that was provided can be found on the Federal Register website, as well as what is provided on the Federal Docket website. We did not submit comments as the forms and questions were found on common assessment forms.

The TRR has reviewed a proposal from the NIH regarding human stem cell research. The modification will impact sections IV and V of the NIH Guidelines. https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2016/08/05/2016-18601/request-for-public-comment-on-the-proposed-changes-to-the-nih-guidelines-for-human-stem-cell.

Legislative Committee - October 2016

Co-Chairs: Debra Sharpe and Meghan Seltzer

The Legislative Committee's (LC) primary focus has been to streamline and oversee ABSA International's new legislative monitoring program, provided through the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA) Government Affairs Office. Since the last update, the committee has reviewed 130 state legislative bills. To date, 4 state bills have been identified as having a potential impact on biosafety programs and were referred to local affiliates for further review and action.

The LC has also been working to identify ways to engage our local legislative representatives and invite them into our organizations to introduce them to what we do. The LC is also working to identify new mechanisms to engage and educate federal policymakers. The goal of both initiatives is to forge relationships, awareness, and improve the chances that they will reach out to ABSA International members when relevant policy issues or incidents arise.

The committee welcomes 2 new members (Torsten Hopp from University of Louisville and Brian J. O'Shea from Battelle).

Exhibitors Committee - September 2024

Chair: William Peters

The 67th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference will be November 1-6, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona. We started promoting exhibits earlier than usual this year. E-blast solicitations are being sent every week promoting exhibiting and sponsoring at the conference. To date, we have 44 exhibitors and nine sponsors—Miltenyi Biotec (Gold); Sitero (Gold); BioSAFE Engineering (Silver); ABC Actini (Bronze); Camfil Clean Air Solutions (Bronze); Labconco Corporation (Bronze); NuAire (Bronze); Progressive Recovery (PRI Bio) (Bronze); and Triumvirate Environmental (Bronze).

To increase exhibit hall traffic, we will have the Raffle Card Program with the exhibitors during the conference. Raffle cards will be included in the attendee bags. Companies listed on the raffle card will provide a prize valued at $100 or more.

We encourage you to participate by exhibiting/sponsoring your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event. Onsite exhibit booths will be open at the conference for participants to access and interact with booth personnel. If you have any questions about exhibiting/sponsoring, please contact Karen Savage (karen@absaoffice.org) for further information.

Preconference Course Committee (PCC) - September 2024

Co-Chairs: Geoffrey K. Phillips and Ray Scheetz

The PCC completed the 2024 ABSA Call for Course Proposal reviews in May. The PCC was grateful to have a number of new course topics to choose from for the professional development courses offerings. Facilitators from the PCC have been assigned courses and are assisting with all the course preparations. We are excited to have one of our facilitators participating virtually from Nigeria!

This year the PCC is offering 22 in-person courses and 8 virtual courses ranging in audience levels and course length. Please visit www.absaconference.org/2024-pdc/ for all the course details and registration.

Biosecurity Symposium Steering Committee - September 2024

Chair: Cristine C. Lawson
Co-Chairs: Enitra Jones Sprouse and Ryan Burnette

The Steering Committee delivered a successful 3rd International Biosecurity Virtual Symposium and has reviewed all feedback received from the symposium survey. The committee is pleased to report that over 85% of attendees rated their overall experience good/excellent. Planning for the 4th International Biosecurity Virtual Symposium will commence shortly, and the committee is taking into consideration all suggestions and recommendations from the surveys received. We look forward to our continued support of ABSA and its mission.

2024 Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) - September 2024

Chair: Sepideh S. Hockley

The 2024 Local Arrangements Committee has been working on the final details to make the ABSA International Conference in Phoenix, Arizona an informative and enjoyable experience for all our attendees. The conference will be held at the luxurious JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa and is within walking distance of Desert Ridge Mall.

This year’s banquet will take place at Desert Foothills, a breathtaking private events venue located in North Scottsdale, just a 10-minute drive from the JW Marriott Hotel conference site. Selected for its exquisite views of the Sonoran Desert, set against the backdrop of the Valley of the Sun Phoenix Metro area, this venue showcases the unique beauty of the region. The Sonoran Desert stands out as one of the most ecologically diverse deserts in North America, boasting a wide array of plant and animal life. We have planned some fun activities including Bow and Arrow, Cowboy Golf, and Giant Western Operation, to name a few. Join us for a delightful evening of great barbeque, entertainment, cozy firepits, and stunning landscapes with friends and colleagues.

For our presenter gifts, we have selected a local vendor to create beautiful 7" stacked glass cactus ornaments mounted on a sandstone base and customized for the 2024 ABSA International conference. These made in Arizona gifts will serve as a reminder of the conference in the “Valley of the Sun” for years to come. Our attendees will receive customized crossbody sling bag backpacks, and stainless-steel water bottles to make sure everyone stays organized and hydrated!

We have also put together a list of recommendations for things to do in the Phoenix metro area and places to visit in Arizona which will be posted on the conference webpage. We are very excited to welcome you to Phoenix in November! The countdown is on for another great conference!

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - September 2024

Chair: AJ Troiano
Co-Chairs: Colleen Kovacsics and Susan Vleck

The SPC continued to work into the summer to finalize the conference agenda for November, which we are proud to showcase:

• Four keynote speakers with the addition of another local invited speaker thanks to the help of the Local Arrangements Committee
• Concurrent sessions on Tuesday afternoon to accommodate more platform presentations
• The largest international turnout of abstract submissions in recent history; nearly 50% of all abstracts were from the international community with twenty-seven countries represented

Leading up to the 67th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference, the SPC is working to streamline poster grading rubrics and train new members for moderating responsibilities. We look forward to seeing everyone in Phoenix, Arizona come November and as always, welcome the community’s feedback on how we can continuously improve and elevate the conference experience. A special thank you to all the committee members for their efforts this year and continued efforts leading into the Fall.

2024 Local Arrangements Committee – Phoenix - June 2024

Chair: Sepideh S. Hockley

The 2024 Local Arrangements Committee has been working to finalize plans to make the ABSA International Conference in Phoenix, Arizona a positive and enjoyable experience for all our attendees. The conference will be held at the luxurious JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa and is within walking distance of Desert Ridge Mall.

This year's banquet will take place at Desert Foothills, a breathtaking private events venue located in North Scottsdale, just a 10-minute drive from the JW Marriott Resort conference site. Selected for its exquisite views of the Sonoran Desert, set against the backdrop of the Valley of the Sun Phoenix Metro area, this venue showcases the unique beauty of the region. The Sonoran Desert stands out as one of the most ecologically diverse deserts in North America, boasting a wide array of plant and animal life. As you take in the scenery, savor the food and drinks, and partake in games, music, and the warmth of fire pits. Join us for a delightful evening of great barbeque, entertainment, and stunning landscapes with friends and colleagues.

For our presenter gifts, we’ve selected a local vendor to create beautiful 7” stacked glass cactus ornaments mounted on a sandstone base and customized for the 2024 ABSA International conference. These made in Arizona gifts will serve as a reminder of the conference in the “Valley of the Sun” for years to come. Our attendees will receive customized crossbody sling bag backpacks, and stainless-steel water bottles to make sure everyone stays organized and hydrated!

We’ve also put together a list of recommendations for things to do in the Phoenix metro area and places to visit in Arizona which will be posted on the conference webpage. We’re very excited to welcome you to Phoenix in November!

Exhibitors Committee - June 2024

Chair: William Peters

The 67th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference will be held from November 1-6, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona. We started promoting exhibits earlier than usual this year. E-blasts solicitations being sent every 1.5 weeks. To date, we have 34 exhibitors and 9 sponsors—Miltenyi Biotec (Gold); Sitero (Gold); BioSAFE Engineering (Silver); ABC Actini (Bronze); Camfil Clean Air Solutions (Bronze); Labconco Corporation (Bronze); NuAire (Bronze); Progressive Recovery (PRI Bio) (Bronze); and Triumvirate Environmental (Bronze).

To increase Exhibit Hall traffic, we will have the Raffle Card Program with the exhibitors during the conference. Raffle cards will be included in the attendee bags. Last year, we changed the way companies are listed on the raffle card—companies interested in being listed on the raffle card have provided a prize valued at $100 or more.

We encourage you to participate by exhibiting/sponsoring your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event. Onsite exhibit booths will be open for participants to access and interact with booth personnel. If you have any questions about exhibiting/sponsoring, please contact Karen Savage (karen@absaoffice.org) for further information.

Scientific Program Committee - June 2024

Chair: AJ Troiano
Co-Chairs: Colleen Kovacsics and Susan Vleck

The Scientific Program Committee is in full swing as we enter the summer months, with another impactful and diverse program agenda anticipated for 2024! Our annual 2-hour abstract submission call occurs in late May, and we look forward to finalizing the conference agenda and sharing the wonderful list of platform speakers solicited. In addition to the usual conference activities, the committee worked incredibly hard to secure worthwhile keynote speakers, including a second invited speaker from the local area with the help of the Local Arrangements Committee. We anticipate having at least one keynote speaker across all three days of the conference agenda and are evaluating the potential for a dual-track afternoon session (abstract numbers permitting). Moreover, learning from last year, we worked to set clearer criteria for grading and judging platform presentations and posters, and worked with the OASIS platform to ensure a better end user experience and abstract expectations. Finally, the strength of our committee always relies on the diverse membership we have within it, and we are happy to report the Scientific Program Committee has grown to nearly 60 individuals in 2024! As always, we encourage ABSA members to reach out to the committee with any questions, comments, or concerns as we are truly a “continuous improvement” committee and strive to set the bar higher every conference cycle.

Biosecurity Symposium Steering Committee - June 2024

Chair: Cristine C. Lawson
Co-chairs: Ryan Burnette and Enitra Jones Sprouse

This past year the Biosecurity Symposium Steering Committee supported ABSA on final development and review of the Biosecurity Symposium Program Guide and Policies & Procedures (P&Ps), and participated on several discussions to ensure the Biosecurity Symposium continues to be relevant and current, while occurring on a meaningful timeline and format. The committee developed and secured a comprehensive agenda for the 3rd Biosecurity Virtual Symposium, and supported ABSA during the 2-day virtual symposium in May. Committee members served as moderators, as well as facilitators for the courses offered along with the symposium. The committee is now working on reviewing feedback received from the symposium survey. The Biosecurity Symposium Steering Committee will begin planning for the 4th Biosecurity Symposium shortly, and the committee looks forward to its continued support to ABSA and its mission.

Exhibitors Committee - January 2024

Chair: William Peters

The 66th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference was held from October 13-18, 2023, in Omaha, Nebraska. We had 52 companies exhibiting and 8 sponsors—4 Bronze, 2 Silver, 1 Gold, and 1 Platinum. Onsite exhibit booths were open during the 3-day conference for participants to access and interact with booth personnel.

We look forward to the 67th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference from November 1-6, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona. We encourage you to participate by exhibiting/sponsoring your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event. If you have any questions about exhibiting/sponsoring, please contact Karen Savage (karen@absaoffice.org) for further information.

2024 Local Arrangements Committee—Phoenix - January 2024

Chair: Sepideh Hockley

The 2024 Local Arrangements Committee for Phoenix has picked up where it left off with plans originally intended for the 2020 Phoenix conference. The conference will be held at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa and is within walking distance of Desert Ridge Mall bars, restaurants, and shopping. The banquet will be at the beautiful Desert Foothills and promises a truly western experience surrounded by Saguaro cactus, outdoor firepits, and a variety of fun activities! We are working on selecting the presenter gifts and attendee gifts with an Arizona flair. We will have more information for you in the coming months.

Preconference Course Committee (PCC) - January 2024

Co-Chairs: Geoff Phillips and Ray Scheetz

PCC has completed the review of the Preconference Committee comments regarding the 2023 Omaha professional development courses. Logistic considerations for 2024 will include streamlining the course sign-in process, location of instructor tables, and the membership notification regarding the proper electronic devices and plugs used at the conference.

The PCC continues to have dedicated volunteers completing the course reviews and facilitating all the professional development courses at the ABSA conference.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - January 2024

Chair: AJ Troiano
Co-Chairs: Colleen Kovacsics and Susan Vleck

The Scientific Program Committee welcomed new members to the committee as we reflected on the 66th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference in Omaha, Nebraska last October. Working diligently through the conference survey feedback, the responses were overwhelmingly positive with some poignant recommendations for improvement moving into the 67th Annual Conference this year. Notably, we are making significant process improvements to the abstract submission website in collaboration with OASIS to ensure expectations are clear, the submission portal is more user friendly, and the review process is as transparent as possible for the ABSA community. In addition to this, the SPC is looking into how to streamline the various conference applications used for streaming and Q&A, providing more up-front instruction on how the technology works and ensuring a smoother conference experience for both in-person and virtual attendees. Lastly, we are exploring bringing back dual track presentations if abstract submission numbers allow it. The SPC is soliciting keynotes for the 2024 conference and welcomes all suggestions for potential topics and/or speakers from our biosafety community. Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2023 conference and provided feedback for the SPC, we are already looking forward to November!

Exhibitors Committee - September 2023

Chair: William Peters

Exhibits at the 66th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference will be held October 15-17, 2023, at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. ABSA International encourages your company to participate by exhibiting their products and services and/or sponsoring an event. We have 47 exhibitors and 8 sponsors—4 Bronze, 2 Silver, 1 Gold and 1 Platinum. We encourage you to participate by exhibiting/sponsoring your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event. If you would like further information, please e-mail Karen Savage at karen@absaoffice.org.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - September 2023

Chairs: AJ Troiano and Colleen Kovacsics

The Scientific Program Committee (SPC) is pleased to share that the agenda for the 66th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference in Omaha, Nebraska is now on the conference website! While this is normally completed by the beginning of the summer, this year we were challenged with nearly triple the abstract submissions from the previous conference cycle. In addition, the quality of the abstract submissions was exceptional. As such, the SPC worked diligently to review abstracts in the most objective and transparent manner possible, which required the entire committee’s participation as so many submissions fell above the typical acceptance threshold. In essence, we as a committee were forced to “raise the bar” for this cycle as we had enough qualified abstracts to fit four days’ worth of platform talks for a 3-day conference. While delighted to see ABSA community come back strong this year, the SPC will work with ABSA stakeholders to address this challenge going forward and welcome feedback from the community on how to evolve the SPC and better serve our biosafety and biosecurity community. We look forward to seeing everyone in Omaha in October!

2023 Omaha Local Arrangements Committee - September 2023

Chair: Matt Anderson

The Local Arrangements Committee for Omaha 2023 has been finalizing arrangements for the Conference and we cannot wait to welcome you to Omaha and share all that the city and surrounding area has to offer! The conference hotels and conventions center are located in the up and coming North Downtown neighborhood and there are many bars and restaurants within walking distance of the convention center. The Tuesday night reception will be held at the historic Durham Museum in downtown Omaha, and we have some fun activities planned for the night including a photobooth, scavenger hunt with prizes, and a DJ for those that like to dance or just listen to music. We have also selected a local vendor for the attendee gifts and have worked with a local woodcrafter to create a truly unique gift for our speakers and presenters! We have partnered with the Omaha Convention and Visitor’s Bureau to set up a website with links to everything the city has to offer, from restaurants, bars, to attractions and entertainment. There are even special offers available just for conference attendees with the special links on the page including discounts at local breweries! https://www.visitomaha.com/absa/

A couple of attractions to not miss while you are in town are:

1. The #1 zoo in the U.S., the Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium, boasts the world’s largest indoor desert, largest indoor rainforest in America, and 28-acre African Grasslands Exhibit.
2. The Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge spans the Missouri river near the convention center and allows you to stand in both Nebraska and Iowa at the same time!

3.  The Kiewit Luminarium (https://kiewitluminarium.org/) The Luminarium is an 82,000 sq. ft. science center that is filled with interactive exhibits and just opened in April 2023.

Exhibitors Committee - June 2023

Chair: William Peters

Exhibits at the 66th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference will be held October 15-17, 2023, at the CHI Health Center in Omaha, Nebraska. ABSA International encourages your company to participate by exhibiting their products and services and/or sponsoring an event. We have twenty-two exhibitors and six sponsors—Advarra (Platinum); Miltenyi Biotec (Gold); BioSAFE Engineering (Silver); Labconco Corporation (Silver), NuAire (Bronze), Sitero (Bronze) as of the time of this writing. If you would like further information, please e-mail Karen Savage at karen@absaoffice.org.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - June 2023

Chairs: AJ Troiano, Daniel Eisenman, and Colleen Kovacsics

The Scientific Program Committee (SPC) over the last several months has been well under way planning for the 66th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference come October in Omaha, Nebraska. Working with the support of the Local Arrangements Committee, the SPC pooled together a list of nearly a dozen potential keynote speakers, with a mixture of pedigrees, biosafety, and biosecurity focus areas, across both the public and private sectors. Moreover, we are exploring some new ideas for panel discussions and potentially adding additional keynote speakers across the program. It is always a challenge year after year to ensure we perform our due diligence as a committee to both solicit keynote speakers as well as select topic areas that are stimulating, current, and provide a fresh direction from previous conferences to keep the community engaged. While it is still early, we are very excited to see the keynote selection at this point and look forward to bringing a worthwhile scientific program to the annual conference. As the abstract submission process has closed and the SPC members complete the review process for both platform and poster presentations, the SPC is thrilled to share that the ABSA community came back strong this year and provided us with over double the submissions from last year. While this does make the SPC’s review process more challenging, it helps us ensure we provide the highest caliber talks and scientific agenda for the community we serve.

We are looking forward to finalizing the agenda over the next 2 months and are eager to see another worthwhile ABSA Conference come Fall 2023!

2023 Omaha Local Arrangements Committee - June 2023

Chair: Matt Anderson

The Local Arrangements Committee for Omaha 2023 has been working hard for the past year to make the ABSA Conference in Omaha a great experience! The Tuesday night banquet will be held at the historic Durham Museum in downtown Omaha, and we have some fun activities planned for the night including a photobooth, scavenger hunt with prizes, and a DJ for those that like to dance or just listen to music. We have also selected a local vendor for the attendee gifts and have worked with a local woodcrafter to create a truly unique gift for our speakers and presenters! We cannot wait to see you in Omaha in October and experience all the Omaha metro area has to offer.

The Durham Museum is Omaha’s home to history! Housed in Omaha’s former Union Station, it is the region’s premier hands-on history museum and a National Historic Landmark. Climb aboard passenger trains from the 1940’s and 50’s and enjoy an array of permanent exhibits including 1940’s storefronts, HO Model trains and numerous artifacts showing the history of the region. Opened in 1931, Union Station was built by Union Pacific Railroad as the showpiece to the city of its headquarters. Considered one of Omaha’s most unique treasures, the station is one of the best examples of art deco architecture in the country. The Durham Museum is located just one block south of Omaha’s Historic Old Market at 801 South 10th Street.

Exhibitors Committee - January 2023

Chair: William Peters

The 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference was held from October 14-19, 2022, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We had 52 companies exhibiting and six sponsors—2 Bronze, 3 Silver, and 1 Platinum. Onsite exhibit booths were welcomed back and open during the 3-day conference for participants to access and interact booth personnel.

We look forward to the 66th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference from October 13-18 in Omaha, Nebraska. We encourage you to participate by exhibiting/sponsoring your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event. If you have any questions about exhibiting/sponsoring, please contact Karen Savage (karen@absaoffice.org) for further information.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - January 2023

Chairs: AJ Troiano, Daniel Eisenman and Colleen Kovacsics

With the 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference in the books, the SPC thoroughly evaluated the conference feedback both through the conference application (Slido) as well as the ABSA survey. It is through these comments, concerns, and general evaluations that the SPC works to continuously improve the conference agenda both in content and format. Overall, the response has been overwhelmingly positive, with high marks received on both keynote addresses and the caliber of platform talks. That said, we know there are improvements to be made to roundtable discussions, moderating, and engagement of our international members. We simply cannot allow the pandemic to exclude our international community with the advances in technology that can bring us all together at the click of a button.

As we move forward into 2023, we have begun brainstorming keynote speakers for next year and are looking at functional improvements to the platforms in its hybrid format. Since this was the first time using Slido, there was a steep learning curve and a lot to sort out in a short amount of time. Even with those challenges, we saw a marked increase in engagement from the audience from both in-person and virtual attendees and had the capability to answer more questions in a shorter amount of time. Reducing the roundtables from 90 minutes to 60 minutes as well as providing speaker biographies and moderator training across all platform talks is actively being considered for 2023 as well. If members ever have additional feedback, they are welcome to reach out to SPC chairs and share their ideas!

Those of you that expressed interest in joining SPC, we will be evaluating our membership in early 2023 and reaching out to individuals to join. Thank you everyone for another successful conference and let us keep the momentum going for the 66th!

Exhibitors Committee - September 2022

Chair: William Peters

Exhibits at the 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference will be open on Sunday, October 16 at 6:30-8:30 pm during the Opening Reception as well as Monday, October 17 and Tuesday, October 18 from 9:00-4:00 pm. The conference and exhibits will be held at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, WI. There are currently 43 exhibiting companies and 6 sponsors—2 Bronze, 3 Silver, and 1 Platinum. We encourage you to participate by exhibiting/sponsoring your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event. If you would further information, please e-mail Karen Savage (Karen@absaoffice.org) at the ABSA International office.

Preconference Course Committee (PCC) - September 2022

Chair: Kalpana Rengarajan
Co-Chairs: Danielle Daniely, Geoffrey Phillips, and Ray Scheetz

The PCC will be offering 15 courses in-person at the Annual Conference and five virtual courses with one of the courses occurring in February of 2023. Virtual course offerings start in September. If the membership has any questions or suggestions regarding PCC, please contact Kari or Colleen at education@absa.org or the Chair/Co-Chairs. Looking forward to seeing you all at the conference in Milwaukee, WI.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - September 2022

Chairs: AJ Troiano, Cristine Lawson, and Daniel Eisenman

The SPC has worked diligently the past few months reviewing poster and platform abstracts for the 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference and finalizing the program. This conference cycle, we saw abstract submissions decrease to less than 50% of pre-pandemic years, creating one of our greatest challenges to date. In addition to our keynote and platform speakers, based on the positive feedback from the panel discussions last year the SPC is including three different interactive roundtable discussions centered on various areas of biosafety and biosecurity. While this year the conference will be a hybrid format, the SPC is committed to ensuring a collaborative, engaging, and diverse Agenda.

Additionally, we encourage all conference attendees to fill out ABSA’s conference survey as this helps the SPC continuously improve the Scientific Program. Following the conference, those individuals who have expressed interest in joining will be reviewed by the committee chairs. We look forward to seeing everyone in-person in Milwaukee, WI (and will be sure to say hello to those colleagues attending remotely) in October.

Exhibitors Committee - June 2022

Chair: William Peters

The 2nd Biosecurity Hybrid Symposium was held from May 3-6 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Exhibits were in-person for the first time since November 2019. We had six exhibitors and one sponsor.

Exhibits at the 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference will be open on Sunday, October 16 at 6:30-8:30 pm during the Opening Reception as well as Monday, October 17 and Tuesday, October 18 from 9:00-4:00 pm. The conference and exhibits will be held at the Wisconsin Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. As of the end of May, we have 26 companies exhibiting and 5 sponsors—4 Silver and 1 Platinum. We encourage you to participate by exhibiting/sponsoring your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event. If you would further information, please e-mail Karen Savage at the ABSA International office (karen@absaoffice.org).

Local Arrangements Committee - June 2022

Chair: Danielle Rintala

The Local Arrangements Committee is eager to welcome everyone to Milwaukee, Wisconsin this October for the 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference. Milwaukee is a beautiful city with lots to see and do, teeming with restaurants, local shops, and breweries serving up Wisconsin's finest food and drink. Milwaukee is located on the southern Lake Michigan shoreline. Known as the “gathering place by the waters,” the “good earth” (or good land), or simply the “gathering place,” Indigenous groups such as the Potawatomi, Ojibwe, Odawa (Ottawa), Fox, Ho-Chunk, Menominee, Sauk, and Oneida have all called Milwaukee their home at some point in the last three centuries. The Potawatomi pronounced it Mahn-ah-wauk, meaning council ground. Amongst our Milwaukee metro, we celebrate a diverse population rich in culture and history. Milwaukee is a great Midwest city. We are excited to announce that the Conference Banquet Dinner will be held at the historic Milwaukee Public Museum. So, pack light, because you will want to leave room for souvenirs!

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - June 2022

Chairs: AJ Troiano, Cristine Lawson, and Daniel Eisenman

The 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Hybrid Conference is scheduled from October 14-19 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Over the last several months, the SPC has thoroughly reviewed the feedback from the previous conference and held several meetings discussing potential subject matter areas for the scientific program. The SPC has worked diligently to solicit platform and poster abstracts for the May 3, 2022, deadline, as well as review potential keynote speakers from a pool of candidates generated by both the SPC and from last year’s conference survey suggestions. This year has presented significant challenges navigating the third year of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and moving the conference from an online to hybrid format. Special emphasis has been placed on representing our international biosafety community and those who are participating remotely, ensuring onsite participation and speakers, as well as ensuring diversity among speakers and topics. We look forward to finalizing the conference agenda with dynamic, stimulating, and diversified topics that will encourage strong participation in this hybrid format.

Exhibitors Advisory Committee - January 2022

Chair: William Peters

The 64th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Virtual Conference was held from October 25-27, 2021. Virtual exhibit booths were open and accessible anytime during the 3-day conference for participants to access and interact. We had twenty-three virtual exhibitors and 10 sponsors (1 Platinum, 7 Silver, and 2 Bronze). For those who attended the 2021 virtual conference, please recall it is available on demand—with exhibit booths available to view—until September 2022 at https://www.labroots.com/ms/virtual-event/64th-annual-biosafety-biosecurity-conference.

We look forward to the 65th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference from October 14-19, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. We encourage you to participate by exhibiting/sponsoring your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event. If you have any questions or concerns about exhibiting/sponsoring, please contact Karen Savage at the ABSA International Office (karen@absaoffice.org) for further information.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - January 2022

Chairs: Claudia Gentry-Weeks, AJ Troiano, and Cristine Lawson

The 64th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference was held virtually from October 25-27. There were 17 oral presentations with 4 invited speakers and 3 roundtable sessions, 23 poster presentations, 2 networking sessions and virtual exhibitions. The presentations were designed to encourage participation in the conference and focused on discussions between presenters and participants. We were fortunate to have internationally renowned speakers that discussed various aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including SARS-CoV-2 virus variants, vaccines, containment, and persistence. The program was balanced with informative, stimulating discussions on inactivation and decontamination, biorisk program management, high-containment, gene therapy and genetically modified microorganisms, regulations and emerging topics, behavior and biosafety, and agricultural biosafety topics. The Poliovirus Containment Roundtable provided an update on the Global Action Plan III, while the Biosafety Culture and Business Continuity Roundtables provided insights on building/maintaining a positive environment and addressed the challenges and opportunities of the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. The conference program reflected the dedication and resilience of the biosafety community and their ability and willingness to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with innovative approaches.

Exhibitors Committee - October 2021

Chair: William Peters

The 64th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Virtual Conference will be from October 25-27, 2021. Virtual exhibits at the conference will be open and accessible anytime through the conference for participants to access and interact with your virtual booth icons that are linked to pictures, brochures, and videos along with a live chat function, if desired. We encourage you to participate in the virtual event by exhibiting your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event. If you have any questions or concerns about exhibiting, please contact Karen Savage at the ABSA International office (karen@absaoffice.org) for further information.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - October 2021

Chairs: Claudia Gentry-Weeks, AJ Troiano, Cristine Lawson, and Jessica McCormick-Ell

The Scientific Program Committee has invited speakers and selected both platform, poster, and roundtable presentations for the upcoming 2021 Virtual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference. The program has been finalized and can be found on the conference website at absaconference.org. We look forward to an engaging and enlightening virtual conference.

Exhibitors Committee - July 2021

Chair: William Peters

Exhibits at the 64th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference will be open on Sunday, October 24 from 6:30-8:30 pm during the Opening Reception as well as Monday, October 25 and Tuesday, October 26 from 9:00-4:00 pm. The conference and exhibits will be held at the Raleigh Convention Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. To date, we have 33 companies exhibiting in 35 booths along with 1 Platinum Sponsor, 3 Silver Sponsors, and 1 Bronze Sponsor. These exhibitors will be accessible for participants to view their products and hear about their services. We encourage you to participate in this event by exhibiting your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event. If you have any questions about exhibit opportunities, please contact Karen Savage (karen@absaoffice.org) at the ABSA Office.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - July 2021

Chairs: Claudia Gentry-Weeks, AJ Troiano, Cristine Lawson, and Jessica McCormick-Ell

The Scientific Program Committee (SPC) has completed reviewing submitted abstracts and has recruited the keynote speakers for the upcoming 2021 Conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. Seventy-seven abstracts were received for consideration. Notifications to speakers were sent out towards end of June. We look forward to stimulating talks and discussion at the ABSA Conference in Raleigh in October.

Exhibitors Committee - January 2021

Chair: William Peters

The 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Virtual Conference was held November 4-6, 2020. There were 22 virtual exhibitors accessible throughout the conference for participants to gain exhibitor information. There were 3 Silver sponsors and 1 Bronze sponsor. Conference participants’ response to the virtual exhibits was excellent and it was a learning experience for all. We encourage you to participate in future exhibit opportunities or sponsorships, such as the USDA ARS Symposium in February and/or the 1st Biosecurity Virtual Symposium in April, to showcase your company’s products and services. If you have any questions about future exhibit opportunities, please contact the ABSA International office.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - January 2021

Jessica McCormick-Ell, Claudia Gentry-Weeks, and AJ Troiano

The Scientific Program Committee (SPC) hopes all attendees enjoyed the virtual conference. It was a new platform, but we heard that attendees enjoyed the engaging question and answer sessions and the networking rooms at the end of the day. Our thanks to all of you for attending and making this a successful virtual conference. Planning for 2021 will be getting underway soon and we will be reviewing the survey comments as part of this effort. More to come as we finalize speakers and plans. Hope to see you in person in Raleigh in 2021.

Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) - January 2021

Chair: Scott Alderman

The LAC has been busy planning for the 2021 ABSA Conference in Raleigh, NC. The banquet will be held at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences which is a short walk from the convention center. We are looking forward to seeing everyone in person for a great conference.

Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) - September 2020

Chair: Shelley Jones

The Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) is disappointed that we will not be welcoming you to the Phoenix for the 2020 Conference; the good news is we are way ahead of schedule for planning the 2024 Conference. Our focus for preparing for this year's conference has shifted and the only remaining task is selecting a speaker gift that can be shipped to our distinguished speakers. We are looking forward to seeing everybody at ABSA's Virtual Conference!

Exhibitors Committee - September 2020

Chair: William Peters

The 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Virtual Conference will be from November 4-6, 2020. Virtual exhibits at the conference will be open and accessible anytime through the conference for participants to access and interact with your virtual booth icons that are linked to pictures, brochures, and videos along with a live chat function, if desired. We encourage you to participate in this new virtual event by exhibiting your company's products and services and/or sponsoring an event. If you have any questions or concerns about exhibiting, please contact Karen Savage at the ABSA International office (karen@absaoffice.org) for further information.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - September 2020

Chairs: Jessica McCormick-Ell, Claudia Gentry-Weeks, and AJ Troiano

The Scientific Program Committee (SPC) has finalized the abstracts that are accepted for platform and poster presentations. We are pivoting and working with the office staff to ensure the use of the virtual platform will provide a great conference experience. The invited speakers have confirmed their availability for virtual presentations. The SPC will be meeting to discuss logistics and additional planning for the virtual conference. The platform will allow for questions and answer sessions and will be available for viewing as recordings if you cannot attend the "live" session. We look forward to the remainder of our planning and for a successful and informative conference.

Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) - June 2020

Chair: Shelley Jones

The Local Arrangements Committee and ABSA Office have been finalizing details for the banquet at Desert Foothills on Wednesday, November 4, 2020. We have also been continuing to explore ideas for speaker and attendee gifts.

Exhibitors Committee - June 2020

Chair: William Peters

The 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge in Phoenix, Arizona will begin Sunday, November 1, 2020 to Thursday, November 5, 2020. Exhibits at the conference will be open on Monday, November 2 at 6:30-8:30 pm during the Opening Reception as well as Tuesday, November 3 and Wednesday, November 4 from 9:00-4:00 pm. We encourage you to participate in this event by exhibiting your company's products and services and/or sponsoring an event. ABSA International will make special exceptions for exhibitors if there are challenges for them to exhibit at the conference due to COVID-19. If you have any questions or concerns about exhibiting, please contact the ABSA Office for further information.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - June 2020

Chairs: Jessica McCormick-Ell
Claudia Gentry-Weeks, AJ Troiano

The Scientific Program Committee is currently reviewing submitted abstracts for the upcoming 2020 Conference in Phoenix, AZ. This year 93 submissions were received for consideration. Notifications to speakers will go out in mid-June. Additionally, Council has approved the keynote speakers for conference. We look forward to seeing everyone in Phoenix in November.

Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) - February 2020

Chair: Shelley Jones

The Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) is excited to welcome you to Phoenix, Arizona, October 31 - November 5, 2020 for the 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference. Our venue is the fabulous JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort. The LAC and ABSA Office have identified Desert Foothills as an impressive high desert, interactive setting for our banquet, which will be on Wednesday, November 4, 2020. The committee has also been brainstorming ideas for the speaker and attendee gifts, sent local speaker suggestions to the Scientific Program Committee to highlight cutting-edge research happening in Arizona, and identifying local vendor partners to join in the exhibit hall. Considering the beautiful location, amazing venue, superb Scientific Program, educational professional development courses, and the vendors showcasing the latest in biosafety tools and technology-you won't want to miss this year's conference!

Exhibitors Committee - February 2020

Chair: William Peters

The 63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge in Phoenix, Arizona is beginning one day later than usual-Saturday, October 31 to Thursday, November 5, 2020. Exhibits at the conference will be open on Monday, November 2 at 6:30-8:30 pm during the Opening Reception as well as Tuesday, November 3 and Wednesday, November 4 from 9:00-4:00 pm. We encourage you to participate in this event by exhibiting your company's products and services and/or sponsoring an event.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - February 2020

Chair: Jessica McCormick-Ell
Co-chairs: Claudia Gentry-Weeks and AJ Troiano

The Scientific Program Committee (SPC) is well underway at planning the 2020 conference. Thank you to all of you who attended and helped to make the 2019 conference a success! The SPC has reviewed the conference survey and is currently discussing keynote speakers and sending names to Council for approval. We are also discussing several new ideas to incorporate into conference this year. Many thanks to all who provided helpful feedback in the survey, and to the SPC members and ABSA International office staff for all they do to make the conferences run smoothly every year.

The Call for Platform/Papers Submission site is open.  The deadline is April 1, 2020. abstractsonline.com

Exhibitors Committee - September 2019

Chair: William Peters

Exhibits at the 62nd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference will be open on Sunday, November 17 at 6:30-8:30 pm during the Opening Reception as well as Monday, November 18 and Tuesday, November 19 from 9:00-4:00 pm. The conference and exhibits will be held at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham, Alabama. We have 48 companies exhibiting in 50 booths along with 10 sponsors-4 Silver and 6 Bronze. We encourage you to participate in this event by exhibiting your company's products and services and/or sponsoring an event.

Preconference Course Committee (PCC) - September 2019

Co-chairs: Heather Blair and Antony Schwartz

The co-chairs have assigned at least one facilitator to each Professional Development Course. The facilitator(s) will be reviewing the course materials to ensure the material is consistent with the ABSA International professional development standards and level indicated for the course.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - September 2019

Co-chairs: Jessica McCormick-Ell, Claudia Gentry-Weeks, and AJ Troiano

The SPC has finalized the scientific program agenda for the 2019 ABSA Conference in Birmingham, AL. We look forward to all of the presentations and networking with colleagues. We will begin reviewing and selecting keynote speakers for the 2020 ABSA Conference in the early fall. If you have suggestions for keynote speakers for the next conference, please send your suggestions in email to the co-chairs. We thank all the members of the SPC for their time and commitment in reviewing abstracts to ensure a robust program for all attendees. Looking forward to seeing you in Birmingham!

Exhibitors Committee - April 2019

Chair: William Peters

Exhibits at the 62nd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference will be open on Sunday, November 17 at 6:30-8:30 pm during the Opening Reception as well as Monday, November 18 and Tuesday, November 19 from 9:00-4:00 pm. The conference and exhibits will be held at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex in Birmingham, Alabama. We encourage you to participate in this event by exhibiting your company’s products and services and/or sponsoring an event.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - April 2019

Co-chairs: Jessica McCormick-Ell, Claudia Gentry-Weeks, and AJ Troiano

The Scientific Program Committee is in full swing planning for the 2019 Conference in Birmingham. The SPC will begin reviewing abstract submissions in April, and we are hoping to have many submissions for consideration. This year we have more room for poster presentations, and can allow our poster presenters to hang their posters on Sunday. The SPC hopes this will provide more time and opportunity to view the posters and work from our colleagues. Keynote speaker suggestions have been submitted to Council for consideration and we look forward to finalizing those speakers.

Exhibitors Committee - December 2018

The Exhibit Hall will be open from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm on Monday and Tuesday. The Opening Reception will be in the Exhibit Hall from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - December 2018

Co-chairs: Jessica McCormick-Ell, Claudia Gentry-Weeks, and AJ Troiano

The Scientific Program Committee has started to prepare for the 2019 conference. We are reviewing the survey results and discussing proposed keynote speakers. Our monthly conference calls will be starting in December to plan the next conference program. We welcome additional suggestions for keynote speakers, which should be sent to Jessica McCormick-Ell, Chair of SPC at jessica.mccormickell@rutgers.edu. The submissions site will be opening in January and we encourage ABSA International members to submit abstract proposals for platform and poster presentations.

Local Arrangement Committee (LAC) - September 2018

Co-chairs: Sylvie Blondell and Shelley Jones

The USS Yorktown aircraft carrier has been selected as the banquet venue and the LAC is reaching-out to potential local bands for entertainment. The LAC is actively investigating ideas for the conference speakers' and attendees' gifts. Shuttle service has been secured between the Charleston Convention Center and downtown Charleston on Friday, Saturday, and Monday evenings for attendees who wish to discover Charleston's nightlife. Hotel and shuttle information are posted on the conference website at https://absaconference.org/travel.

A visitor's guide to Charleston has been generated and posted on the conference website at https://absaconference.org/travel/. The banquet entertainment and the speaker and attendee gifts for the 2018 conference have been selected and sent to the ABSA International office for finalization.

Exhibitors Committee - September 2018

Chair: Brandon Rosendahl

Due to the hotels providing free breakfasts, which will impact attendee presence in the Exhibit Hall prior to lectures, the exhibition hours will differ this year from previous conferences. The Exhibit Hall will be open from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm on Monday and Tuesday. This year's Opening Reception will be in the Exhibit Hall from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm, which is extended by 30 minutes due to the later start times on Monday and Tuesday.

Scientific Program Committee - September 2018

Co-chairs: Betsy Matos, Jessica McCormick-Ell, and Claudia Gentry-Weeks

The Scientific Program Committee is looking forward to the 19 platform sessions addressing many aspects of biological safety and biosecurity. Our four keynote speakers will address global issues in our discipline as well as basic science challenges. We have more than 10 countries represented in our platform and poster presentations. We look forward to the exchange of ideas and experiences.

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - May 2018

Co-chairs: Betsy Matos, Jessica McCormick-Ell, and Claudia Gentry-Weeks

The Scientific Program Committee has selected the 4 keynote speakers: Dr. Fischer (Topic: Public health issues and challenges), Dr. Palmer (Topic: Implication of biosecurity on biotechnology), Dr. Turner (Topic: Host-microbe interactions and phage therapy), and Dr. Venkateswaran (Topic: Microbial observatory). Over 100 abstracts have been received, which are being reviewed by the committee. Decisions regarding selected abstracts for platform or poster presentations have been made. Based on the number of abstracts received for each of this year proposed topic areas (e.g., emergency responses, public health, synthetic biology, behavior/enhancing compliance, etc.) the committee will generate the meeting agenda.

Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) - May 2018

Exhibitors Committee - May 2018

Scientific Program Committee (SPC) - December 2017

Co-chairs: Betsy Matos, Jessica McCormick-Ell, and Claudia Gentry-Weeks

The SPC reviewed the conference survey and discussed such during a conference call this month. SPC is accepting suggestions for the four Keynote Speakers for 2018 ABSA International Conference.

Submissions of abstracts for platform and poster presentations will begin in January 2018 until March 2018.

ABSA 2017 Conference Presentations and Recordings Now Available!

ABSA International would like to thank all of our volunteers, members, and colleagues for another successful conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The presentations are free, but there is a fee for the recordings. Please e-mail info@absa.org if you have any questions or need assistance.

ABSA International's NEW Promotional Video

Thanks to the Public Relations Committee, ABSA has just finished production of a new promotional video. The video can be found at http://www.absa.org and on ABSA International's YouTube channel at https://youtu.be/xAQPZxMvqRY. Feel free to share the video, use it in presentations, or link to it from your websites.

Scientific Program Committee - February 2017

Local Arrangements Committee - February 2017

Exhibitors Committee - February 2017

Exhibitors Advisory Committee - October 2016

Chair: Brandon Rosendahl

ABSA International would like to thank all of the sponsors and exhibiting companies participating at the the annual conference in Grapevine! We appreciate your support! Go to the following link for a list of sponsors and exhibitors https://absaconference.org/exhibitors-sponsors/.

Local Arrangements Committee - October 2016

Chair: Patrick Conley

The 2016 Conference Local Arrangement Committee arranged the banquet at the Glass Cactus Night Club. Attendees enjoyed Texas BBQ, line dancing, and casino games in addition to the great sunset views over Lake Grapevine.

Scientific Program Committee - October 2016

Co-Chairs: Darlene Ward and Betsy Matos

This was a crucial time for the Scientific Program Committee (SPC) and we hope you were able to join us at the 59th Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Conference. The hard work by the SPC created a great program! New this year-the posters were categorized by scientific and informational criteria to make viewing and judging more streamlined. Many of the presentations are posted on the ABSA website at
and are available to conference attendees. If you were unable to attend or if there was a presentation you would like to see again, several of the presentations are available for purchase through DCP Providers at