Center for Training of Biosafety

#4060

Establishment of a Center for Personnel Training in Principles of Biosafety in Work with Viral Agents, on the Basis of International Recommendations and National Biosafety Requirements and Guidelines

Tech Area / Field

BIO-SFS/Biosafety and BioSecurity/Biotechnology
BIO-MIB/Microbiology/Biotechnology
MED-OTH/Other/Medicine

Status
8 Project completed

Registration date
15.04.2010

Completion date
12.08.2013

Senior Project Manager
Genisaretskaya S V

Leading Institute
Novosibirsk State University, Russia, Novosibirsk reg., Novosibirsk

Collaborators

Foreign Affairs Canada / Global Partnership Program, Canada, ON, Ottawa\nPublic Health Agency of Canada / Centre for Emergency Preparedness and Response, Canada, MB, Winnipeg

Project summary

This project is aimed at the establishing, at the facilities of NSU, of a Center for personnel training in the principles of biosafety at work with viral agents, on the basis of international recommendations and national biosafety requirements and guidelines. The project is focused on setting up a center to provide regular training to scientists and technicians working with viral agents, with adherence to the appropriate biosafety requirements.

The need for establishing the Center for personnel training based on international and national biosafety requirements and guidelines, its scientific-organizational, methodological, and technical support is determined by the following reasons:

Currently, in Russia and in the CIS countries (i.e. FSU republics) there are no research and educational centers for personnel retraining and professional development in working with human and animal virus infections;
Virology studies are associated with the possible risk of an emergency or laboratory infection of personnel at work;
Biological safety in virology laboratories intended for research on viral agents significantly depends on the level of theoretical and practical skills of employed scientific and technical personnel. Therefore, training and professional development is a main way to reduce the risk of laboratory infections and pathogenic material leaks into the environment;
The arrival of novel modern laboratory equipment for virology research and of new research techniques requires development of new training programs.

The establishment of the Center for personnel training in the principles of biosafety at work with viral agents, according to international recommendations and national biosafety requirements and guidelines, would allow harmonizing international and Russian systems of staff training in the practices of safe work with viruses. It would also ensure continuous exchange of well-proven teaching methodologies and distribution of gathered experience among scientific institutions involved in research on viral pathogens. This project would provide for scheduled and periodic training to specialists employed at virology laboratories in the Russian Federation and those in the FSU republics. Noted Russian and international scientists and experts would be involved to provide both theoretical and practical training to said personnel.

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The International Science and Technology Center (ISTC) is an intergovernmental organization connecting scientists from Kazakhstan, Armenia, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Georgia with their peers and research organizations in the EU, Japan, Republic of Korea, Norway and the United States.

ISTC facilitates international science projects and assists the global scientific and business community to source and engage with CIS and Georgian institutes that develop or possess an excellence of scientific know-how.