UNIDO e-Biosafety
A novel approach to Biosafety
Training
Presented to the 18th SFO meeting at
UNESCO, Paris
3 November 2010
Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
• Legally binding Protocol to the Convention on
Biological Diversity. Adopted in Montreal in January
2000, entered into force in September 2003
• Intention:
To promote biosafety by establishing rules and
procedures for the safe transfer, handling, and use of
LMOs, with specific focus on transboundary
movements of LMOs
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Biosafety Training and Capacity Building
• Implementation of the Cartagena Protocol requires
individual, scientific and institutional capacities
• Biosafety regulation and oversight are key bottlenecks
to commercial applications of and trade in
biotechnology
• Building biosafety capacity is a complex task and
requires a multidisciplinary approach
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Challenges
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Biosafety as an multidisciplinary discipline
Rising demand
Available expertise
Training should be targeted to countries‘ own
capacity, needs and priorities
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UNIDO’s Mandate
in Biotechnology & biosafety
The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations,
through Resolution 1999/61 adopted on 30 July 1999 and
renewed through Resolution: ECOSOC 2004/68, gives
UNIDO, amongst other UN bodies and other international
institutions, the mandate to
"exchange information on biosafety regulation and capacitybuilding, including through case studies on (a) partnerships in
biotechnology, (b) biosafety, (c) bioethics and (d) approaches
to biotechnology and intellectual property rights issues".
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UNIDO’s Assets
• International Network of Experts
• Cooperation with European Food Safety
Authority (EFSA)
• Worldwide Biosafety Information Network
and Advisory Service (BINAS)
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e-Biosafety:
http://binas.unido.org/moodle
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e-Biosafety is targeted at:
• Professionals in life and social sciences
and in law in
– National regulatory agencies
– National and international research institutes
– Institutional and industrial professionals
involved in biosafety compliance
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UNIDO e-Biosafety
• One year duration with academic accreditation
at postgraduate level
• Delivered through a state-of-the-art online
training portal
• Complemented with two short on-campus
sessions
• Students submit a thesis at the end of the
programme
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Background (Plant breeding, molecular biology,
tools of biotechnology)
Applications of gene technology
Basics of risk assessment and regulatory
structures
Food and feed safety
Environmental safety
National and international regulatory systems
Risk perception and communication
e-Biosafety Training
Course:
7 Core Modules
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UNIDO e-Biosafety Training Course
• Training includes:
– Practical laboratory training in plant transformation
and gene detection methods
– Hands-on case studies on the procedures involved
in formulating and assessing GMO application
dossiers as EFSA
(integral part of the on-campus sessions)
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e-Biosafety Network
• Worldwide Network Nodes:
• Gent University, Belgium
• Pontifical Catholic University
of Minas Gerais, Brazil
• Marche Polytechnic
University, Italy
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e-Biosafety Network
• UNIDO
– Coordination
– Peer Review (International Advisory Board)
– International and national faculty
• Nodes (universities)
– Teaching
– Student tutoring
– Academic accreditation
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Unique Features
• Integrated long-term multidisciplinary study curriculum in biosafety
• Combination of innovative distance learning multimedia with
extensive on-campus tuition including laboratory practices
• Academic accreditation at diploma/master level; rigorous student
performance assessment
• Didactic material developed by eminent experts
• Peer reviewed content in respect to quality, topical relevance
• Tailored content responding to regional needs
• Constructive feedback mechanisms enabling beneficial
improvements
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Unique Features (cont.)
These features of UNIDO‘s e-Biosafety Programme
are in line with the core recommendations of the
Second International Meeting of Academic
Institutions and Organizations Involved in
Biosafety Education and Training, organised by
the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological
Diversity, Kuala Lumpur, 16-18 April 2007
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e-Biosafety advantages
• Overcomes geographical constraints
• Enables flexibility for students
• Develops trainee’s autonomy, motivation
and discipline
• Overcomes institutional limitations
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Train the trainers
• ensuring long-term sustainability
through training of key resources
persons in governments, academia
and industry to develop adequate
indigenous biosafety expertise in
countries
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Current status
• As of October 2010,
174 students
completed the
course
• >50% of the trainees
are currently
engaged with
national regulatory
authorities
• 56% of trainees
female
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e-Biosafety student nationalities:
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UNIDO Fellowships
• Covered travel, accommodation for residential training
sessions & university administration costs for African
students
• Selection process:
– University screens applications for academic
qualification
– UNIDO, together with university, pre-selects candidates
with appropriate profile
– Fellowship conditional on official nomination of
candidate by respective government
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Lessons learned
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Logistical challenges
Cost implications
Flexibility important
Selection of trainees
Need for understanding of regional/national
requirements
• Language
• Distance learning + on-campus tuition is
amendable for biosafety capacity building
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