About Pre conference course G. (Bio)containment of GM plants - from Green Houses to Field Trials (1 ½ day, afternoon 17.05, 18.05)

Instructors

Delphine Beeckman and René Custers

Description

This 1.5 day course aims at providing researchers, biosafety professionals, regulatory compliance personnel and facility managers a practical insight into the assessment of risk, design, operation and management of activities with GM plants in greenhouses (contained use) and during field trials (deliberate release).

The learning objectives are:

• To be able to identify and understand the biohazards and risks associated with handling GM plants which are not yet approved for cultivation purposes.
• To understand the factors that should be considered when designing and/or assessing experiments with GM plants, both in closed environments and during field trials.
• To generate a practical view on the operation and management of such experiments, including the management of waste, security and incidents.

A visit to a plant growth facility and a GM field trial is included in the course to demonstrate structural and operational measures aimed at maintaining containment.

Topics that will be addressed during the course include:

• Regulatory framework – cfr. Biosafety and biosecurity laws, regulations, standards and guidelines, conventions and codes of conduc
• Risk assessment of the plant materials and the activities – cfr. Biorisk assessment and management; Biorisk management programme
• Greenhouse operations – Cfr. Facility design; Containment principles
• Field Trial Protocol, incl. monitoring – Cfr. Biorisk management programme
• General considerations on management of waste, security and incidents – cfr. Biological waste management; Emergency preparedness and response

Bullet points

• How to contain plants (lab and field)
• Biological containment
• Field trials between lab and market
• How to protect the environment from a field trial
• How to protect the field trial from….
• Field trials worldwide, different developments and approaches.
• Specific information on field trials to be visited
• Field trial visit (poplar and corn)

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the trainee knows

• Plant containment measures
• Field trial containment measures
• Methods for biological containment
• How to protect a field trial itself against …

CWA 16335:2011, annex C reference

• C 2.1.3.1 International regulatory framework, standards, guidelines and conventions
• C 2.2.4 Working with plants
• C 2.1.2.6 General Principles of environmental safety