63rd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity Virtual Conference
Scientific Program
November 4-6, 2020
Wednesday, November 4, 2020
8:00 – 9:00 am Welcome Video from the ABSA International President
8:00 – 5:00 pm Vendor Exhibits
8:40 – 8:55 am Welcome and ABSA International President’s Address
David Gillum, MS, RBP(ABSA), Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
8:55 – 9:00 am Scientific Program Committee Welcome
Jessica McCormick-Ell, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
Session I – Arnold G. Wedum Memorial Lecture Award
Introduction: Claudia Gentry-Weeks, PhD, CBSP(ABSA), Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
Moderator: Maya Nair, RBP(ABSA), University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, TX
9:00 – 9:45 am Valley Fever: The Scourge of the Southwest
Bridget Barker, PhD, TGen North, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
9:45 – 10:00 am Wedum Lecture Live Q&A Session
10:00 – 10:30 am Exhibits and Posters
Session II – Spotlight on COVID-19
Moderators: Shelley Jones, MS, RBP(ABSA), Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
Michael McCarthy, CHMM, The Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA
10:30 – 10:50 am Biosafety Considerations when Establishing a COVID-19 Biorepository of Clinical Specimens at a Large Private Academic Institution in the Face of a Public Health Emergency
Aderemi Dosunmu, PhD, Columbia University, New York, NY
10:50 – 11:10 am Fighting Two Outbreaks at a Time! Mexico’s Biosafety and Biosecurity Experience During the SARS-COV-2 Pandemic and Measles Outbreak in Mexico City
Luis Alberto Ochoa Carrera, MSc, Mexican Institute for Social Security, Mexico City, Mexico
11:10 – 11:30 am Biosafety Training Enabled a Strengthened COVID-19 Response in Pakistan
Mashaal Chaudhri, MBBS, MPH, Pakistan Biological Safety Association, Islamabad, Pakistan
11:30 – 11:50 am Novel Coronavirus & The California ATD Standard
Channing Sheets, MSEd, RBP(ABSA), Division of Occupational Safety & Health, San Francisco, CA
11:50 – 12:30 pm Spotlight on COVID Live Q&A Session
12:30 – 1:30 pm Exhibits, Posters, and Lunch
Session III – Invited Speaker
Introduction: Jessica McCormick-Ell, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
Moderator: Kalpana Rengarajan, PhD, JM, RBP(ABSA), Emory University, Atlanta, GA
1:30 – 2:15 pm Pathogen Genomics: from Antibiotic Resistance to COVID-19
David Engelthaler, PhD, Pathogen and Microbiome Division, TGen North, Flagstaff, AZ
2:15 – 2:30 pm Invited Speaker Live Q&A Session
Session IV – Decontamination Panel
Moderators: Larry Mendoza, RBP(ABSA), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
Esmeralda Meyer, MD, JM, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), Emory University, Atlanta, GA
2:30 – 2:40 pm Establishing Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor as a Means to Decontaminate N95 and Surgical Ear Loop Masks to Address COVID-19 Related PPE Shortages
Andrea Vogel, PhD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
2:40 – 2: 50 pm Addressing COVID-19 Related Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Shortages Using Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor for Decontamination and Reuse of PPE in a Healthcare Setting
Antony Schwartz, PhD, CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM), Duke University, Durham, NC
2:50 – 3:00 pm Implementation and Deployment of Battelle’s Critical Care Decontamination System (CCDS) for the Reuse of Critical Health Care Respiratory Protection Equipment
Brian O’Shea, PhD, CBSP(ABSA), Battelle, Columbus, OH
3:00 – 3:30 pm Decontamination Live Discussion and Q&A Session
3:30 – 4:00 pm Exhibits and Posters
Session V – Bioethics and Biosafety Panel
Moderator: Trent Peacock, RBP(ABSA), Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS
Stacey Kraemer, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), Fullerton, CA
4:00 – 4:15 pm Bioethics, the Missing Link in Biorisk Management
Stefan Wagener, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), Global Biorisk Advisory Council, Northbrook, IL
4:15 – 4:30 pm Ethical Puzzles Regarding COVID-19 Vaccine Research and Development
Brynn Welch, PhD, University of Alabama—Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
4:30 – 5:00 pm Bioethics and Biosafety Live Discussion and Q&A Session
5:00 – 6:00 pm Networking Lounge Special Interest Discussion Groups
- Topics
- o International
- o SARS-CoV-2 Biosafety Issues
- o Public Health
- o New to Profession/Mentoring
- o Biosecurity
- o PPE Shortages/Challenges
- o Animal Biosafety
- o Training
Thursday, November 5, 2020
8:00 – 5:00 pm Vendor Exhibits
Session VI – Griffin Lecture Award
Introduction: Erin Sorrell, PhD, Elizabeth R. Griffin Program, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC
Moderator: Francine Rogers, ALM, MS, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM), Massachusetts Ear and Eye, Boston, MA
8:00 – 8:45 am Impact of Capacity Building Activities in MENA Region on Enhancing Laboratory Biosafety and Biosecurity: Insights from Regional Scientists
Nesreen Alhmoud, PhD, Biosafety and Biosecurity Center, The Royal Scientific Society, Amman, Jordan
8:45 – 9:00 am Griffin Lecture Live Q&A Session
9:00 – 9:20 am Exhibits and Posters
Session VII – Outreach and Training
Moderators: Colleen Kovacsics, RBP(ABSA), Spark Therapeutics, Philadelphia, PA
Matthew Anderson, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), University of Nebraska—Lincoln, Lincoln, NE
9:20 – 9:35 am Biosafety and Biosecurity Outreach Activities
Irene Mendoza, RBP(ABSA), Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
9:35 – 9:50 am Broadening the Scope: Bringing Biosafety Out of the Lab
Janelle Runberg, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
9:50 – 10:05 am Risk Awareness for Visitors in the Guest House in Pendik Veterinary Control Institute
Muhammed Karahan, DVM, Pendik Veterinary Control Institute, Istanbul, Turkey
10:05 – 10:20 am Outreach and Training Live Q&A Session
10:20 – 10:40 am Exhibits and Posters
Session VIII – Eagleson Lecture Award
Introduction: Mary Ann Sondrini, Eagleson Institute, Sanford, ME
Moderator: Betsy Matos, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), Iowa State University, Ames, IA
10:45 – 11:30 am Zika Virus Five Years Later: How It Emerged and Spread Globally, What’s Happening Now, and Progress Towards a Vaccine
Lark L. Coffey, PhD, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California—Davis, Davis, CA
11:30 – 11:45 am Eagleson Lecture Live Q&A Session 11:45 – 12:45 am Exhibits, Posters, and Lunch
Session IX – Biosafety Program Management
Moderators: Cristine Lawson, PhD, RBP(ABSA), U.S. Department of Defense, Fort Detrick, MD
Michael Chute, RBP(ABSA), U.S. Department of Defense, Fort Detrick, MD
12:45 – 1:00 pm Measuring Cultures of Responsibility in the Life Sciences
Daniel Greene, PhD, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
1:00 – 1:15 pm The Hazards of Benchmarking
Meghan J. Seltzer, PhD, RBP(ABSA), HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA
1:15 – 1:30 pm Keeping Research Registrations Relevant and Organizing Committee Review to Inform and Train Your IBC
Richard G. Baumann, PhD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
1:30 – 1:45 pm BSC Mythbusters: Can Overcrowding a BSC Lead to a Loss of Protection?
Kara Held, PhD, Baker, Sanford, ME
1:45 – 2:30 pm Biosafety Program Management Live Q&A Session
2:30 – 3:00 pm Exhibits and Posters
Session X – Richard Knudsen Award and Hot Topic
Moderators: George Wudiri, PhD, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM
Dawn Wooley, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM), Wright State University, Dayton, OH
3:00 – 3:20 pm Strategies for Validation of Inactivation of Viruses with Trizol ® LS and Formalin Solutions
Cary Retterer, MS, MBA, NextCure, Beltsville, MD
3:20 – 3:40 pm Challenges in the Research and Development of Coronavirus Vaccines and Other Emerging Issues in Gene Therapy
Daniel Eisenman, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), Advarra, Research Triangle Park, NC
3:40 – 4:00 pm Knudsen Award and Hot Topic Live Q&A Session
4:00 – 5:00 pm – Networking Lounge Special Interest Discussion Groups
- Topics
- o International
- o Occupational Health
- o Onboarding of Lab Personnel
- o Pandemic Challenges
- o Industry/Pharma
- o BSL-3/BSL-4
- o Plant Biosafety
- o Inactivation
Friday, November 6, 2020
8:00 – 5:00 pm Vendor Exhibits
Session XI – Regulatory Updates
Moderators: Kelly Flint, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM), National Institutes of Health, Fort Detrick, MD
Max Schroeder, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
8:00 – 8:15 am What’s New from the NIH Office of Science Policy
Kathryn L. Harris, PhD, RBP(ABSA) National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
8:15 – 8:30 am The CDC Import Permit Program’s Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Caused by SARS-CoV-2
Thomas J. Cremer, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
8:30 – 8:45 am Biosafety Contributions of CDC’s Division of Laboratory Systems to COVID-19 Response
Aufra C. Araujo, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
8:45 – 9:00 am Federal Select Agent Program Laboratory Examination Tool
Daniel Tuten, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
9:00 – 9:45 am Regulatory Updates Live Q&A Session
9:45 – 10:05 am Exhibits and Posters
Session XII – BMBL Update
Moderators: Noman Siddiqi, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Patricia Tsang, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Regenxbio, Rockville, MD
10:05 – 10:35 am Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) 6th Edition
Jeffrey Potts, MPH, CBSP(ABSA), National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
10:35 – 11:05 am BMBL Update Live Q&A Session
Session XIII – Biosafety Assortment
Moderators: Darlene Ward, RBP(ABSA), Biosafety Consultant, Boca Raton, FL
Michele Howard, MS, MPH, RBP(ABSA), Food and Drug Administration, Washington, DC
11:10 – 11:25 am Zoonotic Challenges in Biosafety—When an Everyday BSL-1 Becomes a LAI
Susan E. Vleck, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Stanford University, Stanford, CA
11:25 – 11:40 am Environmental Health & Biosafety Risk Assessment Framework for Commercial Scale Cell & Gene Therapy Manufacturing
Kim DiGiandomenico, RBP(ABSA), AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD
11:40 – 12:10 pm Biosafety Assortment Live Q&A Session
12:10 – 1:10 pm Exhibits, Posters, and Lunch
Session XIV – COVID-19 Invited Speaker
Moderator: AJ Troiano, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Safer Behaviors, Newton, MA
1:10 – 1:55 pm Buildings that Fight Disease and Promote Health
Joseph Allen, DSc, CIH, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA
1:55 – 2:10 pm COVID-19 Invited Speaker Live Q&A Session
2:10 – 2:30 pm Exhibits and Posters
Session XV – Ag COVID Research & Response
Moderators: Susan E. Vleck, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Stanford University, Stanford, CA
Meghan J. Seltzer, PhD, RBP(ABSA), HHMI Janelia Research Campus, Ashburn, VA
2:30 – 2:45 pm Biosafety in the Time of COVID-19
Angela Birnbaum, MPH, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), Tulane University, Covington, LA
2:45 – 3:00 pm Susceptibility of Bats and Rodents to SARS-CoV-2
Tony Schountz, PhD, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
3:00 – 3:15 pm The Biosecurity Research Institute and SARS-CoV-2
Steve Higgs, PhD, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
3:15 – 3:30 pm Ag COVID Research & Response Live Q&A Session
Session XVI – High-Containment
Moderators: Bruce Whitney, PhD, Texas A&M University System, College Station, TX
Tammy Bavaret, PhD, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), Tulane University, Covington, LA
3:35 – 3:50 pm Bringing a New High-Containment Effluent Decontamination System (EDS) Online—
Lessons Learned to Help You Avoid Costly Mistakes in the Future
Fahim Manzur, MS, Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Orient Point, NY
3:50 – 4:05 pm Managing High-Containment Facilities for the Future
Sheryl Major, University of California—San Diego, San Diego, CA
4:05 – 4:20 pm Blastomyces—A Cinderella Story Andrea Smida, MSc, RBP(ABSA), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
4:20 – 4:35 pm The Whys Behind the Don’t: Benefits Vs. Risks for the “Everyday” Lab
Heather Blair, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
4:35 – 5:05 pm High-Containment Live Q&A Session
5:05 – 5:15 pm Close of Conference
Past President: David Gillum, MS, RBP(ABSA), Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
President: Melissa A. Mørland, MS, MBA, RBP(ABSA), CBSP(ABSA), SM(NRCM), University
of Maryland—Baltimore, Baltimore, MD
5:15 – 7:15 pm International Engagement Forum