News

We are proud to announce the first two SBNet Workshops outside our normal framework of the annual SBNet Meeting. The first course will cover all aspects of shipping dangerous biological substances and participants will have the opportunity to obtain an official certificate allowing them to ship biological materials according to IATA / DGR.

See Announcement Workshop Transport

The second course draws from your feedback over the last few years and the desire to learn more about training and how to conduct biosafety trainings at your institutions. This course will give you the theoretical background as well as a load of practical examples that you can take back home and apply yourselves.
More details can be found in the attached documents. Hurry, as places are limited and are taken up very quickly.

See Announcement Workshop Train the Trainer

For basic principles and information concerning:

• Content of a Spill Kit
• How to clean-up a spill
• How to keep your hands clean

See PDF

Cleaning, Maintenance and Disinfection of Centrifuges, Rotors and Adapters

Samira Schroeder, Eppendorf AG, Hamburg, Germany

In general, handling centrifuges is a safe process, as long as high quality equipment is used, such as anodized or PTFE coated aluminum rotors for instance, and the following conditions are met: the centrifuges and their equipment are used properly, are in an undamaged condition and maintained as recommended here.

See PDF

This article critically reviews the literature on the history of biological warfare, bioterrorism, and biocrimes. The first serious effort to review this entire history, made in 1969, had numerous limitations. In recent decades, several authors have filled many of the gaps in our understanding of the past use of biological agents (including both pathogens and toxins), making it possible to reconstruct that history with greater fidelity than previously possible.

See PDF or Link

This report describes an incident involving the potential exposure of a laboratory technician at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to live (non-inactivated) Ebola virus. The incident occurred on December 22, 2014, on CDC’s Roybal Campus in Atlanta during procedures for a study being conducted as part of the public health response to the ongoing West Africa Ebola outbreak. The potential exposure of the laboratory technician resulted from the inadvertent transfer…..

See PDF or Link

• Federal Office of Public Health: Link
• European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control: Link
• World Health Organisation: Link
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Link

Please find the List of Training Opportunities here: PDF.

Experts call for a stronger safety culture at secure sites after incidents involving anthrax and flu in a US laboratory.

See PDF or Link

The recent work on the modified H5N1 has stirred an intense debate on the risk associated with the accidental release from biosafety laboratory of potential pandemic pathogens. Here, we assess the risk that the accidental escape of a novel transmissible influenza strain would not be contained in the local community.

For more information see PDF or Link

In May of this year, the 67th World Health Assembly will again debate the question of when the remaining specimens of smallpox virus should be destroyed. (…)
See PDF or Link