2013

USDA ARS 2nd International Biosafety and
Biocontainment Symposium: Agricultural Research and Response from Field and Lab

February 4-7, 2013, Hilton Alexandria Mark Center, Alexandria, VA

Download the Program

pdfThese program items below have slides which are available for download as PDFs.

Presymposium Courses

Monday, February 4, 2013

8:00 am 12:00 pm

1. Plant Pathology 101: Introduction to Principles of Plant Pathology

Deb Fravel, PhD, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD

Doug Luster, PhD, United States Department of Agriculture, Fort Detrick, MD

Kirk Martin, DPM, SM(NRCM), CBSP, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD

Objectives:

  • Identify plant pathology principles and the characteristics of selected high consequence plant pathogens
  • Develop perspective of the challenges associated with biocontainment of microorganisms

Target Audience: All

Audience Level: Basic

1:00 pm 5:00 pm

2. Plant Research in Greenhouses and other Specialized Containment Facilities

Dann Adair, BS, Conviron, Inc., North Branch, MN

Objectives:

  • Identify plant research facility designs and equipment
  • Identify appropriate regulations and guidelines for programs
  • Restate how to assemble a design team
  • Differentiate between plant containment from traditional biosafety
  • Describe the consequences of containment loss
  • Summarize management techniques

Target Audience: Facility Designers, Managers, Researchers, Administrators, Maintenance Staff, and Biosafety
Professionals

Audience Level: All

8:00 am 12:00 pm

3. Integrated Pest Management & Biological Control

Daniel Strickman, PhD, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD

Objectives:

  • Explain the difference between integrated pest management and pest control.
  • Identify the principle pests of a biomedical facility and how to manage them.
  • Describe the elements of a pest management plan for a biomedical facility.

Target Audience: Non-entomologists

Audience Level: Basic

1:00 pm 5:00 pm

4. Agrodefense and Beyond: Laboratory Response Networks

Frankie Beacorn, MS, United States Department of Agriculture, Athens, GA

Paul Morin, ScD, United States Food and Drug Administration, Jamaica, NY

Objectives:

  • Describe the rationale for laboratory networks and their responses during public health emergencies
  • List the various laboratory networks and their functions in support of agriculture, human, and animal health
  • Express how laboratory response networks coordinate and facilitate agrodefense
  • Recognize the complexity and importance of laboratory response and recovery to agricultural outbreaks or
    widespread contamination events
  • Restate the unique challenges facing food testing labs that analyze samples for chemical, biological, and
    radiological threat agents

Target Audience: Biosafety Professionals, Regulatory Analysts, Network Member Laboratorians

Audience Level: Basic/Intermediate

8:00 am 12:00 pm

5. Biocontainment Techniques Beyond the Biosafety Cabinet

Malendia Maccree, University of CaliforniaDavis, Davis, CA

Richard Baumann, PhD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD

Srinivas Rao, DVM, PhD, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD

Objectives:

  • Identify and review the numerous rDNA approaches being used to introduce safety into biological systems being
    studied
  • Summarize the molecular and biological strategies for containment of genetically modified microorganisms,
    animals, plants and plant pests
  • Discuss key safety and review considerations and apply biological risk assessment principles to experiments
    involving genetically modified organisms, animals, plants, and plant pests
  • Identify types of animal and plant-based experiments conducted in non-laboratory settings and discuss important
    safety issues within these environments
  • Explain the relative importance and interrelation of biological, administrative, and engineering controls used to
    mitigate biological risks in animal and plant-based research
  • Locate and utilize informational resources for future reference and education

Target Audience: Research Personnel, Field Release Personnel, Biosafety Professionals, IBC Members

Audience Level: All

1:00 pm 5:00 pm

6. Food Defense from Farm to Fork

Robert Buchanan, PhD, University of Maryland, College Park, MD

Henry Parker, PhD, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, DC

Cyril Gay, DVM, PhD, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD

Objectives:

  • Define and distinguish the following: food security, food safety, and food defense
  • Citing specific reasons and examples, explain how the U.S. food and agriculture infrastructure considered by many
    to be highly vulnerable to terrorist attack
  • In economic terms, describe why the U.S. food and agriculture sector is a critical national infrastructure
  • Attendees will be able to describe the disease agent, distribution (global and U.S.), means of introduction and
    transmission, hosts; clinical signs in susceptible species; diagnosis; prevention and control strategies and status;
    threats and potential impacts (including risks to human health) for a minimum of two foreign animal diseases

Target Audience: Biosafety Professionals, Biosecurity Professionals, others with a limited familiarity with the U.S.
Food and agriculture infrastructure and food defense

Audience Level: Intermediate

 

8:00 am 12:00 pm

7. Bioterrorism Awareness for the Animal Health Community

John Page, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, DC

William So, PhD, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, DC

Objectives:

  • Identify potential Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) introduction avenues to private/commercial farms, agriculture
    industry-related sites (e.g., feedlots), and veterinary schools
  • Describe indicators of a potential bioterror event
  • Discuss animal biological agents, unique vulnerabilities of the agricultural/veterinary industry, and unique
    methods of attack that a bioterrorist may use in targeting livestock
  • Identify unique regional characteristics of animal health community such as bioterror events and bioterrorism
    criminal investigations
  • Identify biosecurity roles and responsibilities of research institutions regarding the security of the animal
    biological agents (select agents) and the people in contact with them
  • Identify benefits and potential obstacles to improve cooperation among law enforcement agencies and research
    institutions regarding biosecurity

Target Audience: Primary Investigators, Research Directors, Laboratory Supervisors/Managers, Veterinarians,
Veterinary Students, primary producers of livestock products, agriculture industry personnel
(livestock feed producers, livestock processing plants, etc.), and Responsible Officials

Audience Level: Basic

1:00 pm 5:00 pm

8. GMOInternational Perspective on Biological Safety in Agriculture

Cancelled.

8:00 am 12:00 pm

9. APHIS Regulatory Oversight: Plant Pests, Diseases, and Imported Soil

Osmond Baron, PhD, United States Department of Agriculture, Riverdale, MD

Michael Kenney, PhD, United States Department of Agriculture, Riverdale, MD

Shailaja Rabindran, PhD, United States Department of Agriculture, Riverdale, MD

Objective:

  • Cite the USDA APHIS permitting process for the movement (importation, interstate, and intrastate) and release of
    plants, plant pathogens, and biological control organisms, and for the movement of soil for chemical analysis

Target Audience: Scientists, Biosafety Officers, Regulatory Specialists, and those who complete permit
applications

Audience Level: Basic/Intermediate

1:00 pm 5:00 pm

10. APHIS Permitting

Kirk Martin, DPM, SM(NRCM), CBSP, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD

Michael Kenney, PhD, United States Department of Agriculture, Riverdale, MD

Steve Ziegenfuss, RBP, Iowa State University, Ames, IA

Objectives:

  • Identify materials that may require a USDA APHIS PPQ permit for transport or possession
  • Identify agencies within USDA responsible for issuing permits
  • Develop an understanding of the permitting process and strategies for avoiding delays
  • Identify the types of USDA permit inspections and how to prepare and respond to comments

Target Audience: Principal Investigators, Biosafety Specialists, and Compliance Administrators
Audience Level: Basic/Intermediate

Symposium Program

Monday, February 4, 2013

5:30 7:00 pm Opening Reception in Exhibit Hall

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

7:00 am 5:00 pm Registration

9:00 am 4:00 pm Exhibits

7:45 am 8:00 am Welcome

Joseph Kozlovac, MS, RBP, CBSP, United States Department of Agriculture,
Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD

Barbara Fox Nellis, SM(NRCM), RBP, CBSP, Barb Nellis Consulting, Crossville, TN

Session I: Food Safety, Defense, and Security Research and Biosafety/Biocontainment
Challenges

Moderator: Joseph Kozlovac, MS, RBP, CBSP, United States Department of
Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD

8:00 am 8:50 am Keynote Address(pdfPDF 554KB)

Under Secretary Catherine Woteki, PhD, United States Department of Agriculture,
Washington, DC

8:50 am 9:20 am Food Safety & Defense Research at Full Production Scale(pdfPDF 1.53MB)

Robert Buchanan, PhD, University of Maryland, College Park, MD

9:20 am 9:50 am Field TrialsContainment and Control(pdfPDF 1.03MB)

Regulatory Considerations for Plant-Based Biologics Manufactured in Contained Facilities(pdfPDF 128KB)

John Turner, PhD, United States Department of Agriculture, Riverdale, MD

Santosh Nanda, PhD, Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, MD

9:50 am 10:20 am Break in Exhibit Hall

10:20 am 10:50 am FERN Network(pdfPDF 3.75MB)

Timothy McGrath, Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, MD

10:50 am 12:10 pm Foodborne Pathogens in Plants

Maria Brandl, PhD, United States Department of Agriculture, Albany, CA

Case StudyFoodborne Outbreak (Cantaloupe)(pdfPDF 1.18MB)

Lawrence Goodridge, PhD, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

12:10 pm 1:30 pm Lunch in Exhibit Hall

Session II: Containment and Research Challenges for Work on Plant Pathogens, Pests,
GMOs, and Biological Control Agents

Moderator: Dann Adair, BS, Conviron, Inc., North Branch, MN

1:30 pm 2:00 pm Ug99: Challenges of Working with an Emerging Race of the Wheat Stem Rust Pathogen(pdfPDF 1.86MB)

Les Szabo, PhD, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research
Service, Cereal Disease Laboratory, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN

2:00 pm 2:30 pm APHIS Risk Assessment(pdfPDF 206KB)

Robert Griffin, PhD, United States Department of Agriculture, Raleigh, NC

2:30 pm 3:00 pm Break in Exhibit Hall

3:00 pm 3:30 pm GMOs-Okamuro(pdfPDF 685KB), GMOs-Firko(pdfPDF 256KB)

Mike Firko, PhD, United States Department of Agriculture, Riverdale, MD

Jack Okamuro, PhD, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD

3:30 pm 4:00 pm Containment and Security Challenges Associated with Plant Research Lab
& Field(pdfPDF 6.62MB)

James Stack, PhD, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS

4:00 pm 4:30 pm Biological Control Risk Analysis(pdfPDF 2.42)

Ernest Delfosse, PhD, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

4:30 pm 5:00 pm Emerging Issues in Biological Control and the ARS Foreign Labs(pdfPDF 1.66MB)

Dan Strickman, PhD, United States Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

7:00 am 5:00 pm Registration

9:00 am 4:00 pm Exhibits

Session III: Regulatory and Oversight Issues

Moderator: Paul Meechan, PhD, RBP, CBSP, Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, Atlanta, GA

8:00 am 8:30 pm Agroterrorism

Seth Carus, PhD, National Defense University, Fort McNair, DC

8:30 am 9:00 am Select Agents(pdfPDF 454KB)

Charles Divan, PhD, United States Department of Agriculture, Riverdale, MD

9:00 am 9:30 am Importance of a Personnel Reliability Program as Part of a Culture of
Responsibility: FESAP Perspective(pdfPDF 317KB)

Laura Kwinn, PhD, United States Department of Health and Human Services,
Washington, DC

9:30 am 10:00 am Break

10:00 am 12:00 pm Culture of Responsibility & Security Roundtable

Facilitator: Eileen Thacker, DVM, PhD, United States Department of Agriculture,
Beltsville, MD

Presenters:

Joseph Kanabrocki, PhD, CBSP, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL presentation(pdfPDF 782KB)

Bruce Stewart-Brown, DVM, Perdue Farms, Inc., Salisbury, MD

Edward You, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, DC

Jason Rao, PhD, American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC

William Mellon, PhD, University of WisconsinMadison, Madison, WI

12:00 pm 1:30 pm Lunch in Exhibit Hall

1:30 pm 2:30 pm Interactive Roundtable

2:30 pm 3:00 pm Break

Session IV LAIs

Moderator: James Welch, Elizabeth R. Griffin Research Foundation, Kingsport, TN

3:00 pm 3:30 pm LAI Lessons Learned and the Need for a Reporting System(pdfPDF 481KB)

Karen Byers, MS, RBP, CBSP, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA

3:30 pm 4:00 pm Occupational Health: Lab Acquired Illness, Exposure, Releases, and
Consequences

Sue Tolin, PhD, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA

4:00 pm 5:00 pm LAIs and Breach in Containment Roundtable

Facilitator: Joseph Kozlovac, MS, RBP, CBSP, United States Department of
Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD

Presenters:

Susan Harper, DVM, Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC

Paul Meechan, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA

Richard Henkel, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA

Joseph Kanabrocki, PhD, CBSP, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL

6:00 pm 10:00 pm Banquet

Entertainment by Einstein Alive

Thursday, February 7, 2013

7:00 am 5:00 pm Registration

Session V Animal Health

Moderator: Robert Ellis, PhD, CBSP, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

8:00 am 8:50 am Keynote Address(pdfPDF 2.44MB)

Introduction: Robert Buchanan, PhD, University of Maryland, College Park, MD
David Crean, MARS, Inc., McLean, VA

8:50 am 9:20 am African Swine Fever(pdfPDF 5.99MB)

Roman Kucheryavenko, DVM, PhD, National Scientific Center, Kharkiv, Ukraine

9:20 am 9:50 am Emerging Vector Borne Pathogens(pdfPDF 1.93MB)

Tony Schountz, PhD, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO

9:50 am 10:20 am Prion Research(pdfPDF 4.10MB)

Edward Hoover, DVM, PhD, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

10:20 am 10:35 am Break

10:35 am 11:05 am Field Biosafety Issues in Animal Wildlife Research(pdfPDF 547KB)

Sue VandeWoude, DVM, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

11:05 am 11:35 am Q-Fever(pdfPDF 627KB)

Richard Bowen, DVM, PhD, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

11:35 am Closing Comments & Adjourn

Joseph Kozlovac, MS, RBP, CBSP, United States Department of Agriculture,
Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, MD