Abstract
ISBER is the leading international forum for addressing the scientific, technical, legal, ethical, and managerial issues relevant to repositories of biologic and environmental specimens. In common with previous successful meetings, this year's conference included multiple plenary symposia, educational workshops, corporate workshops, contributed papers, poster sessions, and working group discussions in addition to face to face meetings of the various ISBER committees. Despite the geographic distance for many attendees beyond Australia, the meeting attracted 363 participants, (including the 63 who attended Pathology Day which was jointly organized by the Royal College of Pathologist Australasia and ISBER). A particular feature this year was to emphasize the scientific outputs enabled by biorepositories and the importance of the information they produce. Scientists and biorepository and biobanking personnel from around the world attended this premier meeting in the field of repository and specimen management and science. A range of the latest products, services, and technology in the field of repository and specimen collection were demonstrated by vendor members in addition to vendor contributed workshops.
The meeting was preceded by eight optional pre-conference workshops organized by ISBER members and facilitated by the Education and Training Committee. Workshop topics included:
• Standard PREanalytical Code (SPREC) • Are Biospecimens and Clinical Data Enough? • Choosing Information Systems • Biobank Certification Update • Designing and Marketing your Biorepository Collection • Optimal Freezing Techniques • Proficiency Training
For the first time also included was a workshop entitled Essential Concepts Regarding Governance, Record Keeping, Quality and Ethical and Legal Issues for Repositories, which incorporated topics from the Certified Repository Technician (CRT) program currently under development. This program is being developed as part of an ISBER initiative to provide education and training, and ultimately, certification, to technicians working in biorepositories.
The workshops were well attended, and feedback has been positive.
In a uniquely Australian opening the meeting officially began with a welcome to land by an Indigenous Australian who also gave an entertaining and educational performance on the didgeridoo.
The opening plenary session on Monday morning, Cutting Edge Biorepository Developments began with Professor Sean Grimond from Queensland presenting the keynote lecture “The Australian ICGC Program,” which provided an update on the Australian contribution to the International Cancer Genome Project and the critical importance of high-quality biospecimens in this global endeavor. He also provided insight into the genomic investigations enabled by this work. The morning session also included lectures on the H3 Africa initiative; microbial genomics and metagenomics; and creating a repository for Australian coral, providing a great introduction to the wide variety of innovative biobanking being undertaken worldwide.
Monday afternoon's session Emerging and Cross-Cutting Issues provided an opportunity for the invited speakers to give insight and provide food for thought into important issues affecting ISBER members regarding gene patents, sample collection and consent processes. A very lively panel discussion concluded this session and a breadth of divergent opinions were energetically expressed!
Tuesday morning began early for those taking part in the 2nd Annual ISBER 5 km fun run/walk that was again very well attended. The proceeds of the run go to the ISBER Global Expansion Fund, providing financial assistance to members from emerging and developing countries to attend the annual meeting.
Invited speaker presentations then continued with parallel sessions New Biological Perspectives in Biospecimen Science held at the same time as Securing Components of Our Natural World to allow an opportunity to focus on the specialties of both human tissue and environmental biobanking.
Tuesday afternoon continued with the now regular Innovative Technologies symposium directed to the science and validation behind new products and technologies that have the potential to impact biorepository operations and specimen management/workflow. Presentations in this session were selected from a special category of attendees' abstract submissions. The afternoon concluded with concurrent sessions with talks selected from contributed papers on the themes of Environmental Issues and Global Advances and ELSI-Viewpoints: Patients, Privacy and Legislation.
Following on from the success at the last ISBER Annual Meeting, on Wednesday morning a late breaking session was organized, entitled Late Breaking International Policy Issues and Global Harmonization Efforts Related to Biobanking largely devoted to changes in ethical and other legislation relating to biobanking. In conjunction with this, for those involved in environmental repositories, a concurrent session The Nagoya Protocol and its Implications for Biobanks provided perspectives on the Nagoya Protocol from several different countries.
Two concurrent contributed paper sessions were held in the afternoon of day three Data, Automation and Information and Biological Material: The Old; The New; The Analysis with topics being selected from a wealth of abstract submissions. The scientific component of the day concluded with a Special Topics Session, Managing the Interests of Patients and Research in Biobanking from Clinical Trials, held concurrently with an Interactive Discussion session.
Other submitted abstracts were displayed as posters during the course of the meeting, covering a wide range of topics and poster prizes were awarded in several categories. Overall, 172 abstracts were submitted, 24 were presented as oral presentations and 126 as posters. Five abstracts were presented in the Innovative Technologies session. The quality and quantity of the oral presentations and of the posters presented at the meeting was testimony to the growth and maturation of the biorepository and biospecimen science community that ISBER serves. Accepted abstracts for the meeting were published in the meeting program book, available for download at http://www.isber.org/?page=FPMeetings.
This was followed by the ISBER Annual Business meeting. The outgoing ISBER President, Kathi Shea gave an address and presented awards, the most prestigious of these being the ISBER Award for Outstanding Achievement in Biobanking (sponsored by Taylor-Wharton), which was presented to Jim Vaught and the ISBER Distinguished Leadership & Service Award, which was presented to Fay Betsou. These awards were featured in a recent ISBER Corner article in BIO (Biopreserv Biobank 2013;11:131–132). Kathi also presented Special Service Awards to the members of the Transition Team that included Marianne Henderson, Cheryl Michels, Scott Jewell, Fay Betsou, Brent Schacter, Marianna Bledsoe, Andy Zaayenga, and Heather Siefert. Poster awards were presented for the following posters: “Verbal Consent Procedure for Acquisition of Biospecimens in an Acute Pediatric Setting,” (S. M. Vercauteren, T. E. Tarling, C. Strahlendorf, and K. R. Schultz); “Effective Emergency Planning and Response Saves a Multimillion Specimen Collection at the US NCI” (K. H. Groover, M. G. Malin, L. M. Cosentino, D. Pike, M. Shaw, M. K. Henderson, T.Herdman and K. E. Pitt); and “HSR01. Implementation of Strategies to Maximise the Research Potential of Bio-banked Paediatric Cancer Specimens” (W. J. Ingram, E. B. Little, A. S. Moore, A. Zivanovic, A. R. Hallahan).
An explanation of how the transition of the management of ISBER will change as of June 1, 2013 when ASIP ceases to be the oversight body and ISBER operates as an independent society was given and the membership invited to ask any questions on this exciting new direction. The Presidential gavel was presented to the incoming 2013–2014 ISBER President, Fay Betsou, who concluded the meeting with an address and introduction of the 2013–2014 Board of Directors including announcement of the new President Elect, Andy Zaayenga and Director-at-Large, Brent Schacter.
Wednesday concluded with an evening social event on board the MV Jerry Bailey with food, drinks, and a cruise on beautiful Sydney Harbour.
The ISBER Education and Training Committee organized two in-program workshops which ran on Thursday morning: What Biorepositories Need to Know About How Investigators Plan to Use Human Tissue in Their Research and the Limitations of Such Use: The Perspective of a Pathologist and Researcher and Preservation Methods for Environmental Biospecimens. These were followed by the final symposium, Biobanking for Translational Science: Mobilizing Research Specimens from Bench to Bedside with speakers focusing largely on cancer biobanking including “Australia's cancer”—melanoma.
The main ISBER meeting adjourned at lunchtime but additional optional activities were offered on Thursday afternoon:
• A Pathology Session, Pathology at the Core of Biobanking and Translational Research, was held in conjunction with the Royal College of Pathologists Australasia (RCPA); and, • A Seed Bank Tour: a trip to the NSW Seed Bank that is located in the beautiful Mount Annan Botanical gardens.
In addition to the main meeting, ISBER Working Groups hosted lively face-to-face discussions and work sessions during the meeting to recap completed initiatives and plan upcoming activities. Interactive discussions chaired by ISBER members also made a successful return to the program.
Overall, attendees submitted a record number of 172 abstracts to be considered for oral or poster presentation during the Annual Meeting. Twenty-nine abstracts were selected to be presented within the contributed paper and innovative technology sessions.
The 2013 ISBER Annual Meeting & Exhibits was a wonderful opportunity to network with colleagues, learn about new and ongoing biobanking initiatives from other members, and participate in lively discussions focused on all aspects of repositories of biologic and environmental specimens.
Save the Date
Please mark your calendar and plan to attend the 2014 ISBER Annual Meeting & Exhibits, which will be held on May 20–24, 2014 in Orlando, Florida at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort.
This will be the first meeting as our newly independent society and the 2014 ISBER Program Committee has already begun planning an interesting program, filled with emerging topics affecting biorepositories and biospecimen science.
A call for abstracts will be made shortly. Please check www.isber2014.org for additional exhibitor and attendee information.