“Biosafety, Biosecurity and Dual-Use Research of Concern” will be the topic of a special presentation on Thursday, April 12, 2018, by Joseph Kanabrocki, associate vice-president for research safety and professor of microbiology in the Biological Sciences Division of the University of Chicago. The talk is open to Argonne researchers in all divisions and any other interested employees, and will be held in the Building 446 Auditorium from 10 to 11:30 a.m.
The presentation will cover historical aspects, definitions and current guidelines and controls for biosafety, biosecurity and dual-use research of concern.
Abstract
Laboratory biosecurity describes the protection, control and accountability for valuable biological materials within laboratories. Laboratory biosafety describes the containment principles, technologies and practices that are implemented to prevent the unintentional exposure to pathogens and toxins, or their accidental release. “Dual-use research” refers to life sciences research that, based on current understanding, can be reasonably anticipated to provide knowledge, information, products, or technologies that could be directly misapplied to pose a significant threat with broad potential consequences to public health and safety, agricultural crops and other plants, animals, the environment, materiel or national security.
Biography
Joseph Kanabrocki is currently the associate vice-president for Research Safety and professor of microbiology in the Biological Sciences Division of the University of Chicago. In this capacity, Kanabrocki serves as select agent responsible official, university biosafety officer and director of the biosafety programs at the University of Chicago’s Ricketts Regional Biocontainment Laboratory and the Great Lakes Regional Center of Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases Research. He has served as a member of the National Institutes of Health Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee and currently serves as a member of the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity. Kanabrocki is an active member of American Biological Safety Association, where he has served as councilor.