Sequence-Based Classification of Select Agents: A Brighter Line (2010)
Chapter: Appendix D: 2009 Workshop Agenda
Appendix D
2009 Workshop Agenda
Scientific Milestones for the Development of a Gene-Sequence-Based Classification System for Oversight of Select Agents
Thursday, Sept. 3rd, 2009
The National Academy of Sciences Building: Lecture Room
2100 C St., N.W. • Washington, D.C. 20037
AGENDA
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8:30 a.m. |
Welcome and Opening Remarks |
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James LeDuc, committee chair—The University of Texas Medical School |
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The workshop in context of the study and the statement of task |
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9:00 a.m. |
Session 1: The Current Structure for Oversight |
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What are the current forms of oversight? Are there gaps in the oversight, and if so, are these gaps emerging as a result of new technology, new user communities, or new perceptions? How might a sequence based system be helpful in addressing these gaps/concerns? |
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*Moderator: Rachel Levinson |
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• Julia Kiehlbauch, United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service |
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• Rob Weyant, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—Synthetic DNA and the Select Agent Regulations. |
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• Claudia Mickelson, Massachusetts Institute of Technology—IBC, RAC guidelines and concerns about sequences. |
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• Edward You, Federal Bureau of Investigation—Surveillance of Select Agent list and emerging concerns. |
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• Amy Patterson, National Institutes of Health, Office of Biotechnology Activities—Comprehensive view and the need for this study. |
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Panel discussion: ~30 min |
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10:30 a.m. |
Break |
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10:45 a.m. |
Session 2: Current Mechanisms and Criteria for Screening and Surveillance |
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What is currently being done? How are sequences chosen to monitor? What is a “sequence of concern”? |
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*Moderator—John Mulligan |
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• Pete Pesenti, Department of Homeland Security—What are the factors and process used for risk assessment? What are the criteria or characteristics of agents (or sequences) considered a threat? |
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• John Mulligan, Blue Heron Biotechnology—What are the current screening practices, standards, and procedures in the industry? What are challenges and concerns? |
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• Marcus Graf, GeneArt and Claes Gustafsson, DNA 2.0—Representing companies working to harmonize screening techniques. What would they like to know to help the decision making process? |
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• Stephen M. Maurer, University of California at Berkeley—Interface of biosecurity, synthetic biology, and industry. |
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Panel discussion: ~30 min ** Ed You, FBI will join panel ** |
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12:15 p.m. |
Lunch |
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1:00 p.m. |
Session 3: Virulence |
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What is virulence? Why is it so hard to predict? What attributes make a pathogen a threat to biosecurity? —to public health? Is there a difference? |
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*Moderator—Stan Falkow |
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• Stan Falkow, Stanford University—Overview of virulence, meaning of genomics in prediction. |
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• Jeff Taubenberger, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases—Influenza virulence and the role of genotype-phenotype relationships. |
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• Michael Katze, University of Washington—Systems biology and the difficulty predicting the importance of a sequence. |
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• Ralph Baric, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill—SARS, systems genetics and pathogenesis. |
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• Ramon Felciano, Ingenuity Systems—Systems biology and pathway modeling of pathogenesis and host response. |
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Panel discussion: ~30 min |
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3:10 p.m. |
Break |
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3:25 p.m. |
Session 4: Predicting Pathogenicity from Sequence |
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Speakers will address gaps, challenges, and timeframe for milestones. |
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*Moderator—Sean Eddy |
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• Sean Eddy, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Janelia Farm Research Campus—Overview of sequence analysis; how reliably can protein function be predicted from protein sequence? |
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• Jonathon Eisen, University of California at Davis—Phylogenomic inference of protein function and the importance of genomic context. |
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• Elliot J Lefkowitz, University of Alabama at Birmingham—Bioinformatics support for pathogen research; Viral gene discovery and pathogenic potential. |
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• John Moult, University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, Center for Advanced Research in Biotechnology—Protein structure and function prediction. |
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• Ian Lipkin, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health—Identification of emerging or novel microorganisms—pathogen surveillance. |
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Panel discussion: ~30 min |
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5:45 p.m. |
Closing Remarks |
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6:00 p.m. |
Adjourn |
