Biosafety in industrial and agricultural biotechnology

An EU-supported advanced practical workshop on "Biological safety in industrial and agricultural biotechnology" will be held in Zeist, The Netherlands, from 22 to 25 March 1999. The workshop is a joint initiative of the TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute, The Netherlands Industrial and Agricultural Biotechnology Association (NIABA) and the Commissie Genetische Modificatie (COGEM), and will be supported by the European Commission, DG XII.

The aim of the workshop is to transfer to participants the knowledge and experience of specialists in biological safety in industrial and agricultural biotechnology. It will comprise a series of presentations, videos and demonstrations, as well as site visits to various companies and research institutes.

The topics to be covered during the workshop are as follows:

- Microbiology and biotechnology in relation to biohazards and biosafety;
- Assessment of potential biological hazards;
- Evaluation of physical and biological containment procedures;
- Legislation and guidelines;
- Tasks and responsibilities of biosafety officers;
- Internal and external communication on biosafety.
For further information, please contact:

TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute
Mrs H. B. Bastiaanse or Dr R. Havenaar
Utrechtsweg 48
Postbus 360
3700 AJ Zeist
The Netherlands
Tel. +31-30-6944714/6944726; Fax +31-30-6944192
E-mail: bastiaanse@voeding.tno.nl or E-mail: havenaar@voeding.tno.nl