Introduction to International Workshop on

Biosafety Laboratory Management and

Techniques

Hongping WEI, Professor Dr.

Wuhan Institute of Virology, CAS

July 30, 2019

Background and history of the

Workshop

Laboratory Biosafety

Fundamental to controlling exposure to pathogens, protecting the labworkforce and wider community from inadvertent exposures.

A researcher dons a protective suit in Wuhan National biosafety Lab, China

Training is One of the Pillars to Biosafety

Human errors accounted for

78% of the underlying

causes of LAIs.

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis (2016) 35:1247–1258

Survey of laboratory-acquired infections

around the worldin biosafety level 3 and 4 laboratories

23/119 lab responded, 4 labs reported 15 cases of LAIs

Top Problems for Improving Biosafety in Developing Countries

1Incomplete National Regulations and Management System of

Biosafety Laboratories

2 Lack of Qualified Staff, Facility and Equipment

4Lack of Capacity on Emergency Response and Infectious

Diseases Surveillance

5 Shortage of Necessary Financial Supports

6 Limited Access to Infectious Agent(s) and/or Toxins

Survey to the 24 participants of the 2018 workshop from 22 countries

3Lack of Guidance in Biorisks and Assessment Methods, and

Laboratory Standard Operating Procedure

Contents of the Workshop on Biosafety Laboratory Management and Techniques

1Management of Biosafety and Biosafety Laboratories: Bioethics,

Policies, regulations, management system, key equipment

2Handling Pathogens in Biosafety Laboratories: Risk assessment,

Transportation, Storage, Norms in lab

3Exercises in Biosafety Laboratories: Enter and Exit, virus culture,

mice experiments, Biosafety cabinet testing etc.

At the forefront of our training system is the vital outcome of protectingindividuals, equipment, product, the environment and the community.

Bangladesh (1)

Brazil (2)

Bulgaria (1)

Cambodia (1)

Cameroon (1)

Congo DRC (1)

Croatia (1)

Egypt (2)

Ethiopia (1)

Hungary (2)

Laos (1)

Latvia (1)

Malaysia (1)

Mauritius(1)

Myanmar(1)

Nepal (1)

Nigeria (1)

Pakistan (8)

Portland (1)

Sri Lanka (2)

Tanzania (1)

Uzbekistan (1)

Kenya (15)

Thailand (2)

China (1)Kazakhstan (1)Serbia (1)

27 Countries

53 Participants

2 Sessions

Across the World

Previous International Biosafety Workshops

- Time: Oct. 18-28, 2017

- Organizer: Wuhan Institute of Virology, CAS

- Topics: Management of Biosafety and Biosafety Laboratories;

Handling Pathogens in Biosafety Laboratories; Exercises in

Biosafety Laboratories and etc.

- Participants: 21

- Countries: Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Kenya,

Serbia, Hungary, Thailand, China (9)

The Workshop is designed for laboratory managers

and directors, research and laboratory staff who

plan to carry out infectious disease research in

biosafety facilities from the developing countries.

The workshop addresses key aspects of biosafety

and provides practical training in high level

biosafety laboratories (BSL).

2017 Workshop

➢ Sponsors: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China & Chinese Academy of Sciences

➢ Organizer: Wuhan Institute of Virology, CAS

➢ Date and Venue: Oct. 15-25, 2018, Wuhan, China

➢ Objectives: -To make contributions to boosting China’s performance in

Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)

-To cultivate advanced talents on biosafety and biotechnology

➢ Forms: Theories, Practices and Seminars

➢ Trainees Recruitment: Promoted and recommended by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China,

China Embassies & Consulates, and CAS

➢ Participants: 32

➢ Countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, Cambodia, Cameroon, Croatia, D.R.Congo, Egypt,

Ethiopia, Hungary, Laos, Latvia, Malaysia, Mauritius, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan,

Poland, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uzbekistan (22)

➢ Lecturers: International and national top-notch experts, research fellows and technical experts

from Wuhan P4 Lab and WIV, CAS

2018 Workshop

2018 Workshop

Participant Evaluation for 2017 Workshop

How do you think of the overall Workshop?

Highly satisfactory

Satisfactory

General

Unsatisfactory

How’s the good effect of this Workshop on

your job?

Extreme obvious

Relatively obvious

Common effect

Almost no effect

How do you think of the lecturers?

Highly Satisfactory

Satisfactory

General

Unsatisfactory

How do you think of the presentations of

the Workshop？

Excellent

Good

General

Poor

84%

16%

63%37%

74%

26%

74%

26%

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

More practices

More discussions

More exchanges

Expectation to be trainned in BSL-4 Lab

Add more contents and increase

the duration for Practice in 2018

Hold Seminar on Code of Conduct for Biological Scientists in 2018

Organize Wuhan P4 Lab, Macaque Breeding Base visit and exchanges in 2018

How do you think of the overall Workshop?

Highly satisfactory

Satisfactory

General

Unsatisfactory84%

16%

How do you think of the lecturers?

Highly satisfactory

Satisfactory

General

Unsatisfactory62%

32%

6%

How do you think of the forms of the

Workshop?

Highly satisfactory

Satisfactory

General

Unsatisfactory

55%35%

10%

How’s the good effect of this Workshop on

your job?

Highly satisfactory

Satisfactory

General

Unsatisfactory

65%32%

3%

Practical Training

Biosafety Norms in Biosafety Laboratories and Animal Experiment

Storage, Transportation and Management of Highly Cpntagious Pathogens

Biorisks and Assessment Methods

Overview of Biosafety and Biosafety Laboratories

Management System of Biosafety Laboratories

Seminar on Code of Conduct for Biological Scientists

Bioethics and Biosafety Policies

Which part that

you think is the

most useful?

Participant Evaluation for 2018 Workshop

Comments after

The Workshop on Biosafety was very contributing

for my daily practice on Biosafety. Through that

workshop, I realized that Biosafety is something

very practical, very important and achievable in a

laboratory. Some notions that were not clear for me

are now clear. And progresses are being done since

that workshop in our laboratories.

---Dr. Patience Maindo from University of Kinshasa

Such activities are very beneficial to improve the quality of

laboratory research work and transfer of technology. Now I am

establishing a small laboratory of BSL-3 for the training of Post

graduate/ Postdoc students, to study CCHFV and MERS-CoV.

---Prof. Tahir Yaqub from University of Veterinary and Animal

Sciences Lahore

The event was helpful to gain valuable insights about

management and techniques pertaining to Biosafety

Laboratories. At present we are in the process of formulating

policies pertaining to Biosafety and Biosecurity in Sri Lanka,

which we plan to proceed as act. Moreover, we are planning to

provide training to our staff about the matter.

--- Dr. Bavantha Beneragama from Ministry of Health, Nutrition

and Indigenous Medicine Sri Lanka

Participant Comments to the Workshops

On August 15, 2018, the Ministry of Foreign

Affairs of China released the 2018 Workshop

information in the Assistance and Cooperation

Database under the BWC.

The Workshops have been considered as an

important component of China’s

implementation of the Biological Weapons

Convention (BWC) to provide global

biosecurity public products by MFA of China.

Contribution to BWC

Training

Mode Theory Practice Seminar Exchanges Cooperation

Aims:

•Connecting biosafety laboratories with scientists, lab managers, biosafety officers,

operations and management personnel, and lab directors from different countries;

•Improving participants’ internal procedures and processes pertaining to biosafety;

•Exchanging scientists and graduate students;

• Finding possible scientific collaborations.

Promoting biosafety cooperation

Call for Application: 2019 Workshop

Call for Application - 2019 International Workshop on Biosafety Laboratory Management and Techniques

◼ Host: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China

Chinese Academy of Sciences

◼ Organizer: Wuhan Institute of Virology, CAS

◼ Topics: Management of Biosafety and Biosafety Laboratories; Handling Pathogens in Biosafety

Laboratories; Exercises in Biosafety Laboratories; Social Activities

◼ Application Requirements: Laboratory managers, directors, researchers or laboratory staff in

biosafety facilities from the developing countries; More than five years’ experience of research or

management in biosafety; PhD holders are preferred; Healthy and fluent in English; Comply with

laws and regulations of China during stay

◼ Fees: No workshop fees. Participants will be responsible for their own expenses including travel,

meals, and accommodations. Support of travel, meals and local accommodations from WIV, CAS is

available and subjected to application.

Date: Nov. 3- Nov. 9, 2019

Wuhan, Hubei

Application website:

http://english.whiov.cas.cn/bsl/

New Training Laboratory for BSL-4

Acknowledgements

for the tremendous supports from

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China

(Department of Arms Control)

and

Chinese Academy of Sciences

(International Cooperation Bureau)

Welcome to Wuhan