MRCE Biosafety Training Program

1
MRCE Biosafety Training Program

• Susan Cook, Washington University
• Joe Kanabrocki, University of Chicago

2
Overview

• Biosafety Training Program is divided into two
  parts
• Biosafety Fellowship program
• MRCE Biosafety for the Research Scientist course

3
A Brief History of Time

• Program has been active for 5 years
• Three Fellows have graduated from the program
• One Fellow is currently enrolled
• Five Biosafety courses have been held

4
RCE The RFA

• REGIONAL CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE FOR BIODEFENSE AND
  EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES RESEARCH (RCE)
• RELEASE DATE August 1, 2002
• RFA AI-02-031
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
  Diseases (NIAID)
• LETTER OF INTENT RECEIPT DATE November 15, 2002
• APPLICATION RECEIPT DATE January 15, 2003

5
RCE The Beginning

• HHS Announces New Regional Centers for Biodefense
  Research 4 Sept. 2003, NIH News
• Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy G.
  Thompson today announced grants totaling
  approximately 350 million spread over five years
  to establish eight Regional Centers of Excellence
  for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases
  Research (RCE). This nationwide group of
  multidisciplinary centers is a key element in
  HHS' strategic plan for biodefense research.

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Regional Centers of Excellence
GLRCE
NERCE
WWAMI
NBC
MARCE
RMRCE
PSWRCE
SERCEB
WRCE
MRCE
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REGIONAL PARTNERS

• NIAID
• University of Iowa
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln
• Kansas State
• University of Kansas
• Wichita State University
• APATH, LLC

8
RCE Strategic Goals

• To accomplish this the Centers will receive
  support to
• to develop and conduct programs of investigator-
  directed research
• to train researchers and other personnel for
  biodefense activities
• to develop and maintain comprehensive core
  facilities to support the research and training
  activities of the RCE
• to develop translational research capacity for
  testing and validating vaccine, therapeutic and
  diagnostic concepts for biodefense and emerging
  infectious diseases
• to maintain and make available core facilities
  and other support to qualified investigators from
  academia, biotech companies, the pharmaceutical
  industry, and other appropriate entities in the
  region for the purpose of performing basic
  research and for testing and evaluating vaccines,
  therapeutics and diagnostics for CDC Category A-C
  Agents
• to be ready and available to provide facilities
  and scientific support to first-line responders
  in the event of a national biodefense emergency.

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Career Development Projects

• The RCE must include a consistent and
  significant commitment to career development with
  the goal of increasing the availability of
  researchers for biodefense.. The training must
  be an integral part of the strategic plan, and
  complement the research activities. The
  long-range goal of the training component is
  development of an expanded cadre of new
  researchers, clinicians, and technical personnel
  who can help lead the national biodefense mission
  into the future.
• WHAT ABOUT BSOs?

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Fellowship Objectives

• To train scientists as biosafety professionals
• To meet the growing need for biosafety
  professionals
• To prepare fellows to sit for and pass the
  CBSP/NRM exam

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Fellowship Structure

• Originally
• 1-2 year fellowship
• 1-2 Fellows at a time
• Goal is completion of CBSP and employment as
  biosafety professional
• In current grant renewal application
• 1 year fellowship with option for competitive
  renewal for second year
• Only 1 fellow at a time
• Goal is still completion of CBSP and employment
  as biosafety professional

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Fellowship Activities

• Participate in all day-to-day activities of the
  biosafety officer
• Perform laboratory safety inspections
• Develop and deliver various safety trainings
• Participate in IBC protocol reviews and monthly
  meetings
• Communicate with Principal Investigators and
  other staff to facilitate reviews
• Observe entry and exit interviews for federal
  inspections
• Assist with special projects within the
  Biological Chemical Safety Division of
  Environmental Health Safety
• Develop and deliver lectures for the MRCE
  Biosafety Course

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Fellowship - Results

• In five years, the Fellowship has recruited four
  Fellows from diverse backgrounds
• 1 MD, specialty in pathology
• 1 PhD, specialty in virology
• 1 DVM
• 1 PhD, specialty in nanotechnology

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Fellowship Results

• Three Fellows have graduated and secured jobs as
  biosafety professionals
• Stone Cao, Senior Scientist, MRI
• Susan Cook, BSO, Washington University
• Marcia Espinola, BSO, University of Cincinnati
• All three are now CBSPs

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Fellowship Results

• Fellows provide surge capacity in EHS when
  special projects arise
• Fellows also backfill open positions in EHS as
  needed

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Fellowship Discussion

• Panel discussion after dinner

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Biosafety Course Objectives

• To prepare scientists to safely work with BSL2
  and BSL3 pathogens
• To provide the background and rationale for
  scientists to serve as safety personnel in their
  own labs
• To encourage dialog between scientists and
  biosafety professionals

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Biosafety Course - Structure

• 5-day course covering a wide range of topics,
  including
• Risk assessment
• Containment equipment
• BSL3 design and operation
• Small and large animal biosafety issues
• Flow cytometry containment
• BSL3 hands-on exercises
• PPE selection and use

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Biosafety Course Agenda (2007)
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Biosafety Course Results

• 103 people trained over five courses
• Number of applicants has steadily increased each
  year
• Turned away applicants for the first time last
  year
• Increasing number of biosafety professionals
  attending each year
• Priority is given to MRCE members, but attendees
  from 8 other RCEs have participated in the past

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Course Attendance by Region
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Course Attendance by Job Type
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Biosafety Course Results

• New topics have been added each year
• Prion safety
• Lab animal allergies
• Host susceptibility to disease
• Nanoparticle safety (2008)
• Regional biocontainment lab design and operation
  (2008)

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Biosafety Course 2008

• Applications available online at
  http//mrce.wustl.edu
• Scheduled for September 15-19
• Held at Washington University
• Tuition free
• Lodging free for MRCE participants