September 21-23, 2016 at the Bethesda Marriott.
With the 2016 Animal Biotech Summit just around the corner, BIO wanted to highlight some of the great programming taking place at this year’s conference.
First, it worth’s noting that BIO has completely redesign the goals and focus of the Summit to reflect on how animal biotechnology can be used to advance the objectives of “One Health.” The concept of “One Health” is the idea that the health of humans is connected to the health of animals and the environment.
Working with an advisory committee, BIO put together a program with industry experts and notable Keynotes who will discuss various situations where the “One Health” approach is required for addressing some of the greatest threats to human health.
BIO will kickoff this year’s Summit with welcoming remarks and a video from Senator Al Franken, Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL).
Bernadette Dunham, DVM, PhD, Visiting Professor at Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University, will provide attendees with a high-level overview of what it means to achieve “One Health.”
Programming to follow will resemble the style of TED Talks.
Session: Animal Health and Welfare
Antimicrobial resistance is inevitable. Narrowing the scope of the problem and slowing the rate of development depends not only upon judicious use of existing antimicrobials, but also development of new options for treating and preventing infectious diseases. The tools of biotechnology provide a wealth of options for expanding the available armamentarium for maintaining animal health and improving animal welfare.
Speakers:
- Matthew Carr, PhD, Executive Director, Algal Biomass Organization
- Alison Van Eenennaam, PhD, Cooperative Extension Specialist Animal Genomics and Biotechnology, University of California, Davis
- Scott Holmstrom, PhD, Senior Director, Regulatory Affairs & Global Capabilities, Elanco Animal Health
Fireside Chat: Advice on Working with Congress
Speakers:
- Russ Behnam, Senior Counsel to the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Ranking Member, Senator Debbie Stabenow
- James Glueck, Jr., Senior Policy Advisor, U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
Session: Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases
More than 60% of infectious diseases in humans are spread from animals. Ebola, Zika and MERS are recent examples of these zoonotic diseases, which are increasing due to land-use changes, urbanization and global migrations. Successful disease control requires rapid diagnosis and the capacity to respond quickly with new therapeutics and vaccines, all of which can be provided by biotechnology.
Speakers:
- Dennis Carroll, PhD, Director, Global Health Security and Development Unit, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
- James Cummings, MD, Senior Director, Clinical Development, Novavax
- Hadyn Parry, Chief Executive Officer, Oxitec
- Eddie Sullivan, PhD, President, Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, SAB Biotherapeutics, Inc.
Panel Discussion: Barriers to Innovation – Risks: Perception and Reality
Speakers:
- Constance Cullman, President, Farm Foundation, NFP
- Bret Marsh, DVM, Indiana State Veterinarian
- Paul Shapiro, Vice President, Farm Animal Protection, The Humane Society of the United States
On Thursday, September 22, 2016, BIO will begin Day 2 with a Session focused on how advanced agricultural technologies can help reduce poverty and food insecurity:
Session: Poverty Reduction and Food Security
Animal agriculture is critical to the well-being of resource-poor farmers in developing countries. Not only do animals provide food security and essential dietary protein, they are a source of cash income, fertilizer and drought power. Because climate change will disproportionately impact developing countries, improving agricultural productivity and sustainability of small holder farmers is of paramount importance. Fortunately, biotechnology is unique among advanced agricultural technologies in that many biotech innovations are scale neutral.
Speakers:
- Franck Cesar Jean Berthe, Senior Livestock Specialist, The World Bank
- Dave Conley, Director, Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF)
- Mark Walton, PhD,Vice-President, Regulatory Affairs, Yorktown Technologies
Fireside Chat
Speakers:
- David L. Ayares, PhD, Executive Vice President, Head of U.S. Operations and Chief Scientific Officer, Revivicor, Inc.
- John Swart, PhD, President, Exemplar Genetics
Session: Biotechnology and Biodiversity
Advancement of One Health depends on the preservation of biodiversity. Not only does the loss of biodiversity increase infectious disease risks, it also lessens the genetic diversity that serves as an invaluable resource for human and animal health. Biotechnology provides tools for wildlife species conservation, invasive species control and prevention of deforestation.
Speakers:
- David Faber, DVM, President, Trans Ova Genetics
- Wayne Hunter, PhD, Research Entomologist, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
- Jonathan Lightner, PhD, Chief Research & Development and Scientific Officer, Genus plc.
- Ryan Phelan, Executive Director, Cofounder, Revive & Restore
Panel Discussion: Barriers to Innovation – Regulation and Politics
Speakers:
- Randall Lutter, PhD, Visiting Fellow, Resources for the Future
- Margaret Riley, Professor of Public Health, School of Law, University of Virginia
- Stephen Sundlof, DVM, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer and Executive Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Quality, Kindred Biosciences, Inc.
For more information on this year’s Summit and resources on “One Health” visit: https://www.bio.org/events/animal-biotech-summit. Also join the conversation around the conference and watch for live updates by following @IAmBiotech with #BIOABS16!