carcinoGENOMICS.eu: Overview
http://www.carcinogenomics.eu/index.php?id=400
3R meeting in Vilvorde arranged by DACOPA and the Danish in vitro toxicology network with contribution from ECOPA board
Integration of the 3Rs in Research, Development and Regulation
Vilvorde Training Centre, Charlottenlund 23 September 2010
IVTIP Spring Meeting 2010 - Integrated In Vitro Testing Strategies
May 18, 2010, Hotel Ramada Encore, CH-1227 Carouge-Geneva, Switzerland
The In Vitro Testing Industrial Platform (IVTIP) has the pleasure to invite you to the Spring Meeting on the 18th May 2010, hosted by the IVTIP member company Epithelix.
Inspired by the latest US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) strategic plan for evaluating the toxicity of chemicals ‘Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A vision and a strategy’, IVTIP organized a meeting (November 26th 2009, Edegem, Belgium) to discuss among scientists, key opinion leaders, developers and users of 3Rs-related tests and strategies how this vision could be transformed into a visionary reality.
One of the emerging concepts focused on integrating a defined number of tests modeling in vivo-relevant and well-characterized toxicity pathways representing mechanistic endpoints.
Realizing that integrated in vitro testing strategies (ITS) currently are used in several sectors for early decision-making during product discovery and development, IVTIP have organized a meeting with the theme:
Integrated In Vitro Testing Strategies - Implementation Challenges -
During this meeting IVTIP wants to give people within the field an opportunity to share their experiences related to the organization and implementation of ITS with:
(i) scientists and toxicologists from industry who are working with ITS on a daily basis or who are to embark on developing such strategies,
(ii) representatives of Framework Program supported projects aimed at developing tests and testing strategies for regulatory purposes,
(iii) young scientists and students with an ambition to engage in 3Rs research.
The overall objective of the meeting is to establish a platform of best practice, and to highlight the importance of the applicability of the individual tests as well as the testing strategy itself.
The format of the meeting will be primarily a discussion forum fed with views and opinions brought forward by a number of distinguished speakers. The outcome will be a white paper on best practice and criteria for assuring applicability.
The meeting program will be posted on our website (www.ivtip.org) and distributed by mid April. In the mean time keep this date free and please join us on the 18th May 2010 in Geneva. The registration fee will be €100 for industry, €70 for academia, and €25 for students.
We are looking forward to meeting you there.
Erwin L Roggen, President
ivtip@planet.nl - elro@novozymes.com - bart@deweverconsulting.be - www.ivtip.org
Sens-it-iv summer school on in vitro test methods
June 29th - July 2nd, 2009, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Course venue:
University of Applied Sciences HU, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Objectives of the course:
Sens-it-iv (http://www.sens-it-iv.eu/) is organising a summer course on the testing methods that are being developed within Sens-it-iv. This course will deal with theoretical and practical aspects of sensitisation, pathology, cell culture models, data handling and experimental design. If you want to learn more about the selected models (see also the Sens-it-iv newsletters) and get hands-on experience with some of the models, then now is the time to register! The lectures will be given by experts from the field of immunology and cell biology. The programme of the course will be concluded by oral presentations on experimental data http://www.sens-it-iv.eu/index.php?id=301.
The programme:
The course includes theoretical lectures and practical laboratory experiments. Lectures will be given by some of the Sens-it-iv partners that are developing the selected assays in collaboration with lecturers from the University of Applied Sciences. Practical training includes also data analysis and interpretation of results. Afternoons of the course are spent in the laboratory, receiving hands-on instructions in the practical application of the lectured theory. The laboratory experiments will deal with dendritic (U937cells), epidermal( NCTC2544 cells) and skin models (demonstration). Techniques used are ELISA, PCR and cytotoxicity assays. The course will also include working on an assignment to learn more on how to implement and disseminate the knowledge obtained. Furthermore, we will show you some 'tips and tricks' during the experiments. The course will be concluded by oral presentations by the participants.
The programme includes an exciting social event that is sponsored by IVTIP. For more information on the course, click here to download the application form for the course.
Participants:
Participants from academic institutions, industry and governmental agencies from all over Europe, from inside and outside the Sens-it-iv consortium, are welcome to register. The course focuses mainly on the practical aspects of the experiments and techniques so we would like to be informed about your expertise and level of laboratory training. The number of participants is limited to 24 persons. If the number of applicants exceeds 24, only one participant from each organisation will be allowed to participate.
Dates and venue:
The course will be held from June 29th - July 2nd 2009 at the Research Centre for Life Sciences & Chemistry, F.C. Dondersstraat 65, 3572 JE in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Utrecht is easy to reach by train from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport.
Registration fees and deadlines, accommodation:
Technicians and PhD-students: EUR 300,-;
PhD: EUR 400,-;
Company researchers: EUR 750,-.
A reduction of EUR 50,- will apply for early registrations. Lunch is included in the registration fee.
Accommodation is arranged in hotel Mitland in Utrecht (www.mitland.nl) and has to be paid for separately upon departure. (EUR 100,- per person/night.) The stay in Hotel Mitland is arranged for arrival on Sunday the 28th and departure on Friday the 3th. Additional nights can be indicated on the registration form.
Address of the Hotel: Mitland Hotel Utrecht, Ariënslaan 1, 3573 PT Utrecht, The Netherlands, T +31 (0)30-2715824, F +31 (0)30-2719003, e-mail: info@mitland.nl.
Please note that you do not have to book this hotel separately.
PhD students and participants from the Eastern Europe countries are invited to apply for reimbursement of (part) of the accommodation costs and a travel grant. More information on the terms and conditions and a grant application form can be obtained from Marc Teunis (see below for contact details).
Early registration date is set to the 23rd of March 2009. Late-registration must be received not later than April 24, 2009. To register, or for additional information, please sent an e-mail to Marc Teunis at alternatives@hu.nl or call +31 (0)30 275 8816. Please note that upon acceptance of your registration you will receive an invoice, payable to Sens-it-iv.
Certificate:
A certificate will be issued to each participant at the end of the course.
We hope to welcome you at our institute for a few exciting days!!
With kind regards, the organizing committee:
Helma Hermans
Erwin Roggen
Hans-Ulrich Weltzien
Pierre Aeby
Sue Gibbs
Emanuela Corsini
Cyrille Krul
Marc Teunis
Call for Proposals: CAAT 2010-2011 Grants
The Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) is soliciting projects which focus on the implementation of the NAS Report: Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century: A Vision and a Strategy in the following areas:
• Proposals relating to toxicology: maximum grant amount is $25,000 per year. These grants should be developed to provide understanding of mechanism/mode of action and to consider how one would be able to translate the mechanism to a method that can be used to evaluate/predict health consequences.
• Developmental Toxicology: maximum grant amount is $50,000 per year. The Center is interested in grants focusing on Developmental Neurotoxicology. These studies can be either in vitro, involve embryonic stem cells, or involving species such as c. elegans or zebrafish. These grants should be developed to provide understanding of mechanism/mode of action and to consider how one would be able to translate the mechanism to a method that can be used to evaluate/predict health consequences. Whole-animal, mammalian studies are not appropriate. To apply for such a grant, complete the preproposal form here and return so that the submission reaches us no later than March 2, 2009.
For more information, please visit: http://caat.jhsph.edu/programs/grants/preproposal.htm
7th World Congress on Alternatives & Animal Use in the Life Sciences
August 30 - September 3, 2009, Rome, Italy
For more information, please visit:
http://www.aimgroup.eu/2009/WC7/welcome.html
HESI ToxicoGenomics Committee Workshop
October 27-28, 2008, Arlington, Virginia, Palomar Hotel
Genomics Applications in Safety Studies - Case Study Workshop
Organized by the HESI Committee on Application of Genomics in Risk Assessment
For registration:
https://ww2.eventrebels.com/er/Registration/RegistrationForm.jsp? ActivityID=2786&ItemID=10293
Genomics Applications in Safety Studies - Case Study Workshop (376 kb)
15th International Congress on In Vitro Toxicology
25th-28th September 2008, Stockholm, Sweden
Subjects:
- Environmental toxicology
- Developmental toxicology
- Tests for allergy-inducing compounds
- Toxicokinetics and metabolism mediated toxicity
- Gene ontology and bioinformatics
- Hepatotoxicity
- Neurotoxicology
- Gastrointestinal toxicity
- Absorbtion, accumulation and excretion
- Acute toxicity
- Topical toxicity
- Validation
- Automatised screening
- Legislation
- Testing strategies
For more information kindly visit the official website for the congress: www.estiv2008.org
Technology Day
Thursday September 18th, 2008, VUB Campus Jette, Brussels
Vrije Universiteit Brussel's Technology Transfer Interface invites you to participate in:
New scientific impulses towards 3R Alternatives - Methods to replace, reduce and refine animal use Stimulating research collaborations between industry and university
09.45: Registration & Coffee
10.15: Welcome & introduction by Prof. Jan Cornelis, Vice-rector Research VUB
10.30: The use of microdialysis in drug discovery & development by Prof. Ilse Smolders, Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Drug Analysis and Drug Information, VUB
10.45: Small animal molecular imaging in preclinical research by Prof. Tony Lahoutte, Department of Nuclear Medicine, UZ Brussel
11.00: Coffee break
11.15: Stabilisation of functional hepatocytes in culture by epigenetic modification(s) by Prof. Tamara Vanhaecke, Department of Toxicology, Dermato-Cosmetology and Pharmacognosy, VUB
11.30: Use of in vitro systems to develop antifibrogenic drugs by Prof. Albert Geerts, Department of Cell Biology & Histology, VUB
11.45: Production of functional hepatocytes by mimicking the liver embryogenesis in vivo: an innovative in vitrotechnology by Dr. Sarah Snykers, Department of Toxicology, Dermato-Cosmetology and Pharmacognosy, VUB
12.00: Round table and question time moderated by Prof. Vera Rogiers, Chairperson of ecopa, Department of Toxicology, Dermato-Cosmetology and Pharmacognosy, VUB, and Dr. Bernward Garthoff, Co-chair of epaa, Crop Protection and Bioscience, Bayer AG
12.30: Walking Lunch
14.00: Human embryonic stem cells: possible uses and ongoing research at the VUB by Prof. Karen Sermon, Department of Embryology and Genetics, VUB
14.15: Predicting effects of endocrine disruptors on the ovary and the oocyte by the in vitro approach by Drs Sandy Lenie, Centre for Reproductive Medicine, UZ Brussel
14.30: Human gametes and embryos: balance between research and respect by Prof. Josiane Van der Elst, Centre for Reproductive Medicine, UZ Brussel
14.45: Coffee break
15.00: In vitro cell culture assays for screening of potential Antipicornavirus compounds by Prof. Bart Rombaut, Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, VUB
15.15: Alternative host models to investigate the pathogenicity and virulence of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas Aeruginosa by Prof. Pierre Cornelis, Department of Microbial Interactions, VUB
15.30: Chromatographic and chemometric approaches to evaluate and predict membrane passage of drug molecules by Prof. Yvan Vander Heyden, Department of Analytical Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology, VUB
15.45: Round table and question time moderated by Prof. Vera Rogiers, Chairperson of ecopa, Department of Toxicology, Dermato-Cosmetology and Pharmacognosy, VUB and Dr. Philippe Vanparys, Managing Director of CARDAM (VITO, Belgium)
16.15: Reception & networking
As animal testing is costly in both societal and economic terms, there is a great deal of academic research on finding viable and effective alternatives. Too often however, valuable technologies and ideas, although not always developed for that purpose, are lost for innovative developments. That’s why VUB’s Technology Transfer Interface identified the 3R-principle as a constructive framework for new collaborations to emerge.
We warmly invite you to take part in this technology day, a networking event for academic and industrial researchers, practitioners, policy advisors, innovation managers, members and organizations which are professionally occupied with developing and implementing alternative methods for animal testing. This seminar is an opportunity to listen and learn about state of the art research in the field and consists of short presentations followed by round table sessions, giving you the opportunity to catch up with the latest developments, ask questions and interact with researchers associated with VUB’s faculties of Science, Medicine & Pharmacy and University Hospital.
More information about this event is available at www.vub.ac.be/technologytransfer or send an e-mail to sara.engelen@vub.ac.be
Introduction to Metabonomics & Metabolomics
30th-31st January 2008, Imperial College London
This course will provide participants with an outline of how metabonomics can be used effectively as a tool for biomarker discovery, with a focus on applications in carcinogenesis research.
The aim is to demonstrate the utility of metabolic signatures in providing an insight into biological mechanisms of disease, and how a largely untargeted approach to profiling complex biological samples can simultaneously generate and test hypotheses while minimizing bias.
A considerable portion of the course will be dedicated to data analysis workshops that will lead participants through the data pipeline from acquisition to multivariate model generation and validation.
Please return a completed Registration Form by fax or mail to Rachel Cavill:
Department of Biomolecular Medicine
Division of SORA
Faculty of Medicine
Sir Alexander Fleming Building
Exhibition Road
London
SW7 2AZ
UK
Fax: +44 (0)20 75943226
Please email for further information (r.cavill@imperial.ac.uk).
Online registration: http://www5.imperial.ac.uk/medicine/coursebookings/introtometab_0801.html.
Metabonomics Introduction Session
Valencia, 5th November 2007, in the afternoon (15:00 - 18:00)
The session is intended to coincide with the 1st Annual Meeting which will run directly afterwards.
Proposed Venue:
Hotel Sidi Saler - Playa El Saler - 46012 Valencia
Tel. +34 96 161 04 11
Fax +34 96 161 08 38
http://www.sidisaler.com/sidisaler/en/search/index.cfm
Provisional Session Outline:
(titles subject to revision)
This session will provide a general introduction to metabonomic analysis and highlight application areas that may be of interest to those involved in carcinogenesis research. The aim is to give an overview of the main spectroscopic methods used for interrogating complex biological samples, and strategies for recovering biologically relevant information from the resulting multivariate data. It is hoped that this session will act as a guide for those considering attending a more in-depth course that will be held at Imperial College London in early 2008.
Dr. Hector Keun
"Introduction to metabonomics and applications in cancer biology"
Dr. Toby Athersuch
"Analytical methods for metabolic profiling"
Dr. Tim Ebbels
"Introduction to multivariate data analysis for metabonomics"
Dr. Rachel Cavill
"Advanced methods for information recovery in metabonomics"