Biography:

Christina Ellervik completed her MD in 2002 and her PhD in 2007 from University of Copenhagen, Denmark, and was board certified in Clinical Biochemistry in 2009 from National Board of Health, Denmark. From 2010-2015, she was an Associate Professor at University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Currently, she is a Visiting Scientist at Boston Children’s Hospital and Department of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA. She is the Founder of the Danish General Suburban Population Study (N=21,000) with 200,000 biospecimens and Co-editor for the journal, Clinical Chemistry. She has supervised several MD students for their PhD and Master’s Degree in Clinical Biochemistry.

Abstract:

Most errors in a clinical chemistry laboratory are due to preanalytical errors. Preanalytical variability of biospecimens can have significant effects on downstream analyses, and controlling such variables is therefore fundamental for the future use of biospecimens in personalized medicine for diagnostic or prognostic purposes. Currently, such preanalytical variables are not routinely documented in the biospecimen research literature. The focus of the presentation will be on preanalytical variables affecting human biospecimen integrity in biobanking, such as biological and environmental factors, collection, processing, storage, transport and retrieval. The impact of such variables on the integrity of the biospecimens as well as the interpretation of downstream analyses, costs, and FDA requirements will be discussed. It will be discussed how knowledge of preanalytical variable effects can prevent the need to waste the time and costs of repeating sample collections.

Biography:

Měřička P graduated at the Charles University in Prague, Medical School Hradec Králové in 1976. In 1979 he received specialization in Pathology and in 1989 in Tissue Banking at the Institute for Post-graduate Medical Education in Prague. In 2006, he completed his PhD in Medical Biology. He is member of the Society for Cryobiology and took part in organization of several international cryobiology meetings. He is the Head of the Tissue Bank University Hospital Hradec Králové and External Teacher at the Charles University in Prague. He is author or co-author of 80 papers dealing mostly with cryobiology and tissue banking.

Abstract:

The conditions of tissue collection and handling before start of freezing are critical for the safety and quality of transplantation of cryopreserved grafts. We analyzed risk factors, such as donor’s age (DA), time between tissue harvest and mixing with the cryoprotectant (TP), exposure to the cryoprotectant before freezing (CPAE) and the initial contamination rate (ICR) in the group of 30 arterial (AG) and 30 venous grafts (VG) collected during the multiple organ harvests in brain death donors . Only grafts meeting the criteria of release for clinical application including the proof of sterility at output control were included. The grafts were transported in the pre-cooled organ preservation solution containing gentamycin to the tissue establishment and processed in the clean rooms of the grade A with the background B. After input control and decontamination procedure each graft was put into double plastic bag filled with 50 ml of pre-cooled 10% hydroxyethlystarch solution and an equal volume of pre-cooled 20% (v/v) dimethylsulphoxide solution was added. There were no considerable differences in values (mean ± SD) of DA, TE and CPAE between AG and VG: AG/VG: DA 45±11/46±9 years, TP 20±7/19±8 hours, CPAE 31±14/30±12 minutes. The ICR was lower in VG (6.6%) than in AG (16.7%). Mycological tests were always negative. The analyzed factors do not represent danger for the graft quality. The results demonstrate advantages of using aseptic harvest procedures and document the high level of cooperation between the tissue establishment and procurement establishments.

Biography:

Mitra Mahdavi-Mazdeh has completed her MD from Tehran University of Medical Sciences and subspecialty of Nephrology from the same university. She is the Director of Iranian Tissue Bank Research Center. She has published more than 70 papers in reputed journals and has been serving as an Editorial Board Member of International Journal of Organ Transplantation Medicine and Head of Tissue and Cell Committee of Middle East Society of Transplanation.

Abstract:

Iranian Tissue Bank (ITB) has been the first multi-facility tissue bank in Iran. Its activity started in 1994 by preparing homograft heart valves and later on provision of gross bone for orthopedic surgeons. From 1994 to 2006, more than 2700 tissues from cardiac dead donors were procured. Later on, it got expertise for higher technical activities to produce particulated mineralized and demineralized bone allograft in different sizes (powder, crushed, chips and matchsticks). Different preservation techniques from simple hypothermia and freezing to lyophilization were developed which provided facilitation in transport in a country with more than 1.5 million Km². In 2012, partial split-thickness skin allograft and acellular dermis were added to the production line. At present, all kinds of tissues are provided and this center is mainly the platform of research in the field of cell seeding on human scaffolds. The future field of this center will be expanding the activity of tissue procurement in Middle East and production of semisynthetic grafts. All procedure of tissue processing is done under clean conditions of class 100 laminar flow hood in class 10000 clean room. All tissues are procured under aseptic conditions. 

Biography:

Yaffa R. Rubinstein is Program Director at the Office for Rare Diseases Research/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)/National Institutes of Health (NIH), where she directs the NIH/NCATS GRDRSM Program, a Global Rare Diseases Patient Registry Data Repository, and the RD-HUB, a database for biorepositories and biospecimens, she led the development of the registry’s common data elements (CDEs) and the model informed consent for participating in patient registries. At NIH, she is an active member of the CDEs working group as well as disease-specific CDE working groups. She is also an active member of the European rare disease initiative, RD-Connect/IRDiRC, and a passionate supporter of rare disease patient advocacy groups and their families, providing them with assistance and information about patient registries and the importance of sharing data and biospecimens. She trained as a molecular biologist and received a PhD from the University of Maryland, College Park.

Abstract:

Many of the problems and difficulties associated with biospecimens for common diseases also apply to rare diseases biospecimens. In the latter, however, these problems are more acute, because of the additional challenges that uniquely pertain to research in rare diseases. Rare disease biospecimens, to the extent that they are available, are widely dispersed across geographical regions and among various government supported and private bio-repositories. 

Biorepositories (Biobanks) can provide the fuel to stimulate collaborations between patients, researchers and industry to accelerate research to develop drugs, therapeutics and, hopefully cures for these rare diseases. bio-specimens with well annotated clinical information are essential for medical research, specifically in the era of personalized and precision medicine. Because of the rarity of these biospecimens, global sharing and collaboration for standardization of high quality of samples with the associated data and interoperability between the different databases collecting patient’s samples and data is important.

Unfortunately, this effort is being hampered due to a combination of many factors which includes lack of standardization in data collection and the quality of the samples. Also lack of a consensus on human subject issues, ethical, legal regulations (informed consent, ownership, and patient privacy), interferes with global sharing of material and the associated data,

The rare disease needs, challenges and initiatives to address these hurdles will be discussed.

Biography:

Devon Kelly is a Molecular Biologist with over 16 years’ experience in specimen repository management, 10 years within pharmacogenetics research and 5 years in basic research. Currently, she focuses on standardizing oncology repository practices, including the methods by which patients are consented to donate biological samples, how the specimens are collected and stored, and in how annotative data is managed. She is a member of the International Society of Biological and Environmental Repositories, and has gained accreditation of her biobank from the College of American Pathologists.

Abstract:

There is a gap between the understanding that researchers have about clinic operations, and that of clinicians in what researchers needs are for quality tissue collection. The subsequent creation of silo workflows results in lost opportunities to gather optimal numbers of quality cases, thereby limiting research utility. With a view towards addressing this gap, the OHSU BioLibrary has been developing strategies for partnering across institutional departments, with the goal of enhancing research outcomes and fostering sustainability. The BioLibrary has developed models for interdepartmental relationships, with consideration of strategies for analyzing the impact of biobanking activities and enlarging the added value (both financial and non-financial) of these partnerships within OHSU. These models include working with clinical department chairs and principal investigators to establish Memos of Understanding that outline the responsibilities of each party in patient consenting, tissue collection, and distribution procedures (including any revenue sharing), and instating liaisons across the groups. By maintaining an interconnected presence in these disparate environments, we have been able to increase donor catchment, collection efficiency and data accuracy. Similarly, there has been an increase in the number of principal investigators that the efforts may support, and generation of value through increased publications, grants and revenues. Institutions should consider different relationship models for biobanking partners, financial sustainability and profit sharing, and strategies for analyzing the impact of biobanking activities when designing their internal processes, with a view towards bridging gaps between the clinic and research arenas.

Biography:

Daniele Mondello is the Founder of Olomedia, an Italian Company devoted to the development of Health Software Solutions. In his career, he has held various roles, as Team Leader, Project Manager and Quality Manager in the provision of engineering services. He operates in the Italian Healthcare sector providing its expertise in projects based on "Web-Based" technologies and performing an intense training activity during refresher courses in various subjects related to Information Technology (Usability, Accessibility, Semiotic, Programming Languages, Web Server, etc.). He is an assertive supporter of the importance of automation in the software development process, on which he focuses his research and free time.

Abstract:

The Sample PREanalytical Code (SPREC) is a seven-element-long code in which each element corresponds to a preanalytical variable and contains a string of letters (different for fluid or for solid tissues) in a defined order. SPREC has been released by the ISBER (International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories) Biospecimen Science Working Group and it has been adopted in order to track and make explicit preanalytic variations in collection, preparation and storage of specimens. These features, together with software capable of organizing sample collection, which are essential for the optimal management of a biobank. Several factors are fundamental prerequisites for the development of a software platform. It has to be configurable in real time for new requirements; it has to connect professionals with each other, across hospital, to provide a multidisciplinary approach. It has to be easy to use (user friendly); it has to permit easy research in the data and generate reports; it has to give information about donors' health; and it has to give information about preanalytic variations in collection, preparation and storage of specimens. In this light, oloHEALTH_BioBim, a platform with web interface integrated with a SPREC generating tool for the management of sample requirements, has been developed. oloHEALTH_BioBim enables the traceability of the entire life-cycle of biological samples, their organization and storage; and retrieval of associated data, while ensuring full and continuous compliance with national and international regulations.

Biography:

Arredondo E (BS, Msc, TPM) is a biologist specialized in Organ, Tissues and Cell Donation from the University of Barcelona. He has participated in the implementation of liver tissue for hepatocytes isolation and SELICA clinical trials. He is currently responsible of the tissue for Research Department at DTI Foundation. His studies are based on how to develop networks to procure human tissue for research. He has been involved in several European projects related to organ donation such as the BSA project sponsored by the Council of Europe.

Abstract:

Donation and Transplant Institute (DTI) is a non-profit foundation, founded in Barcelona (Spain) in 2008, with the goal to support the researchers by providing human biological samples with high quality standards according to project needs. DTI has created a platform that is able to coordinate the donation of human organs, tissues and cells for biomedical research purposes, which encompasses strong collaborations with national and international procurement centers. Obtaining human biological samples, from living and deceased donors, is possible thanks to the organization of a hospital network which includes donor detection, evaluation, tissue procurement and tissue processing, if needed. Along with the sample donation, demographic information and donor clinic profile are obtained to develop an extensive data base, that allows researchers to access these facilities for scientific puposes. All projects are performed according to Spanish and European legal requirements in order ensure quality, safety and traceability of the generated material. DTI is currently involved in the obtainment of liver resections for hepatocytes isolation (7468 millons hepatocytes/gram) for research purposes (2009-present) achieving a viability average of 83.5%. Furthemore, DTI is participating in the development of projects related to obtaining whole and resected livers, kidneys, condrocits, heart valves, etc. Tissues are delivered with an average cold ischemia time of 16 hours in Europe. DTI contribution makes possible to provide key data from early stage discovery through pre-clinical research, drug safety evaluation, biomarker development, patient pre-selection and entry of novel compounds into the clinic.

Biography:

Taosheng Huang is a Physician-Scientist. Currently, he is a Professor with tenure in Human Genetics, Director, Program of Mitochondrial Medicine, and Associate Director of the Molecular Diagnostic Laboratory at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC). He has been actively engaged in many programs in China. He is an Honorable Professor of Peking Union Medical School, a member of the special committee for Yusheng Yuyou of People’s Republic of China, Advisory Board Member to Chinese Ministry of Health for targeted therapy and a Principal Investigator for Birth Defect Control Program of Chinese Ministry of Health.

Abstract:

The genetic integrity of iPSCs is an important consideration for therapeutic application. In this study, we examine the accumulation of somatic mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) mutations in skin fibroblasts, blood and iPSCs derived from young and elderly subjects (24-72 years). We found that pooled skin and blood mtDNA contained low heteroplasmic point mutations but a panel of ten individual iPSC lines from each tissue or clonally expanded fibroblasts carried an elevated load of heteroplasmic or homoplasmic mutations, suggesting that somatic mutations randomly arise within individual cells but are not detectable in whole tissues. The frequency of mtDNA defects in iPSCs increased with age, and many mutations were non-synonymous or resided in RNA coding genes and thus can lead to respiratory defects. Our results highlight a need to monitor mtDNA mutations in iPSCs, especially those generated from older patients, and to examine the metabolic status of iPSCs destined for clinical applications.

Biography:

Lee Kerkhof is currently working as Chair in Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, USA. He has international experience includes various programs, contributions and participation in different countries for diverse fields of study. His research interests reflect wide range of publications in various national and international journals. 

Abstract:

This report describes BioDry (patent pending), a method for reliably preserving the biomolecules associated with aquatic microbial biomass samples, without the need of hazardous materials (e.g. liquid nitrogen, preservatives, etc.), freezing, or bulky storage/sampling equipment. Gel electrophoresis analysis of nucleic acid extracts from samples treated in the lab with the BioDry method indicated that molecular integrity was protected in samples stored at room temperature for up to 30 days. Analysis of 16S/18S rRNA genes for presence/absence and relative abundance of microorganisms using both 454-pyrosequencing and TRFLP profiling revealed statistically indistinguishable communities from control samples that were frozen in liquid nitrogen immediately after collection. Seawater and river water biomass samples collected with a portable BioDry “field unit", constructed from off-the-shelf materials and a battery-operated pumping system, also displayed high levels of community rRNA preservation, despite a slight decrease in nucleic acid recovery over the course of storage for 30 days. Functional mRNA and protein pools from the field samples were also effectively conserved with BioDry, as assessed by respective RT-PCR amplification and western blot of ribulose-1-5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. Collectively, these results demonstrate that BioDry can adequately preserve a suite of biomolecules from aquatic biomass at ambient temperatures for up to a month, giving it great potential for high resolution sampling in remote locations or on autonomous platforms where space and power are limited.

Biography:

Michael L Moeller, PhD is the current Chief Scientist of American CryoStem Corporation, where he has applied his nearly 20 years of work in Human Tissue-derived Stem Cell Biology to develop and commercialize new reagents and technical platforms for the collection, expansion, differentiation, banking and application of human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells. 

Abstract:

Autologous stem cell therapies permit a therapeutic approach devoid of the possibility of transplant rejection, the need for immunosuppressive therapies or any potential problems which might arise from transmitted pathologies. It is also attractive as it offers a “self-healing-self” paradigm that is appealing to many. It has been long been known that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are largely resident in the perivascular niche surrounding blood vessels throughout the human body. Any tissue that is highly vascularized can conceivably serve as a robust and reliable source of MSCs, including adipose tissue obtained from liposuction procedures. In this presentation, we will look at American CryoStem, a small but growing biotech focused on the collection, expansion, and banking of client-specific adipose tissue and mesenchymal stem cells. 

Biography:

Xiaoling Chen has completed her MA from Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. She is Professor of Institute of Crop Sciene, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and is in charge of crop germplasm resources in vitro conservation and cryopreservation research work in China National Crop Genbank. She has published more than 26 papers in reputed journals and has got 5 patents. She has been a member of the Society for Cryobiology.

Abstract:

A national crop germplasm resources conservation system, including in situ conservation and ex situ conservation, has been preliminarily built up in China. Up to now, 169 in situ conservation sites have been established in provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. All these in situ conservation sites involve wild relatives of crops, such as wild rice, wild soybean, wild wheat relatives and so on. Ex situ conservation system includes one national long-term genebank, one national duplication genebank, 10 national medium-term genebanks, 43 national field repositories and two in vitro genebanks for potato and sweet potato, respectively. Around 60,649 accessions are in field repositories and 14 species, 2,091 accessions of potato cultures and 16 species, 1,198 accessions of sweet potato cultures are in in vitro genebanks. The National Crop Genebank of China is the long-term and mid-term preservation center and advanced research center on conservation technologies for crop genetic resources in China. It includes one long-term genebank and one medium-term genebank. It holds crop seeds of 898 species, 404,690 accessions for long-term at -18°C and 212,692 accessions for mid-term at -4°C, respectively. There are 38 species, 353 accessions of cultures in in vitro at 10-20°C and 15 species, 140 accessions of pollen, shoot tips and dormant buds or segments cryopreserved at -196°C in liquid nitrogen for vegetatively propagated crops.

Biography:

Kruthika Vinod T P completed her PhD Neurochemistry in 2008 from NIMHANS, Bengaluru, India, a premier institute for Neurosciences in India. In 2009, she joined as Senior Scientific Officer in Department of Neurochemistry and was given the responsibility of screening metabolic disorders. Her research interest includes cerebral venous thrombosis, metabolic disorders and prenatal screening of metabolic disorders. She has 12 international publications in peer-reviewed journals. She has received young physicians/scientists awards in Neurology conferences and many travel fellowships. Recently, her student received “Chen’s student award” for outstanding research for her work on GA-I at 11^th APCHG, Hanoi, Vietnam 2015.            

Abstract:

Dried blood spots (DBS) are important form of bio-sampling, where DNA can be stored and used for genetic studies. This has necessitated to develop an efficient and economical genomic DNA (gDNA) extraction protocol from these sampling cards. We have developed a novel and non-hazardous method called “single lysis-salting out (SLSO) protocol to extract gDNA from DBS samples. The efficiency of this protocol was evaluated against the commercial kits (Qiagen and Analytica Jena). For the purpose of this study, whole blood DBS samples were collected from 10 clinically healthy volunteers and 30 confirmed Glutaric Aciduria Type I (GA-I) patients from India. The gDNA was extracted from the collected DBS samples by SLSO, QIAamp® gDNA Micro kit and innuPREP forensic kit methods. The yield and quality of gDNA obtained was determined by measuring the absorbance using Nanodrop spectrophotometer. It was observed that SLSO method showed four-fold and eight-fold increased yield of gDNA in healthy volunteers and patient samples respectively compared to commercial kits (p<0.0001). The purity of gDNA was concordant with the commercial kits(r² ≥ 0.9). This method was found to be cost effective, reducing the per sample cost to nearly half. The suitability of SLSO method for genetic studies was confirmed by performing R402W genotyping by RFLP in GA-I patients from India. The genotyping results showed the presence of R402W mutation in 20% (6/30) of patients. In conclusion, the SLSO protocol was found to be dependable, inexpensive, non-hazardous and appropriate for genetic studies.

Biography:

Kruthika Vinod T P completed her PhD Neurochemistry in 2008 from NIMHANS, Bengaluru, India, a premier institute for Neurosciences in India. In 2009, she joined as Senior Scientific Officer in Department of Neurochemistry and was given the responsibility of screening metabolic disorders. Her research interest includes cerebral venous thrombosis, metabolic disorders and prenatal screening of metabolic disorders. She has 12 international publications in peer-reviewed journals. She has received young physicians/scientists awards in Neurology conferences and many travel fellowships. Recently, her student received “Chen’s student award” for outstanding research for her work on GA-I at 11th APCHG, Hanoi, Vietnam 2015.

Abstract:

Dried blood spots (DBS) are important form of bio-sampling, where DNA can be stored and used for genetic studies. This has necessitated to develop an efficient and economical genomic DNA (gDNA) extraction protocol from these sampling cards. We have developed a novel and non-hazardous method called “single lysis-salting out (SLSO) protocol to extract gDNA from DBS samples. The efficiency of this protocol was evaluated against the commercial kits (Qiagen and Analytica Jena). For the purpose of this study, whole blood DBS samples were collected from 10 clinically healthy volunteers and 30 confirmed Glutaric Aciduria Type I (GA-I) patients from India. The gDNA was extracted from the collected DBS samples by SLSO, QIAamp® gDNA Micro kit and innuPREP forensic kit methods. The yield and quality of gDNA obtained was determined by measuring the absorbance using Nanodrop spectrophotometer. It was observed that SLSO method showed four-fold and eight-fold increased yield of gDNA in healthy volunteers and patient samples respectively compared to commercial kits (p<0.0001). The purity of gDNA was concordant with the commercial kits(r2 ≥ 0.9). This method was found to be cost effective, reducing the per sample cost to nearly half. The suitability of SLSO method for genetic studies was confirmed by performing R402W genotyping by RFLP in GA-I patients from India. The genotyping results showed the presence of R402W mutation in 20% (6/30) of patients. In conclusion, the SLSO protocol was found to be dependable, inexpensive, non-hazardous and appropriate for genetic studies

Biography:

Xiaoling Chen has completed her MA from Graduate School of Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences. She is Professor of Institute of Crop Sciene, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and is in charge of crop germplasm resources in vitro conservation and cryopreservation research work in China National Crop Genbank. She has published more than 26 papers in reputed journals and has got 5 patents. She has been a member of the Society for Cryobiology

Abstract:

A national crop germplasm resources conservation system, including in situ conservation and ex situ conservation, has been preliminarily built up in China. Up to now, 169 in situ conservation sites have been established in provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. All these in situ conservation sites involve wild relatives of crops, such as wild rice, wild soybean, wild wheat relatives and so on. Ex situ conservation system includes one national long-term genebank, one national duplication genebank, 10 national medium-term genebanks, 43 national field repositories and two in vitro genebanks for potato and sweet potato, respectively. Around 60,649 accessions are in field repositories and 14 species, 2,091 accessions of potato cultures and 16 species, 1,198 accessions of sweet potato cultures are in in vitro genebanks. The National Crop Genebank of China is the long-term and mid-term preservation center and advanced research center on conservation technologies for crop genetic resources in China. It includes one long-term genebank and one medium-term genebank. It holds crop seeds of 898 species, 404,690 accessions for long-term at -180C and 212,692 accessions for mid-term at -40C, respectively. There are 38 species, 353 accessions of cultures in in vitro at 10-200C and 15 species, 140 accessions of pollen, shoot tips and dormant buds or segments cryopreserved at -1960C in liquid nitrogen for vegetatively propagated crops.

Biography:

Roberto Hernan, after his Bachelor´s degree in Biology (1994) worked as Research Technician at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne (UK), focused on his cancer research career at St. Jude´s Children Research Hospital, Memphis (USA) and in 2005 obtained his PhD in Pediatric Oncology at Newcastle University. He then led the Business Development of Pharmakine during 7 years. At present, he holds the position of Chief Scientific Officer at Cellulis Ltd., where he is also a partner. He participated as a major contributor in ten scientific publications and has led the development of four different patents within the cryopreservation field.

Abstract:

Many cell therapy products need to be frozen in order to maintain product stability. Freezing and thawing cells correctly require several processes that need to be performed with care to avoid cell damage. The inadequate performance and lack of uniformity of these protocols may infer undesirable inconsistencies on the cellular products jeopardizing therapeutic efficacy. Despite current technological advances, cryopreservation protocols have been highly conserved during the last 65 years since the very first discovery of cryoprotectants. Hereby we propose a novel methodological approach to cryopreservation which introduces simple enclosed mechanisms that assure the correct standardization of freezing and thawing processes, as well as rendering a final product formulation for the cell therapy market. These mechanisms take place inside the Limbo™ vial, making the post-thawing cellular reconstitution process operator-independent. Limbo™ cryovials offer the opportunity to avoid sample washing to diminish the DMSO effect, reducing in turn expensive costs and resources at the point-of-care. Furthermore, this technology introduces a unique dry thawing system which not only enforces safe and correct thawing protocols but also eliminates contamination risks associated to water baths. In summary, this novel technology is a safeguard for most frozen cell therapies because it avoids sample handling at the point-of-care at the same time that addresses the need for appropriate cellular recovery standardization protocols in the clinic. 

Biography:

Miyamoto Keiko is a student in the Medical Communication Department at Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan. She is interested in the public understanding of science, risk communication, and social relations.

Abstract:

This study examined residents’ attitudes toward an ongoing, real genome cohort study based on a community. The Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine and the city of Nagahama initiated the Nagahama study for comprehensive human bioscience to promote the health of the citizens of Nagahama, develop community-based genomic-epidemiologic studies, and create a biobank. The Nagahama city government enacted an ordinance to manage the study. The mission was to prioritize the dignity of citizens. After the launch of the genome cohort study, in November and December 2009, a self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted with 2500 randomly sampled residents aged 30-74 years living in Nagahama, Japan. Responses were received from 1363 people, 187 of whom had already participated in the study. Although the local government and researchers disseminated information through leaflets and citizen-information papers to every household, sent notices by personalized letter, and held symposia and other meetings, 66% of males and 47% of females first became aware of the study when they received our questionnaire. Half of the participants understood it as a medical study involved genetic analysis. Their attitudes were significantly associated with the desire for an extensive health check-up. Particularly, positive aspects were associated with a high health consciousness in males and participation in community activities in females. Although promoting a community-based genome cohort study requires a huge effort, popularizing it is essential. Actions are vital for both monitoring public awareness and attitudes at a community level and for keeping the channels of communication open. 

Biography:

Lili E Ehrlich is a PhD student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, and is advised by Professor Jonathan A Malen and Professor Yoed Rabin. She has completed her BS from The Cooper Union, New York, NY. and MS from Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA.

Abstract:

Thermal conductivity of the cryoprotective agents (CPAs) cocktail DP6 (3M DMSO and 3M propylene glycol) is measured in this study, in combination with a battery of synthetic ice modulators (SIMs). The DP6 is investigated as a vitrification promoting cocktail, while the SIMs are added to suppress ice growth and, thereby, to widen the thermal conditions applicable to cryopreservation by vitrification. Key SIMs under investigation are 6% 1,3 Cyclohexanediol, 6% 2,3 Butanediol, and 12% PEG400. In addition, the thermal effects of EuroCollins as a vehicle solution on the CPA-SIM cocktail are also investigated. Thermal properties data for CPAs and SIMs are key ingredients for simulations of cryopreservation by vitrification of large-size specimens. Such simulations can be used for thermal analyses of experimental results, as well as for the design of new solutions and protocols which favor glass formation. A typical thermal protocol for thermal conductivity measurements in the current study combines a cooling rate in the range of -2.5°C/min to -50°C/min, a storage temperature at either -130°C or -180°C, and rewarming in an average rate of 3°C/min above glass transition. Thermal conductivity measurements are taken during rewarming, using a hot wire technique. Vitrification was verified by means of a scanning cryomacroscope-a proprietary device used for visualization of large-scale cryopreservation. In general, the thermal conductivity during vitrification monotonically and moderately decreases with the decreasing temperature, while during crystallization the thermal conductivity increases with decreasing temperature.

Biography:

Prem K Solanki is a Master’s degree student at Carnegie Mellon University and is advised by Professor Yoed Rabin. He has completed his Bachelor in Mechanical Engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology and Science in India. His primary interest includes Heat Transfer and he has previously worked on projects entitled “Applications in advanced manufacturing systems, passive cooling systems, and specialized vehicle systems”.

Abstract:

Aim: This study focuses on the analysis of thermo-mechanical stresses in large-size cryobags, with the long-term goal of predicting the likelihood of fracture in vitrification processes. Previous studies have demonstrated that the maximum level of stress is reached at the early stages of rewarming, which outlines the current path of investigation.

Method: The current study focuses on a pillow-shaped cryobag, having typical dimension of 61 mm×61 mm and a variable thickness of up to 61 mm, representing variable content volume-cryoprotective agent (CPA). This study uses the finite elements analysis software ABAQUS to simulate the coupled thermo-mechanical problem. This study uses the CPA cocktail VS55 as a representative cryopreservation medium, which has been well characterized by our research team in recent years.

Results: For a single stage rewarming, the maximum stress was found at the volumetric center of the cryobag. However, other thermal protocols may lead to a maximum stress at the edge of the bag. The maximum stress decreased between 5.5% and 79%, depending on geometric parameters, when an intermediate temperature-hold period at -110°C was introduced during rewarming (about 10°C above glass transition). It is further demonstrated that the mechanical stress can be dramatically reduced with the incorporation of volumetric heating, such as nanoparticles in an oscillating magnetic field.

Conclusions: From a thermo-mechanical perspective, it would be advisable to fill the cryobag with the minimum amount of CPA and to maintain as flat as possible. Volumetric heating can reduce rewarming-phase thermo-mechanical stress.

Biography:

Zyiad Mushref Abu Khaizaran is a PhD student in the Department of Biology and Biotechnology from Bethlehem University and Palestine Polytechnic University, Palestine. He has completed his Master of Biotechnology from Palestine Polytechnic University - Palestine and BSc of General Science from Al-Quds Open University, Ramallah, Palestine.

Abstract:

Modern dairy cattle breeding strategies depend on linkage analysis and quantitative trait loci (QTL) of genes involved in milk yield and composition. This is because of their biological desired quantitative traits that play key roles in milk production. In this study, three genes directly related to milk production: Prolactin (PRL), bovine kappa-casein (K-CN) and the pituitary-specific transcription factor (PIT-1) were analyzed in 144 cows. The aim of this study was to identify polymorphisms in the Holstein-Friesian cattle breed in Palestine in relation to the genetic markers and allelic variants of the three genes. Collection of samples depended on an experimental design that was completely randomized (CRD) and blood samples were collected from different cities across the West Bank, Palestine. The genotypes were determined through the Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragments Length Polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. The amplified fragments of PRL (294-bp), K-CN (530-bp) and PIT-1 (451-bp) were digested with RsaI, HindIII and HinfI, respectively. Statistical analysis found that the prolactin allelic substitution (AG, GG) played a role in milk production with a p-value of 0.00643 and α (0.001**), the AG allele of PRL being more favorable for milk production as compared to the GG allele. Genetic variants of the bovine K-CN gene played a role in milk production with a p-value of 0.04071 and α (0.01*), the AA allele possessing more positive effect than the BB and AB alleles. Similarly, the allelic substitution of the PIT-1 gene affected milk production with a p-value of 2.274e-05 and α (0***), the AA allele exercising a more positive effect followed by the AB and BB alleles, respectively. Among the three studied breeds (Friesian, hybrid and local), results show that the Friesian breed possesses higher overall milk production in Palestine as compared to the other two breeds.