Welcome to the 2nd International Mycosafe Symposium in Vienna!
I cordially invite you to attend the 2nd International Mycosafe Symposium on
Recent Advances in the Detection, Prevention and Control of Mycoplasmas in Biotechnological Research, Biopharmaceutical Processes and Cell Therapy Applications
being held from 07-09 April 2010 at the Austria Trend Hotel Savoyen in Vienna, Austria. The Symposium is organized and sponsored by Mycosafe, as part of a series of Mycosafe-sponsored conferences featuring selected topics on recent advances in the different fields of Basic and Applied – Clinical and Industrial - Mycoplasmology. This series of mycoplasma conferences has been initiated three years ago, and the 2nd International Mycosafe Symposium follows on from the very successful 2007 Symposium which was with its featured topic on Industrial Mycoplasmology a real novelty as it was the first of its kind in Europe.
The 2nd International Mycosafe Symposium combines state-of-the-art presentations from renowned academic experts and leaders in the field of mycoplasmology on the unusual biological features and the ecology of mycoplasmas, their pivotal role as agents of infection and disease, and their profound impact as cell culture contaminants on biotechnological research, together with presentations from leading industry experts and experts from regulatory authorities on the current mycoplasma testing methodologies and regulatory requirements, and the advantages and limitations of recently developed NAT (nucleic acid amplification techniques)-based mycoplasma detection assays compared to the standard culture procedures. The presentations will particularly address the mycoplasma biosafety testing requirements of advanced cell therapy products, the method validation strategies of NAT-based mycoplasma detection assays including the application of well-defined mycoplasma reference standard preparations, and recent experiences with these new detection systems in product-specific test validation, comparability studies and routine mycoplasma testing.
The 2nd International Mycosafe Symposium offers the unique opportunity to grasp the latest scientific developments in the area of mycoplasma biology and ecology, as well as the regulatory expectations and current practices of mycoplasma control, to get insight into recent technological advances that allow more rapid mycoplasma testing and product release, and to meet and network with the experts in the field, making this one-and-a-half-day conference a "must attend" event that will be of critical interest to anyone working in biotechnological and biopharmaceutical research, development and manufacturing, and in quality control of cell cultures, biotechnological and biopharmaceutical products, and advanced cell therapeutics. To enhance the value of this event, an exhibition of companies with products and services related to the conference topic will run in conjunction with the Symposium.
As host of the 2nd International Mycosafe Symposium, I look forward to renewing old acquaintances and friendships, forming new links with colleagues from around the world and interacting with you on what promises to be an exciting programme to be held in one of the world’s most beautiful, interesting and friendly cities. If you have ever needed a good reason to visit Vienna, this Symposium may be the best opportunity to do so! I therefore encourage you to make every effort to attend this conference and look forward to seeing you in April 2010 in Vienna to participate in a programme designed to be stimulating both scientifically and socially.
Sincerely yours,
Renate Rosengarten, DVM, PhD
Professor of Bacteriology and Hygiene
Chair, 2nd International Mycosafe Symposium
CEO & Founder, Mycosafe Diagnostics GmbH
Head, Institute of Bacteriology, Mycology and Hygiene (IBMH), University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Past-Chair (2004-2006), International Organization for Mycoplasmology (IOM)