The Belgian Biosafety Professionals (BBP) organisation is holding an (English language) symposium on (bio)saefty aspects of DNA and RNA vaccines on March 25th. Registration is free for members of the European Biosafety Association (EBSA). EBSA membership costs €40 per year and allows access to a series of online seminars throughout the year - membership details here.

Symposium programme:

March 25th, 10:00 - 12:00 CET

10:00 - 11:00   Prof. Dr. Niek Sanders: Preclinical development of DNA/mRNA vaccines in the lab and (bio)safety aspects for researchers and patients

11:00 - 12:00  Prof. Dr Kris Thielemans and Prof. Dr. Walter Kempenaers: mRNA-therapeutics: scientific basics, its application, and areas of biosafety concern

Further symposium details here.

In cooperation with the Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation, DHL Ireland will hold a workshop for UCC researchers, technicians, and departmental staff on requirements for dangerous goods shipping. The workshop will cover the DHL requirements for sending Dangerous Goods - in particular Exempt Human/Animal specimens,  UN3373 (Biological Substance Category B) and UN1845 (dry ice).

The workshop will take place on April 13th at 12.00. A link will be provided closer to the date.

BioRAFT, UCC's new online biosafety management tool, is now online. BioRAFT will act as a one stop shop for most requirements related to biological safety and usage of genetically modified organisms. All PIs working in biological research have already been set up and may simply log in. Laboratory research staff will have access once they have been added by their PI. The Biological Safety Advisor will be visiting all labs to help set them up, but PIs may access BioRAFT in advance by visiting ucc.bioraft.com and logging in with their usual UCC email and password.

New biosafety training videos from the World Health Organization

The 22nd annual European Biosafety Association (EBSA) took place in Bucharest, Romania from 2 - 5 April. The event was well organised with sessions and courses targetting all areas of bioasfety and related issues. The EBSA AGM too place on 4th April, at which UCC's Pat Casey took up a position on the EBSA Council.

Pat Casey has been elected Council Member of the European Biosafety Association.

ABSA International's 62nd Annual Biosafety and Biosecurity conference will take place in Birmingham, Alabama on November 15 - 20.

A series of videos explaining the safe use of biological safety cabinets, as well as an introduction to lentivirus biosafety, has been added to the Training Resources page.

European Biosafety Association (EBSA) annual conference 2019 - Bucharest, April 2 - 5.

ABSA International 61st Annual Biological Safety Conference - Charlestown, SC October 12 - 17 2018.

European Biosafety Association conference 2018 - Copenhagen.

Day 1 of the ISTR's (Institute for Safety in Technology and Research) November Symposium has a biosafety focus, with the theme 'Biosafety: working safely outside containment'. Speakers include Ian Hackford from Imperial College London and the ISTR's Biosafety Working Group.

Event:                  New Horizons in Medical Research

Dates:                  Thursday, 7th December 2017

Venue:                 Western Gateway Building, UCC

The inaugural meeting of the Irish Biosafety Network took place on Friday October 5th 2018 in Trinity College Dublin. Representatives of UCC, UCD, TCD and NUI Maynooth were in attendance.