NICEATM News Archive

The Johns Hopkins Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) is accepting proposals for the 2023 Reduction and Humane Education Grants.

• The Reduction Grant focuses on research projects that help reduce animal use by identifying areas of research and testing where animal models lack reproducibility and translational value. This grant is intended for researchers who conduct systematic reviews, meta-analyses, or citation analyses of animal studies or similar work with the goal to reduce animal use in science.
• The Humane Education Grant is given for the development of animal-free training resources for veterinary, medical or laboratory courses. The grant is intended for educators and training material developers with the goal to foster respect and compassion for animals.

Each grant includes prize money of $6,000 U.S. Preference will be given to studies that have broad applicability and a potentially large impact. The proposal should include a detailed description of the planned study and its anticipated outcomes. It should provide sufficient detail so reviewers can understand what is being proposed and how the data will be evaluated and used. Review criteria include innovation, likelihood of obtaining publishable data, and quality of study design. Apply by November 15.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is gathering input to inform a potential Common Fund research program called “Complement Animal Research in Experimentation (Complement-ARIE)” aimed at development, standardization, validation, and use of new approach methodologies (NAMs). These NAMs are intended to more accurately model human biology and will complement or in some cases replace traditional animal models, transforming the way NIH does basic, translational, and clinical science.

NIH is hosting three listening sessions to gather input on the Complement-ARIE concept and potential opportunities for partnership, collaboration, and coordination among multiple sectors of government, industry, academia, and nongovernmental organizations. Three sessions are planned, with each one targeted for a specific interest group:

• Monday, October 2, 12 noon-2:00 p.m. EDT: industry and academic partners.
• Monday, October 16, 12 noon-2:00 p.m. EDT: nongovernmental organization representatives.
• Monday, October 30, 12 noon-2:00 p.m. EDT: U.S. government and international partners.

For more information and to register for a listening session, visit the project page on the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences website.

A June 2022 workshop organized by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) and collaborators considered applications of 3D tissue models for the study of viruses with pandemic potential. The report of the workshop provides an overview of the use of existing 3D tissue models for antiviral drug development, practical advice, best practices, and case studies about the application of available 3D tissue models to infectious disease modeling. NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer participated in the workshop and is a coauthor of the report.

Jordan et al. 2023. Report of the Assay Guidance Workshop on 3-Dimensional Tissue Models for Antiviral Drug Development. J Infectious Diseases. https://doi.org/10.1093/infdis/jiad334. 

A new publication by NICEATM scientists and German government collaborators announces the availability of a large high-quality set of human skin sensitization data. This data set, which has already supported international acceptance of a non-animal strategy for identifying skin sensitizers, is now available to any researcher for developing evaluating additional test methods.

Computational and cell-based methods show promise for replacing animals for chemical safety testing. However, high-quality data, preferably from humans, are needed to demonstrate that new methods can reliably identify whether a chemical could be toxic to humans. The data set described in this paper is the largest set of human data ever assembled for the purpose of evaluating non-animal approaches for chemical safety testing.

Strickland et al. 2023. A database of human predictive patch test data for skin sensitization. Arch Toxicol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-023-03530-3. 

A new publication by NICEATM scientists and international collaborators provides a comprehensive review of acute systemic toxicity testing requirements for international jurisdictions including Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the United States. Chemical sectors included in the review were cosmetics, consumer products, industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and pesticides. The understanding of international regulatory requirements for acute systemic toxicity testing provided by this review will inform strategies for the development, acceptance, and implementation of non-animal alternatives.

Strickland et al. 2023. International regulatory uses of acute systemic toxicity data and integration of new approach methodologies. Crit Rev Toxicol. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408444.2023.2240852. 

NICEATM will present two webinars next week on non-animal models for gastrointestinal absorption and toxicity. Those registering to view any webinar will be registered to view all subsequent webinars. All webinars will be presented from 9:00-10:00 a.m. EDT.

Webinar 1 on Monday, September 18, will focus on de-risking systemic toxicity and models for absorption and pharmacokinetics. Speakers and topics for this webinar will be:

• Maureen Gwinn, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Development of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for Decision-Making.”
• Steven Musser, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “The Importance of Identifying Regulatory Gaps Prior to Tool Development.”

Webinar 2 on Wednesday, September 20, will focus on gastrointestinal models for toxicity. Speakers and topics for this webinar will be:

• George Kass, European Food Safety Authority, “The Gut as a Target Organ and Barrier: Challenges and Opportunities for NAMs in Chemical Risk Assessment.”
• José Vicente Tarazona, Spanish National Environmental Health Centre, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, “NAMs as Tools for Mechanistic Understanding of Gastrointestinal Tract Toxicity.”

A third webinar on October 6 will focus on models to evaluate potential allergenicity. These webinars provide background information for an October 11-12 workshop on the state of the science of new approach methodologies to predict gastrointestinal tract absorption and toxicity. 

A preliminary agenda is available for the meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods (SACATM) on Thursday, September 21 and Friday, September 22. The meeting will be at the Research Triangle Park, NC, campus of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and will also be webcast. The registration deadline to attend in person and to present oral statements is Thursday, September 14, 5:00 p.m. EDT. Registration is not required to view the webcast. 

Those planning to attend in person should be aware that the NIEHS cafeteria will be closed. Food and beverage options at NIEHS will be limited to vending machines. Attendees should be prepared to use cash or credit card for purchases and to be escorted to vending machines during meeting breaks. Lunch options outside NIEHS are available, and the lunch break will allow those who choose to leave campus for lunch to do so.

SACATM is a federally chartered external advisory group of scientists from the public and private sectors, including representatives of regulated industry and national animal protection organizations. SACATM advises ICCVAM, NICEATM, and the Director of NIEHS and NTP regarding statutorily mandated duties of ICCVAM and activities of NICEATM. Preliminary agenda items for the upcoming meeting include: (1) progress toward implementing the recommendations of the ICCVAM Strategic Roadmap in the areas of replacing acute toxicity tests and advancing validation approaches; (2) the role of new approach methodologies (NAMs) in improving environmental health protection; and (3) update on NICEATM computational resources.

Registration is open for the upcoming webinar, “Application of Cell Painting for Chemical Hazard Evaluation in Support of Screening-Level Assessments,” on Thursday, September 28 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. EDT. This webinar is presented by the American Society for Cellular and Computational Toxicology (ASCCT) and the European Society of Toxicology In Vitro. To register for the webinar, visit the ASCCT event calendar page and click on the event title in the right sidebar.

Jo Nyffeler, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, will outline the applicability of cell painting using multiple examples. Cell painting is an imaging-based, high-throughput method to obtain phenotypic information of individual cells. Initially used mainly in pharma industry for hit discovery, cell painting can be applied to other research questions such as safety assessment. The Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has applied cell painting to environmental chemicals and explored its use for screening-level chemical hazard evaluation of environmental chemicals.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will offer training on use of its high-throughput toxicokinetics (httk) package in two two-hour virtual sessions on Wednesday, November 8, and Thursday, November 9, from 10:00 a.m.-12 noon EST both days. To get updates on the training, sign up for EPA email updates or contact [email protected].

Toxicokinetics (TK) provides a bridge between toxicity and exposure assessment by predicting tissue concentrations due to exposure. Traditional TK methods can be resource-intensive and require chemical-specific data. EPA’s freely available httk R package uses data from in vitro high-throughput screening datasets, which can be used to fill data gaps in traditional TK methods. This training will familiarize those engaged in chemical exposure assessment, including researchers, regulators, and health and environmental safety professionals, with EPA’s generic and open-source models and data for TK, including reverse dosimetry and physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling for internal dose calculation. The training will include an application-oriented presentation and demonstration (Day 1), as well as opportunities for participatory learning and engagement (Day 2) .

Nominations are being accepted through December 1 for the 2024 Lush Prize, which recognizes advancement toward animal-free testing. The Lush Prize is the largest prize fund in the non-animal testing sector, with a prize fund total of £250,000. Nominations for the prize are accepted in the six categories of Lobbying, Public Awareness, Science, Training, and Young Researcher. Alternatively, the entire £250,000 may be awarded as a Black Box Prize, to recognize a key breakthrough in human toxicity pathways likely to lead to practical non-animal tests that could be accepted by regulators.

Candidates and projects from anywhere in the world are eligible. Requirements of the recipients include attending a virtual awards ceremony and preparing an explanation of the winning project for the ceremony and the Lush Prize website.

The European Partnership for Alternatives to Animal Testing (EPAA) invites the submission of solutions based on NAMs to inform the development of a future classification system for systemic toxicity of human health based on the activity and potential systemic availability of chemicals.

• The NAM-based classifications should reflect levels of concern related to, but not synonymous with, the current classification system addressing systemic toxicity.
• The NAMs do not need to literally predict the outcomes of animal studies, nor are they expected to reproduce existing classifications.

Resources on the project webpage include a recording of a July 13 webinar describing the project.

EPAA will provide a reference list of approximately 150 chemicals, along with identifiers reflecting three levels of concern. The number of chemicals in each class (High, Medium, and Low) will also be provided, but participants will not be told which chemical belongs to which class. Submitters will be expected to propose prototype NAM-based solutions that categorize some or all of the chemicals on the reference list. In this initial prototype phase, specific data generation is not necessarily required, but rather ideas for a NAM-based classification scheme can be explored using existing information. EPAA will provide a reporting template, including guidance. Interested persons can email [email protected] to request updates on the designathon.

NICEATM and collaborators are organizing an October 11-12 workshop “Trust Your Gut: Establishing Confidence in Gastrointestinal Models, an Overview of the State of the Science and Contexts of Use.” The workshop will be at the Porter Neuroscience Research Center at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD, and will also be webcast. A series of three webinars presented from September 18-October 6 will introduce the three principal topics of the workshop: (1) de-risking systemic toxicity and understanding absorption/pharmacokinetics; (2) gastrointestinal toxicity; and (3) evaluating potential allergenicity. Registration for both the webinars and the workshop is now open.

The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is one of the most common chemical exposure routes. Orally administered substances are first metabolized by the GIT, and both parent substance and metabolites can be absorbed through and potentially damage the GIT. Since toxicity in the GIT can result in systemic toxicity, screening of potential toxicants using GIT models could provide an efficient way to identify potential systemic toxicants. Even in the absence of toxicity, understanding GIT absorption can inform the potential for toxicity in other target organs. While in vivo rodent studies have historically been used for understanding GIT absorption and toxicity, animal models have well-documented differences from humans. Mammalian cell culture methods of varying complexity can be used in a variety of applications including rapid response, metabolism/metabolite secretion, and microbiome studies, and generating data for pharmacokinetic modeling. This workshop will examine the state of the science for using new approach methodologies (NAMs) to predict GIT absorption and toxicity.

The third Pan-American Conference for Alternative Methods, organized by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT), will be held Sunday, August 27 from 12:30 to 3:00 p.m. EDT. This is a satellite meeting of the 12th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences and will be held in Room 211 of the Niagara Convention & Civic Centre in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.

This conference brings scientists from South, Central, and North America together to further alternatives to animal testing and build collaboration for the exchange of scientific ideas. This year, the conference will focus on allowing attendees to reconnect post-pandemic and share new developments in the governmental commitment for the alternatives.

Speakers for the event:

• Welcome Remarks: Charu Chandrasekera, Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods – 12:30 p.m.
• Pan American: History and Updates, Thomas Hartung (CAAT) and Kristie Sullivan (Institute for In Vitro Sciences) – 12:35 p.m.
• Updates on Regulations: Nicole Kleinstreuer (NICEATM) and Jose Mauro Granjeiro (Brazilian National Institute of Metrology, Standardization, and Industrial Quality [INMETRO]) – 1:15 p.m.
• Governmental Structure and Dissemination: Luciene Balottin (INMETRO) and Maria Laura Gutierrez (Argentina National Scientific and Technical Research Council) – 2:00 p.m.
• Open Discussion and Closing Remarks – 2:45 p.m.

On August 18, NICEATM released version 4.0.1 of the Integrated Chemical Environment (ICE). ICE provides data and tools to help query, review, and interpret toxicological data, predictions, and tools.

Key features implemented in ICE 4.0.1 are:

• Availability of population-level exposure predictions across multiple pathways through the ICE Search tool in addition to the ICE REST API and the ICE In Vitro to In Vivo Extrapolation tool.
• Functional use categories added to the ICE Chemical Characterization tool.
• A new "Curated Product Use Explorer" in the ICE Chemical Characterization tool that expands and improves upon the former "Consumer Use Explorer."
• Improved support for chemical name searching in all ICE tools.
• Harmonization of structure and data fields in the dermal irritation/corrosion data set to make data computationally accessible and facilitate interoperability on the ICE user interface.
• New Chemical Quick Lists:
  • Mixtures and Formulations in ICE.
  • ToxCast Phase I, Phase II, and e1k.
• Further development of data visualizations and query summaries for ICE Search tool results (beta version).

Presentations describing features available in ICE 4.0.1 and planned for future releases will be given next week at the 12th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences. 

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and InSphero are pleased to announce the deadline has been extended to Tuesday, September 5 to apply for the Human Advanced In Vitro Model Initiative (HUMAIN) Award. This award will provide materials, funds, and support for up to five laboratories to expand access to and accelerate the uptake of human-specific nonanimal approaches. Awards may cover disease modeling, predictive safety and efficacy screening, or mechanistic and investigative safety testing.

Each award includes InSphero technology or services, training and customized support from InSphero experts, and funding for scientific promotion of results. Five awardees will receive:

• $20,000 U.S. toward InSphero technology or services.
• Access to an inaugural one-day training course in the U.S. or Switzerland, with a $1000 U.S. travel grant per award.
• Two hours of monthly consulting with InSphero experts.
• Up to $2000 U.S. in travel grants to present findings at scientific conferences.
• $2500 U.S. toward open access publication fees.

The Coalition to Illuminate and Address Animal Methods Bias (COLAAB) presents “The Author Guide for Addressing Animal Methods Bias in Publishing” in an interactive virtual event on Wednesday, November 8 from 9:00-10:30 a.m. ET. COLAAB is an international collaboration of researchers and advocates gathering information evidence of animal methods bias and mitigating its detrimental effects on biomedical research.

There is growing recognition that animal methods bias, the preference for animal-based methods where they are not necessary or where nonanimal methods are suitable, can impact the likelihood or timeliness of manuscript acceptance for publication. The guide was developed to aid researchers in responding to animal methods bias from manuscript reviewers. 

A comprehensive review paper on in vitro to in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) with authors from eight ICCVAM member agencies and the European Union has been named by the journal Toxics as one of its “Hot Review Papers” for 2021-2022. 

The IVIVE review proposes operational definitions for IVIVE, presents literature examples for several common toxicity endpoints, and highlights their implications in decision-making processes across various federal agencies and international organizations. Current challenges and future needs in applying IVIVE are also summarized. Xiaoqing Chang (Inotiv, contractor supporting NICEATM) was first author on the paper.

Chang et al. 2022. IVIVE: facilitating the use of in vitro toxicity data in risk assessment and decision making. Toxics 10(5):232. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10050232.

A draft program is available for the annual meeting of the American Society for Cellular and Computational Toxicology on October 23-25, and registration for the meeting is open. Discounted registration is available through Friday, September 15. ASCCT is still accepting abstracts for poster presentations. Abstracts may discuss any aspect of advancement of in vitro or computational toxicology methodologies. Submit abstracts by Friday, September 1.

NICEATM and ICCVAM scientists will be giving the following platform presentations at ASCCT:

• ICCVAM co-chair John Gordon (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission): “Implementing the ICCVAM Roadmap: Establishing Confidence”
• Aswani Unnikrishnan (Inotiv, contractor supporting NICEATM): “Expanding PBPK Modeling to Predict Chemical Distribution in Brain and Adipose Tissues”
• Alexandre Borrel (Inotiv, contractor supporting NICEATM): “ChemMaps.com v2.0: Exploring the Environmental Chemical Universe”

NICEATM and ICCVAM scientists are coauthors on nine other abstracts that have been accepted for oral or poster presentations. NICEATM scientists will also present at two continuing education courses:

• Open-access Data and Computational Tools to Investigate Chemical Bioactivity
• Putting Theory into Practice: Using In Vitro and Computational New Approach Methodologies in Human-relevant Risk Assessment

A full list of NICEATM and ICCVAM activities will be available on the NTP website next month.

Michigan State University’s Center for Research on Ingredient Safety Science Day 2023 will be held on September 12 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. This year’s theme is “New Approach Methodologies in Support of Weight of Evidence Assessments for Regulatory Decisions.” This is a hybrid meeting and registration is free.

This event features experts from academia, industry, governmental, and non-governmental organizations. Presenters will cover modern testing and evaluation methods, generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications, and innovative risk assessment frameworks. A panel discussion on new approach methodologies in immunotoxicology for weight-of-evidence assessments will follow presentations. Register by August 25.

During the 12th World Congress, conference sponsor Unilever will host the World Café on the evening of Tuesday, August 29. The World Café will feature a Science Slam at which scientists will give five-minute presentations on their work to a non-expert audience. Presenters are invited to be creative and incorporate props, music, and other performance elements into their talks. Apply to present in the Science Slam by August 17.

A webpage is available listing activities of NICEATM and ICCVAM agencies at the 12th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences, to be held August 27-31 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. The page includes downloadable files of selected abstracts.

• NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer and ICCVAM member Suzanne Fitzpatrick (principal agency representative, U.S. Food and Drug Administration) will co-chair a platform session “Chems-on-Chips: MPS for Organ Tox & Chemical Risk Assessment.”
• ICCVAM member David Reif (NIEHS) will co-chair a platform session “On the Runway: Interactive Predictive Tox Models.”
• Kleinstreuer will co-chair platform sessions “Artificial Intelligence (AI): Current Advancements and Applications in Advancing the 3Rs” and “Meeting at the Falls: ICATM Partner Updates.”
• Fitzpatrick will co-chair a platform session “What’s in the Mix? New Approach Methods for Chemical Mixtures Risk Assessment.”
• Ruchir Shah, Sciome (contractor supporting NICEATM), and Aswani Unnikrishnan, Inotiv (contractor supporting NICEATM) will co-chair a platform session “Predictive Toxicology: Data, Development, Delivery, and Application.”
• NICEATM and ICCVAM will present nearly two dozen oral presentations at 17 platform sessions, and over a dozen posters at sessions throughout the meeting. 

The NIEHS Small Business Program is accepting applications for its Applicant Assistance Program (AAP). This free, 10-week program is designed to assist small businesses in preparing a Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer grant application in time for the January 5, 2024, deadline. AAP provides participants with services such as application needs assessment, mentoring, application preparation support, and application review. AAP aims to increase the number of applications from underrepresented small businesses, especially women-owned and socially and economically disadvantaged companies, and offers support and resources to help those applicants maximize their chances of success.

The application portal opens August 4. Submit applications by September 12, 5:00 pm ET.

A preliminary agenda is available for the meeting of SACATM to be held on Thursday, September 21 and Friday, September 22. Registration deadline for the onsite meeting and to present oral statements is September 14, 5:00 p.m. ET. Registration is not required to view the webcast. 

SACATM is a federally chartered external advisory group of scientists from the public and private sectors, including representatives of regulated industry and national animal protection organizations. SACATM advises ICCVAM, NICEATM, and the Director of NIEHS and NTP regarding statutorily mandated duties of ICCVAM and activities of NICEATM. Preliminary agenda items for the upcoming meeting include: (1) progress toward implementing the recommendations of the ICCVAM Strategic Roadmap in the areas of replacing acute toxicity tests and advancing validation approaches; (2) the role of new approach methodologies in improving environmental health protection; and (3) update on NICEATM computational resources.

A draft document, “Validation, Qualification, and Regulatory Acceptance of New Approach Methodologies,” is now available for public comment. Public comments on the document are being accepted through September 5. Please send comments to Amber Daniel at [email protected].

This document updates a model for validation and regulatory acceptance of new and alternative test methods originally described in the 1997 ICCVAM report, “Validation and Regulatory Acceptance of Toxicological Test Methods.” The ICCVAM Validation Workgroup was established in 2021 to update the 1997 document and align it with the principles articulated in the 2018 ICCVAM publication, “A Strategic Roadmap for Establishing New Approaches to Evaluate the Safety of Chemicals and Medical Products in the United States.”

ICCVAM invites public comments from all stakeholders on the draft document. Commenters should include their name, mailing address, telephone number, email address, and affiliation and/or sponsoring organization if applicable. Please refer to guidelines for public comments submitted to NTP. All comments received will be posted on the NTP website and identified by the individual’s name and affiliation and/or sponsoring organization

NIH will hold a virtual workshop on approaches, challenges, and opportunities relating to the development of Novel Alternative Methods (NAMs). The workshop will feature discussion on identifying incentives and barriers to successful implementation of NAM technologies. Speakers will include NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer and ICCVAM members Elijah Petersen (National Institute of Standards and Technology), Donna Mendrick (U.S. Food and Drug Administration), and Jessie Carder (U.S. Department of Agriculture). The workshop will be Monday, August 21 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EDT. Viewers are asked to preregister to view the workshop.

In a related Request for Information published June 12, NIH requested public input on challenges and opportunities for the further development and use of NAMs in biomedical research. Building on recommendations of the Advisory Committee to the Director on high priority areas for NAMs development, NIH requested input on the following areas:

• Use of NAMs to study human biology, circuits, systems, and disease states.
• Approaches for catalyzing the development and validation of NAM technologies.
• Strategies for maximizing the research value of NAM technologies.

NIH will accept responses through August 16. 

On July 4, OECD published two new test guidelines and 19 updated or corrected test guidelines.

One new Test Guideline, Test No. 444A, describes the IL-2 assay, an in vitro assay intended to be used as a part of a battery to determine immunotoxic potential of chemicals. The other new test guideline, Test No. 126, describes a method to measure hydrophobicity of nanomaterials. Among the updated and corrected test guidelines are tests describing non-animal approaches for assessing skin sensitization, eye irritation, endocrine activity, and phototoxicity.

In addition to the test guidelines, OECD also added two documents to its Series on Testing and Assessment: “Initial Recommendations on Evaluation of Data from the Developmental Neurotoxicity (DNT) In Vitro Testing Battery” and a “Workshop Report on How to Prepare the Test Guidelines for Emerging Technologies.” NICEATM scientist Helena Hogberg is a member of the OECD Expert Group on the DNT in vitro battery that contributed to the document, which describes application of data from 17 different in vitro assays to inform an assessment of the DNT potential of a chemical.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine and InSphero are pleased to offer the Human Advanced In Vitro Model Initiative (HUMAIN) Award to five laboratories to expand access to and accelerate the uptake of human-specific nonanimal approaches. Awards may cover disease modeling, predictive safety and efficacy screening, or mechanistic and investigative safety testing.

Each award includes InSphero technology or services, training and customized support from InSphero experts, and funding for scientific promotion of results. Five awardees will receive:

• $20,000 U.S. toward InSphero technology or services.
• Access to an inaugural one-day training course in the U.S. or Switzerland, with a $1000 U.S. travel grant per award.
• Two hours of monthly consulting with InSphero experts.
• Up to $2000 U.S. in travel grants to present findings at scientific conferences.
• $2500 U.S. toward open access publication fees.

The deadline to apply is Wednesday, August 23. 

A new webinar series on the use of new approach methodologies (NAMs) in risk assessment is being co-organized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), PETA Science Consortium International, Institute for In Vitro Sciences, and the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR). The “EPIC” series will cover timely topics on the use of NAMs for risk assessment within EPA and CDPR. The series will begin in August and will continue quarterly.

The first webinar will be Wednesday, August 23 from 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. ET. Charles Kovatch and Tim Shafer, both from EPA, will discuss recent updates from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, including information about an in vitro test battery for developmental neurotoxicity. 

The Department of Health and Human Services has released the 2023-24 SBIR and STTR Omnibus Grant Solicitations. This funding is available for small business grant applications to support development and commercialization of innovative technologies.

Projects being funded by NIEHS under these solicitations include development of toxicity screening, testing, and modeling approaches that support Tox21 and other NTP goals. Areas of high priority include development of:

• Informatics tools and platforms to organize, store, retrieve, extract, and integrate information on exposures and health effects data.
• Application of machine learning methods and natural language processing for extracting and integrating diverse data types and for generating causal networks from experimental data and public knowledgebases.
• Adapting or developing new methods and tools for automating environmental health-related literature and systematic reviews, including article selection and prioritization, data extraction, study quality evaluation, and summarization of for environmental health impacts.
• Mid- to high-throughput and high-content assays using in vitro or tissue chip technologies to screen and rank toxicity of emerging engineered nanomaterials for cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, and metabolic toxicity.
• Human and rodent organotypic culture models and microphysiological systems.
• Approaches to characterize and integrate key molecular and cellular changes related to effects of toxicant exposures in carcinogenicity, developmental neurotoxicity, or cardiotoxicity.
• Screening systems that incorporate genetic diversity into toxicology testing.
• Short-term tests, assays, or systems designed specifically to reduce or replace existing regulatory animal studies for acute toxicity (oral or inhalation), reproductive or developmental toxicity, carcinogenicity, or ocular toxicity.

The first deadline for applications under this announcement is September 5. Complete information about eligibility, applying, and deadlines is available at:

• PA-23-230, SBIR opportunities: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-23-230.html
• PA-23-232, STTR opportunities: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-23-232.html 

The United Kingdom National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement & Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) will honor this year’s winner of their International 3Rs Prize at an online event on Thursday, July 20, at 11:00 a.m. EDT. Lisa Wagar, University of California – Irvine, was awarded the prize for her animal-free tonsil organoid model of respiratory infection and immunity. Wagar used this model to investigate how immunity develops after vaccinations. The event will also recognize Alex Frangi and Ali Sarrami-Foroushani, University of Leeds, for their “highly commended paper” describing the first in silico clinical trial for a medical device.

The International 3Rs Prize is sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline. NC3Rs collaborates with NICEATM on projects including leadership of the Microphysiological Systems for COVID Research working group.

A new article summarizes an October 2021 symposium on “Challenges in Public Health Protection in the 21st Century: New Methods, Omics and Novel Concepts in Toxicology.” The paper also describes outcomes of a subsequent workshop at which experts analyzed the technological readiness and conceptual and regulatory hurdles facing increased application of NAMs for chemical safety assessment. NICEATM director Nicole Kleinstreuer is a coauthor of the paper.

Schmeisser et al. 2023. New approach methodologies in human regulatory toxicology – Not if, but how and when! Environment International. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2023.108082.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is exploring how to adapt its Test Guidelines Programme to encompass emerging technologies. A December 2022 workshop on this topic identified incentivizing participation in validation studies as a key issue. To address this issue, OECD needs information from stakeholders on operational and financial aspects of validation.

OECD invites stakeholders to provide information on this topic via a survey. Results from the survey will be used to develop materials for a stakeholders’ workshop in December 2023. The survey will be available through September 15.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Pesticide Programs invites nominations to be considered for its Pesticide Program Dialogue Committee (PPDC). The PPDC provides EPA with advice on a range of pesticide regulatory developments and reform initiatives, evolving public policy, and program implementation issues associated with evaluating and reducing risks from pesticide use. Nominees will be considered from a range of stakeholder groups representing industry, academia, government, and nongovernmental organizations. The PPDC usually meets twice a year, and members may be asked to serve on work groups to develop recommendations to address specific policy issues. Nominations must be received by August 10.

The journal Human Genomics is calling for submissions to a planned collection of articles on "New Approach Methodologies to Address Population Variability and Susceptibility in Human Risk Assessment." This collection will focus on the development and use of new approach methodologies (NAMs), such as in vitro, in silico, and small organism models, that address variability or factors associated with susceptibility to adverse effects of chemical exposure. Population-level variability and susceptibility can arise from numerous factors such as genetics, life stage, concurrent stressors, and co-morbidities. Papers are encouraged to deal with human health risk assessment and feature research developing, refining, or implementing NAMs with consideration of population variability or susceptibility.

NICEATM scientists Helena Hogberg-Durdock (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences) and Kim To (Inotiv, contractor supporting NICEATM) are guest editors for the collection. Submit articles by December 31.

NICEATM director Nicole Kleinstreuer will speak at a webinar “(R)Evolution in Validation: Establishing Scientific Confidence in NAMs” on July 18 at 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time. The webinar is being presented by ScitoVation. 

Kleinstreuer will discuss a framework comprising essential elements to establish scientific confidence in NAMs for regulatory use. Key concepts include:

• Understanding the needs of regulatory decision makers will facilitate development of relevant NAMs.
• Flexible, fit-for-purpose approaches to establishing confidence in NAMs are necessary to ensure regulatory consideration and implementation.
• Examples will be presented that embody the key concepts involved in applying such a scientific confidence framework.

Kleinstreuer’s work is centered on domestic and international efforts to develop novel testing, modeling, and analysis strategies that provide more rapid, mechanistic, and human-relevant predictions of potential environmental chemical hazards. 

The University of Birmingham seeks candidates for faculty positions in its newly established Centre for Environmental Research and Justice:

• Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Data: job reference 101769
• Assistant Professor of New Approach Methodologies: job reference 101745
• Assistant Professor of Biomedical Semantics: job reference 101744
• Assistant Professor of Environmental Impact on Health: job reference 101749
• Assistant Professors of Environmental Law and Environmental Advocacy (two positions): job reference 10147

To apply, visit the University of Birmingham jobs website and search on the job reference number. Apply by July 17.

Presentation slides and video are available from the May 18-19 ICCVAM Public Forum. At this meeting, representatives from 12 federal agencies discussed activities directed toward reducing and replacing animal use for chemical safety testing. Representatives from six non-governmental stakeholder groups also presented oral statements at the meeting. Statements welcomed agencies’ recognition that they need to clearly communicate which non-animal tests would be accepted. They encouraged engagement with communities concerned about chemical exposures, and asked ICCVAM to consider how new approach methodologies, or NAMs, might be used to better protect populations at particular risk for harmful effects of chemicals. Commenters also welcomed ICCVAM’s development of an updated validation guidance document on criteria to establish confidence in new methods for regulatory application. 

Video is also available from a May 31-June 1 virtual workshop, “From Research to Readiness: Advancing Research and Regulatory Acceptance of MPS for Infectious Disease Applications,” co-hosted by NICEATM and the United Kingdom National Centre for the Replacement Refinement & Reduction of Animals in Research. Workshop participants explored the use of human-based organ models known as microphysiological systems (MPS) or “tissue chips” for understanding and developing treatments for emerging infectious diseases. Speakers representing international organizations, government agencies, and private laboratories described MPS models and their applications to disease research. 

• Meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods, September 21-22, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC. Information and a link to register will be available soon on the meeting webpage.
• Workshop to examine the state of the science for NAMs models of the gastrointestinal tract and the context of use of such models for regulatory consideration, to be held at the Porter Neuroscience Center at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD, on October 11-12. A link to information about the workshop and planned preceding webinar series will be placed when available on the NICEATM 3Rs Meetings, Workshops, and Webinars webpage.

Registration is now open for the 12th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cellular and Computational Toxicology (ASCCT) on October 23-25 in Silver Spring, MD. The meeting will feature presentations, panel discussions, and activities designed to support and engage members, students, and scientists in the practice and advancement of in vitro and computational toxicology. The third day of the meeting will be devoted to continuing education courses. Information about the meeting, including a general schedule, registration costs, and links to register and submit abstracts, is available on the meeting webpage. Discounted early registration is available through September 15.

Abstracts are still being accepted for oral and poster presentations. Submission of proposals addressing scientific advancement, regulatory policy elements, cross-sector collaboration, optimization and validation, application, weight-of-evidence, and other relevant topics is encouraged. General information about abstract submission is available on the meeting information page; submit abstracts by Friday, July 14.

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) seeks a recognized expert in computational toxicology or chemistry to fill a temporary 2-4 year position. The Chief Toxicologist (Computational) will serve as the Commission's recognized expert and consultant to plan, develop, and implement projects and activities for the CPSC Hazard Identification and Analysis and Hazard Assessment and Reduction Programs. Candidates should be familiar with how to apply combinations of experimental data and mechanistic computational chemistry models and chemical grouping approaches and assessment methods to evaluate the effects of environmental chemicals on human health. The position is located in Bethesda, MD, with occasional travel required, and applicants must be U.S. citizens. Apply by July 12.

An agenda is available for the ASPIS Open Symposium, to be held in person in Ljubljana, Slovenia, on September 14-15 in conjunction with the 57th Congress of the European Societies of Toxicology. The Animal-free Safety Assessment of Chemicals: Project Cluster for Implementation of Novel Strategies, or ASPIS, is an umbrella project to coordinate efforts among European Union Horizon 2020 projects to advance sustainable, animal-free, and reliable chemical risk assessment. Speakers from academia, industry, and government agencies will describe activities to advance application of NAMs in a variety of sectors. Attendance is free for ASPIS cluster members and €60 for non-members. Register by August 31.

The European Partnership for Alternatives to Animal Testing (EPAA) invites the submission of solutions based on new approach methodologies (NAMs) to inform the development of a future classification system for systemic toxicity of human health based on the activity and potential systemic availability of chemicals.

• The NAM-based classifications should reflect levels of concern related to, but not synonymous with, the current classification system addressing systemic toxicity.
• The NAMs do not need to literally predict the outcomes of animal studies, nor are they expected to reproduce existing classifications.

EPAA will provide a reference list of approximately 150 chemicals, along with identifiers reflecting three levels of concern. The number of chemicals in each class (High, Medium, and Low) will also be provided, but participants will not be told which chemical belongs to which class. Submitters will be expected to propose prototype NAM-based solutions that categorize some or all of the chemicals on the reference list. In this initial prototype phase, specific data generation is not necessarily required, but rather ideas for a NAM-based classification scheme can be explored using existing information. EPAA will provide a reporting template, including guidance. Interested persons can email z[email protected] to request updates on the designathon.

A virtual workshop on June 29-30 will assess the current state of the science of using signatures from “omic” data types to link environmental exposures to cancer. Participants will explore potential uses of such signatures of carcinogenic exposure to aid cancer prevention. Computational biologists, epidemiologists, exposure scientists, and cancer researchers will identify key questions, knowledge gaps, and opportunities for the field. While the meeting will focus on linking exposure signatures to cancer, a range of technologies, models, and exposures will be considered. The workshop is organized by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and National Cancer Institute (NCI). 

The Department of Defense (DoD) report, “Future Directions Workshop: Advancing the Next Scientific Revolution in Toxicology,” is now available on the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E) website. Click the icon to download the report.

The Future Directions Workshop series, sponsored by the Basic Research Office of the OUSD R&E, examines emerging research and engineering areas that are most likely to transform future technology capabilities. These workshops are designed primarily around small-group breakout sessions and large-group discussions for scientists and engineers from academia, national laboratories, and industry. An intent is to encourage participants to express their perspectives and outlooks over areas of rapid progress in fundamental research and shed insight on three overarching questions:

• How might the research impact science and technology capabilities of the future?
• What is the possible trajectory of scientific achievement over the next 10-15 years?
• What are the most fundamental challenges to progress?

Interested persons can submit ideas for future workshop topics on the OUSD R&E website.

Join the International MPS Society and be part of a growing community of MPS developers and users. The society’s first annual business meeting, which will be held at the June 26-30 MPS World Summit in Berlin, will install the board and establish bylaws. Membership fees will be waived for 2023.

Benefits to society members include:

• Staying informed about recent developments in the field through the annual MPS World summit, virtual webinars, and conferences.
• Receiving newsletters with summaries of events and news on publications and general updates about the field.
• Access to an education program for hands-on training and workshops.
• Opportunity to participate in three regional chapters and interest groups.

Registration is open for the upcoming webinar, “PARC Consortium and Human Biomonitoring,” on Friday, June 23 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. EDT. This webinar is presented by the American Society for Cellular and Computational Toxicology (ASCCT) and the European Society of Toxicology In Vitro. To register for the webinar, visit the ASCCT event calendar page and click on the event title in the right sidebar.

Greta Schoeters, University of Antwerp, and Mirjam Luitjen, Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment, will discuss “Human biomonitoring to support risk assessment and chemical policies in Europe: results from HBM4EU.” Human biomonitoring (HBM) measures chemicals or their metabolites directly in human tissues or fluids and hence aggregates chemical exposure from different sources and intake routes. HBM provides a picture of real-life exposure to chemicals, which is essential information for hazard characterization and chemical risk assessment. This presentation will discuss a coherent HBM framework to track progress towards reducing pollution levels to no longer be harmful to health by 2050. HBM4EU has set up a laboratory network to produce comparable high quality analytical data, provide wide access to data, and facilitate interpretation of results by developing indicators and human biomonitoring guidance values. The HGM4EU project demonstrated not only regulations but clear strategies are needed to prevent further pollution on the human body.

Recordings and other materials from this webinar will be posted on the ASCCT webinar archive shortly after the webinar’s close.

NIH seeks public input on challenges and opportunities for the further development and use of NAMs in biomedical research. Building on recommendations of the Advisory Committee to the Director on high priority areas for NAMs development, NIH requests input on the following areas:

• Use of NAMs to study human biology, circuits, systems, and disease states.
• Approaches for catalyzing the development and validation of NAM technologies.
• Strategies for maximizing the research value of NAM technologies.

Responses must be received by August 16.

FDA has finalized the guidance document, “Nonclinical Evaluation of the Immunotoxic Potential of Pharmaceuticals.” The purpose of this guidance is to assist sponsors in the nonclinical evaluation of the immunotoxic potential of drug products and biopharmaceuticals.

The guidance addresses evaluation of topical pharmaceuticals for skin sensitization potential. Specifically, the guidance states that, for individual chemicals, “FDA will consider a battery of studies (e.g., in silico, in chemico, in vitro) that have been shown to adequately predict human skin sensitization with an accuracy similar to existing in vivo methods.”

In a May 30 press release, the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) announced that it has published its fifth report on the use of alternatives to testing on animals for the Regulation for Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). The report finds that progress is being made in the increased use of alternatives to gather data on the properties of substances, in place of animal testing. The most common applications include testing waivers and data-based approaches to predicting chemical properties, such as read-across, modeling, or weight-of evidence analyses. However, there has been a notable increase in the use of in vitro test methods, which involve studies with cells, tissues, or organs. These are used specially to obtain data for skin corrosion/irritation, serious eye damage/eye irritation and skin sensitization. 

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has updated its Animal Testing web page. It has been re-designed to be more user friendly and have direct access to necessary information and documents. 

The U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will hold a hybrid public meeting on Wednesday, June 21. The purpose of the June 21 meeting is to consider public comments and gather information in advance of:

• The 62nd session of the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods on July 3-7.
• The 44th session of the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals on July 10-12.

Specific information about the OSHA meeting will be posted when available on the OSHA website. Specific information on the PHSMA meeting and links to access the conference call will be posted when available on their International Program Overview page under Upcoming Events. General information about both meetings, including specific information about all attendance options, is available in a May 24 Federal Register notice.

Interested parties may submit written comments by July 2. Details on submitting written comments are available in the Federal Register notice.

If you are going to attend in person you must register with PHMSA. 

The Environmental Health Language Collaborative (EHLC) will present its next webinar, “Methods2AOP: An International and Interdisciplinary Effort to Strengthen the Role of Test Methods in the Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) Framework.” on Thursday, June 1, from noon-1:00 p.m. ET. Clemens Wittwehr, group leader in the Systems Toxicology Unit of the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, will present collaborative work on the Methods2AOP project. Anna Maria Masci, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) will describe how ontologies and controlled vocabularies are being applied in the project. No registration is required.

EHLC is a NIEHS-supported community-driven initiative to advance integrative environmental health research by developing and promoting adoption of a harmonized language. More information about EHLC and links to join its email list and view past webinars and workshops are available on its home page.

The Methods2AOP project is an international effort to annotate assay data according to internationally accepted guidance to better relate these assays to key events in AOPs. The goal is to facilitate the incorporation of assays into AOP-based defined approaches for chemical safety testing, which will in turn support increased regulatory uptake of these approaches. NICEATM supports the Methods2AOP project along with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other partners. 

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) will present a webinar on “Using NAMs to Solve Regulatory Challenges: Quantitative Investigations of PFAS Chemicals” on Friday, May 26 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. EDT. This is Session 2 of the Using New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to Solve Regulatory Challenges (NURA) series, “DyNAMic Discussions: The Future is Already Here.” Agenda and materials from past webinars are available on the DyNAMic Discussions learning portal page.

The May 26 webinar will feature the following speakers and presentations:

• A Human Health Based Guidance Value for Perfluorooctanoic acid – A NAM Based Approach: George Loizou, HSE Science and Research Centre, and Arthur de Carvalho e Silva, University of Birmingham. Loizou is a computational toxicologist with over 37 years’ experience in quantitative, mechanistic, chemical toxicology. Silva is Computational Toxicology Fellow at the University of Birmingham and a member of Prof. Mark Viant and Prof. John Colbourne research groups.
• Quantitative In Vitro To In Vivo Extrapolation for the PFAS Family: A Comparison With Dietary Exposure: Stella Fragki, esqLABS GmbH: Fragki is a human toxicologist who is passionate about promoting the use of alternatives to animal testing in chemical safety.

Registration is now open for a webinar, “The Latest in Liver Toxicity Assessment In Vitro,” on Wednesday, May 24 from 10:30-noon EDT. The webinar is hosted by the American Society for Cellular and Computational Toxicology (ASCCT) and the European Society for Toxicology In Vitro. To register, visit the ASCCT events calendar page and click on the webinar title under the “Upcoming Events” heading in the right sidebar.

Presenters’ abstracts:

• Liver Spheroids as an In Vivo Like Human In Vitro System for Prediction of Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH), Drug Metabolism, and Drug-Induced Hepatotoxicity: Magnus Ingelman-Sundberg, Karolinska Institutet. Liver toxicity is a significant contributor to safety failures in drug development. This lecture will explore recent applications of liver spheroids for analyzing drug-induced liver toxicity, evaluating the disposition and metabolism of low clearance drugs, and developing treatments for metabolic and infectious liver diseases.
• In Vitro Prediction of Liver Toxicity Using Adverse Outcome Pathways: Mathieu Vinken, Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Many adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) and AOP networks related to liver toxicity have been introduced over the past decade. This webinar will focus on the development and practical validation of an AOP network mechanistically describing the accumulation of noxious bile acids in the liver induced by chemical compounds, including pharmaceutical drugs, food additives, and cosmetic ingredients. It will be demonstrated how this AOP network can serve as the conceptual basis for reliable in vitro detection and prediction of chemical-induced cholestatic liver injury.

NICEATM and collaborators are planning a workshop to examine the state of the science for new approach methodologies (NAMs) models of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) and the context of use of such models for regulatory consideration. The workshop will be held in person at the Porter Neuroscience Center at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD, on October 11-12. A webinar series to provide background information for the in-person workshop is planned for September.

The GIT is one of the most common chemical exposure routes, and toxicity to the GIT typically results in systemic toxicity. Even in the absence of GIT toxicity, understanding gut absorption provides insight into systemic exposure levels that inform upon the potential for toxicity in other target organs. In vivo rodent studies have historically been used for understanding both GIT absorption and toxicity, but they have well documented anatomical, physiological, and biochemical differences from humans. The goal of this workshop is to consider the state of the science of mammalian cell culture models and other NAMs in the context of regulatory needs for assessing GIT exposure and toxicity.

NICEATM requests nominations of topics and speakers for the workshop and preceding webinars. Topics could include, but are not limited to:

• NAMs to evaluate GIT toxicity.
• NAMs to evaluate GIT absorption and metabolism.
• How GIT toxicity models might integrate the microbiome.
• Current use of GIT NAM models, including context of use.
• Integrating human genetic diversity into GIT NAM models.

To nominate a topic and/or speaker, please contact Amber Daniel at [email protected] by Friday, June 30.

NICEATM and collaborators will present a May 31-June 1 virtual workshop focused on advancing microphysiological systems (MPS) for understanding and treating infectious diseases. “From Research to Readiness: Advancing Research and Regulatory Acceptance of Microphysiological Systems for Infectious Disease Applications” will facilitate discussion and collaboration about current regulatory approaches and to raise awareness of opportunities for accelerating the integration of MPS models in the regulatory framework.

The workshop will feature presentations on MPS models for infectious disease research and where they are in terms of readiness as well as presentations from international regulators. There will be opportunities for registered participants to ask clarifying questions about the presentations during the event, as well as opportunities for group discussion.

The workshop is being organized by the Microphysiological Systems for COVID Research (MPSCoRe) working group, which was organized to coordinate the use of MPS to reduce animal use in studies of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. 

An upcoming webinar, “Time for a Change: Evidence-Based Approaches for the Biological Safety Assessment of Medical Devices," examines the problems with current medical device biological safety assessment approaches and suggests that evidence-based strategies could be the solution. The webinar will be hosted live and available on-demand Thursday, May 25 at 2:30 p.m. ET. The webinar is presented by The Scientist magazine and sponsored by Sartorius.

In the webinar, Ron Brown, Director, Risk Science Consortium, discusses:

• The problems associated with current approaches used to assess the biological safety of medical devices.
• The development of an evidenced-based toxicology (EBT) approach for assessing the validity of new and existing testing strategies.
• How to incorporate data-driven methods into a streamlined workflow for medical device safety assessment.
• The implications of this proposed approach for patients, test method developers, medical device manufacturers, and regulatory agencies.

Brown is a board-certified toxicologist with 35 years of experience in regulatory toxicology and risk assessment, including over 20 years spent at FDA.

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) is seeking unique and creative ideas on how to best collaborate with FDA to encourage and incentivize public-private partnerships in the health ecosystem, with the goal of accelerating better health outcomes for everyone. Review the full Request for Information: Accelerating Innovation through ARPA-H and FDA Collaboration and instructions on the ARPA-H website.

Topics of interest include:

• New and innovative models to accelerate pre-competitive development of platform technologies to support downstream development of products resulting from those platform approaches in a disease agnostic manner.
• Strategies to accelerate alternatives to traditional human or animal research for medical product development.
• Case studies on the development of innovative technologies that highlight best practices for using existing FDA regulatory pathways.

Interested persons and organizations are invited to submit comments on or before May 30 by 5 p.m. ET. Early submissions are encouraged as materials will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Submit comments electronically to [email protected] and include “RFI Response: Accelerating Innovation through ARPA-H and FDA Collaboration” in the subject line of the email.

A webinar on non-animal alternatives for endotoxin-focused pyrogen testing will be presented on Thursday, May 4 from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. EDT. Speakers:

• Bernhard Illes, Microcoat Biotechnologie: “Experiences of a Contract Laboratory - Comparison of the Implementation of LAL and rFC Based Methods for Release Testing.”

• Carmen Marin, Roche: “Method Validation Strategy for Recombinant Factor C in Adherence to 3R Principle for Animal Welfare.”

• Marine Marius, Sanofi: “Recombinant Factor C: from Evaluation to Implementation.”

This webinar concludes the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) Use for Regulatory Applications (NURA) virtual training series, “Advancing Non-Animal Pyrogens and Endotoxins Testing.” A printable agenda is available through the learning portal; recordings and slides from both webinars in the series will be posted on the learning portal as well.

FDA will hold its virtual 2023 Science Forum Tuesday, June 13 from 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. EDT and Wednesday, June 14 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. EDT. This event is presented to inform the public about the breadth of research underway at the Agency, and to show how cutting-edge science informs FDA’s regulatory decision-making to protect and promote public health. More information and a link to register are available on the FDA website.

The theme for the 2023 FDA Science Forum, ‘‘Advancing Regulatory Science Through Innovation,’’ will highlight areas of FDA research, including advancing products based on novel technologies, food and cosmetic safety, and tools to effectively use big data.

ICCVAM will hold a public forum Thursday, May 18 from 9:00 a.m. until about 3:30 p.m. EDT and Friday, May 19 from 9:00 a.m. until about 12:30 p.m. An agenda and links to register to attend and to present oral public statements are available on the meeting webpage.

This year’s public forum will be held in person at the Natcher Conference Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, with an option to view remotely. Registration to attend in person is encouraged and will be open through Wednesday, May 17. Registration to view the webcast is required and will be open through the end of the meeting on May 19.

Interested persons may also register to present oral public statements with associated slides on topics relevant to ICCVAM’s mission. Requests to present oral statements during the meeting will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis as time permits. The deadline for registering to present oral public statements is Tuesday, May 9.

The public forum is held annually to share information and facilitate direct communication of ideas and suggestions from stakeholders. NICEATM, ICCVAM, and ICCVAM agencies will describe activities both to advance new approaches to safety testing of chemicals and medical products and to reduce the amount of testing required.

The Johns Hopkins University Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) sponsors the Next Generation Humane Science Award to acknowledge and encourage early-career researchers who focus on replacing animal experiments. The 2023 award will provide a prize of up to $5,000 to recognize the outstanding work of one young scientist. Depending on the number and quality of the applications, a second award of $4,000 may be presented. Factors considered in the evaluation of applications include the potential of the work to replace animal experiments and be used in a regulatory context. Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents working at U.S.-based institutions and have received Ph.D. or equivalent degrees no earlier than 2013. Applications are due May 31.

A draft program is now available for the ASCCT annual meeting to be held October 23-25 in Silver Spring, MD. The theme of the meeting is “Spotlight on NAMs: Elevating New Approaches in Risk Assessment.” Complete information about the meeting is available on the ASCCT website; registration will open in mid-June.

ASCCT is accepting proposals for continuing education (CE) courses, which will be presented the morning of Wednesday, October 25. Submit proposals by June 2. Proposals should follow these guidelines: 

• Unlike regular oral sessions, CE sessions should address or provide guidance on relatively established science or practice and have specific takeaways or learning objectives. 
• All proposals should fit within the mission of the ASCCT to further the use of in vitro or computational toxicology methodologies.
• Topics that will promote discussion of scientific and regulatory policy elements and cross-sector collaboration are welcomed. 
• Sessions will be two hours long. We suggest 3-4 speakers plus time for Q&A. 
• Participatory elements are welcomed; there may be support from the conference organizers available for participatory elements. 

ASCCT is also accepting abstracts for the annual meeting. Submissions will be evaluated for three types of presentations: oral, poster, and flash poster. Abstracts should relate to the advancement of in vitro or computational toxicology methodologies. While submissions on all relevant topics are welcome, some session topics for this meeting may include:

• Filling knowledge gaps in regulatory submissions 
• Integrating NAMs into decision-making 
• Endocrine system
• Liver 
• Mixtures
• Medical devices 
• NAMs as problem solvers 
• Ecotoxicity/ONE health 

Submit abstracts by July 14.

NIEHS is offering funding to develop resources, new methods, and approaches that can be applied in testing strategies to better understand the role of environmental chemicals in the etiology of neurodevelopmental disorders. Specifically, this funding opportunity will support the development and application of novel and innovative approaches, including NAMs, that expand the framework to evaluate environmental chemicals with neurodevelopmental toxicity potential. Specific objectives to be addressed by the funding include:

• Approaches using human cells or alternative model systems modeling neurodevelopment.
• Focus on one or more developmental neurotoxicity-relevant endpoints to gain reliable knowledge.

Only U.S. small business concerns are eligible for this funding. Letters of intent are due June 7, with funding applications due July 7 by 5:00 p.m. local time of applicant organization. 

The NIEHS Small Business Program will soon begin accepting applications for its Applicant Assistance Program (AAP). This free, 10.5-week program is designed to assist small businesses in preparing a Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer grant application in time for the September 2023 deadline. AAP provides participants with services such as application needs assessment, mentoring, application preparation support, and application review. AAP aims to increase the number of applications from underrepresented small businesses, especially women-owned and socially and economically disadvantaged companies and offers support and resources to help those applicants maximize their chances of success. The application portal opens April 25; a course outline, eligibility requirements, and key dates are now available. Submit applications by May 22, 5:00 pm EDT.

The National Nanotechnology Coordination Office (NNCO) seeks public input in updating the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Research Strategy. The NNI’s currently strategy was prepared in 2011 with substantial public engagement. Federal agencies participating in the NNI have begun to review the 2011 NNI EHS Research strategy and request input to help inform a revised and updated EHS strategy. 

To that end, NNCO invites interested persons and organizations to submit input  on or before June 2, by 5 p.m. EDT. Input is focused around six specific questions around the NNI’s accomplishments, remaining research gaps, and suggestions for themes and scope of the updated EHS strategy. Participants are encouraged to respond to as many questions as they are able, submit comments only once, and include the Docket ID at the top.

Judy Strickland, Principal Predictive Toxicologist at Inotiv, Inc. (contractor supporting NICEATM), will receive a Rosalind Franklin Society Award in Science for the article “Application of Defined Approaches to Assess Skin Sensitization Potency of Isothiazolinone Compounds” published in 2022 in Applied In Vitro Toxicology. This award is given to the best paper of the year by a woman or underrepresented minority in each of the Mary Ann Liebert Inc. journals in health, medicine, and biotechnology. Winners will be formally announced in July. The paper is available at https://doi.org/10.1089/aivt.2022.0014.

Strickland has 22 years’ experience in evaluating test methods that reduce, refine, or replace animals for regulatory chemical safety testing. She has both coordinated and evaluated national and international validation studies to assess the performance of non-animal methods for assessing chemical toxicity. Her evaluations of non-animal methods for the assessment of chemical skin sensitizers contributed to the first internationally harmonized guideline for non-animal approaches that can replace animal tests to identify skin sensitizers and classify their potency. Strickland serves on the OECD Expert Groups on Skin Sensitization and Defined Approaches for Skin Sensitization. She received her Ph.D. in pharmacology from East Carolina University and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology.

ICCVAM will hold a public forum Thursday, May 18, and Friday, May 19, from 9:00 a.m. until about 3:00 p.m. EDT both days. This year’s public forum will be held in person at the Natcher Conference Center, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, with an option to view remotely. Registration to attend in person is encouraged and will be open through Wednesday, May 17. Registration to view the webcast is required and will be open through the end of the meeting on May 19.

Interested persons may also register to present oral public statements with associated slides on topics relevant to ICCVAM’s mission. Requests to present oral statements during the meeting will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis as time permits. The deadline for registering to present oral public statements is Tuesday, May 9

The public forum is held annually to share information and facilitate direct communication of ideas and suggestions from stakeholders. NICEATM, ICCVAM, and ICCVAM agencies will describe activities both to advance new approaches to safety testing of chemicals and medical products and to reduce the amount of testing required.

A webinar on the monocyte activation test and other non-animal alternatives for pyrogen testing will be presented on Friday, April 21 from 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. EDT.

Speakers:

• Thomas Hartung, Johns Hopkins University Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing: “Introduction to Monocyte Activation Test.”

• Ruth Daniels, Janssen: “Analytical Performance Validation of an In-House GMP MAT Method.”

• Ingo Spreitzer, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut: “The New Strategy of the European Pharmacopeia on Pyrogenicity.”

• Molly Ghosh, U.S. Food and Drug Administration Center for Devices and Radiological Health: “Considerations for Qualification of MAT Methods to Support Regulatory Medical Device Submissions.”

The webinar is the first of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) Use for Regulatory Applications (NURA) virtual training series, “Advancing Non-Animal Pyrogens and Endotoxins Testing.” A printable agenda is available through the NURA learning portal; the recording and slides from the webinar will be posted on the learning portal as well.

Registration is now open for the 12^th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences (WC12) on August 27-31 in Niagara Falls, Canada. The meeting will feature over 400 platform and 400 poster presentations organized into about 60 sessions focused on six themes. In addition to all platform and poster sessions, registration covers refreshments and three catered lunches, a gala dinner at a local winery, and other special events. Discounted early registration is available through June 30. General information about registration is available on the WC12 website.

Students and early-career researchers will be eligible for travel awards enabling them to receive refunds for registration, airfare, and accommodations to attend the conference. To be eligible, applicants must have submitted an abstract to WC12. Apply by May 15.

The number of travel awards will depend on availability of sponsorship funds. Sponsorship opportunities are still available; to find out more about how your organization can support student and early-career attendees and other features of the meeting, visit the WC12 website.

EPA's Generalized Read-Across (GenRA) tool is a publicly available, automated approach to make reproducible read-across predictions of toxicity. Read-across is a commonly used data gap-filling technique whereby endpoint information for one substance is used to predict the same endpoint for another substance, supported by structural or other feature similarities. While read-across is sometimes reliant on subjective or expert judgement, the GenRA tool can provide more objective and reproducible read-across predictions.

A free virtual training session on GenRA will be presented on Tuesday, May 23, from 11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. EDT. Specifically targeted for decision-makers, this training will provide:

• An overview of GenRA's purpose and scope.
• Demonstration of GenRA's interface and navigation.
• Opportunities for participatory learning and engagement.

This training will feature Grace Patlewicz of the EPA Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE). It will include a plenary presentation, small group discussions, and a chance to try out your skills with GenRA. The training is divided into two parts to accommodate a variety of interests and schedules. Registration for one or both sessions is required.

Session 1 (Presentation and Q&A) 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. EDT

This session will provide an overview of GenRA content and function with opportunities for participation and Q&A.

Session 2 (Breakout Sessions) 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. EDT

This session will break participants into breakout rooms to work on exercises in small groups, aided by facilitators. 

The EPA Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure seeks candidates for Director of its Scientific Computing and Data Curation Division in Research Triangle Park, NC. The Director oversees development of information architecture necessary for integrating, transforming, and managing large-scale data streams related to assessing the risk of chemicals and ecological integrity. They work closely with the EPA Office of Science and Information Management on the implementation and deployment of software applications and tools for internal and external stakeholder utilization.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens. They must have doctoral degrees in data science, computational toxicology, biology, physical sciences, chemistry, or related fields as well as substantive relevant work experience. Ideal candidates will be recognized internationally as outstanding scientists or engineers and highly sought after as advisors and consultants. Apply by May 1.

An upcoming webinar will discuss the creation and use of the Source-to-Outcome framework. Doug Wolf, Syngenta, will describe how the framework facilitated application of a new approach methodology (NAM) to estimate the human equivalent concentration for inhalation risk assessment of the broad-spectrum fungicide chlorothalonil. The risk assessment was based upon the relevant aerosol characterization, respiratory dosimetry modeling, and endpoints derived from an in vitro assay using human respiratory epithelial tissue. The webinar will be on Tuesday, April 4 at 11:00 a.m. EDT and is presented by ScitoVation. 

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) will present a webinar Friday, April 14 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. EDT on “New Strategies for Safety Assessments of EDCs.” This is the latest webinar in the NAMs Use for Regulatory Applications (NURA) series, "DyNAMic Discussions: The Future is Already Here." Materials from the previous webinars in the series, including presenter’s slides, session recordings, and supplementary publications, are available on the PCRM website. April 14 presentations:

• Richard Judson, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Research and Development, "Availability of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP)."
• Tara Barton-Maclaren, Health Canada, “Exploring the use of New Approach Methods for screening and assessment of endocrine disrupting chemicals under Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan.”

A webinar on Friday, April 28 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. EDT will discuss “Modeling of Adverse Outcomes - Insights from the ONTOX Project.” ONTOX is a European Union initiative to advance human risk assessment of chemicals without the use of animals in line with the principles of 21st century toxicity testing and next-generation risk assessment. The webinar is hosted by ASCCT and ESTIV. 

Devon Barnes, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, will describe “Development of an Adverse Outcome Pathway for Kidney Tubular Necrosis.” An ontological knowledge framework was developed to support predicting systemic repeated-dose toxicity effects of nephrotoxic chemicals associated with kidney tubular necrosis. Data extracted will assess confidence levels in previously described key events (KEs) and key event relationships and identify potential new KEs. The resulting adverse outcome pathway network will form the conceptual basis for establishing a test battery of in vitro assays to characterize nephrotoxic chemicals.

Job Berkhout, RIVM, will discuss “Computational Modelling of Neural Tube Closure Defects.” The study aim was development of an in silico model of human neural tube closure. A physiological map of human neural tube closure was used to build a multicellular agent-based model of the all-trans-retinoic acid related molecular pathways that leads to closure of the neural tube. The morphogenetic events driven by gene expression changes are visualized by the computational model. The computational model will be applied to predict chemical-induced changes in gene expression and cell characteristics. The predictions of the model will be validated using a set of dedicated in vitro assays in conjunction with existing knowledge on in vivo developmental neurotoxicity. Such computational models may ultimately provide an alternative in silico approach for chemical safety assessment without the use of animals.

EURL ECVAM has issued its 2022 Status Report, “Non-animal Methods in Science and Regulation.” The report describes research, dissemination and promotion activities undertaken by EURL ECVAM to further the uptake and use of non-animal methods and approaches in science and regulation. 

Specific activities described in the report include:

• Providing guidance and training on the validation of in vitro methods, application of Good In Vitro Methods Practices, and introduction of test readiness criteria.
• Evaluation of methods to measure cytotoxicity, skin sensitization, and genotoxicity.
• Validation of in vitro methods measuring different modes of action relevant to the thyroid endocrine system.

EURL ECVAM, which is part of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, coordinates research and validation studies on alternatives to animal testing within the European Union. EURL ECVAM also shares knowledge about and promotes use of alternative methods. NICEATM and ICCVAM collaborate with EURL ECVAM via the International Cooperation on Alternative Test Methods (ICATM).

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is interested in understanding the processes for storage, preservation, and sharing of scientific data generated by cancer research funded by the National Institutes of Health at academic, research, and medical institutions in order to develop guidance on scientific data management. NCI is also interested in learning the types of services, technologies, and processes relevant to these topics provided by scientific core facilities within an institution.

To that end, NCI invites stakeholders and staff across the cancer research enterprise to complete the “Request for Information on Existing Data Sharing Processes for NIH-Funded Research” by April 3. All participants are encouraged to respond to as many questions as they are able, no matter their role in the research enterprise.

NIEHS is offering funding to support resource projects to enable environmental health sciences (EHS) communities to openly develop, extend, adapt, or refine data and metadata standards as well as associated tools to implement standards. This program is intended to provide catalytic support for a diverse array of EHS-focused standards development activities that address unmet needs within the NIEHS strategic mission. Specific areas of focus to be addressed by the funding include:

• Collaborator, contributor, and user-community engagement.
• Open standards for data and metadata.
• Tools for standards implementation.

Institutions eligible for this funding include U.S. nonprofit and for-profit organizations and government institutions. Letters of intent are due April 10, with funding applications being due May 10. 

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) will provide up to $9 million in FY 2024 to establish Bioinformatics Resource Centers for Infectious Diseases. Components of the envisioned centers will include:

• Interactive knowledgebase(s) for relevant omics-based data and analysis.
• Research and development of innovative bioinformatics tools, software, and algorithms.
• Access to leading-edge expertise in bioinformatics services for the infectious diseases community for complex or unique situations.
• Cutting-edge informatics support during a public health emergency, outbreak, or pandemic.

NIAID anticipates making one or two awards, with awardees being funded for up to five years. For-profit and nonprofit organizations and government entities both within and outside the U.S. are anticipated to be eligible for this funding. Availability of this funding is being announced in advance to allow potential applicants time to develop meaningful collaborations, interdisciplinary teams, and responsive applications. More information about the funding opportunity, including anticipated opening and due dates, is available on the NIH Grants website. 

On March 20, NICEATM released version 4.0 of the Integrated Chemical Environment (ICE). ICE provides data and tools to help query, review, and interpret toxicological data, predictions, and tools. Key features implemented in ICE 4.0 are:

• Updated Search results page with improved data navigation and query summary visualizations.
• A new Exposure Predictions data set. This can be downloaded from the Data Sets page or via the ICE REST API. Exposure predictions can also be visualized as an overlay option in the ICE IVIVE (In Vitro to In Vivo Extrapolation) tool results.
• Updates to the ICE PBPK (Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic) and IVIVE tools:
  • The version of httk R package has been updated to the newest version, v2.2.2.
  • A human gestational model from httk v2.2.2 has been added to both tools.
  • Predicted half-life and area under curve values are available in PBPK model output.
  • A new chemical concentration unit, parts per million per unit volume (ppmv), is available when modeling chemical exposure as gas.
• Acceptance of chemical names and synonyms as input.

NICEATM has also released the DASS App, a web app for predicting skin sensitization hazard and potency. The DASS App takes a user-provided data set and applies defined approaches on skin sensitization (DASS) that are described in OECD Guideline No. 497 and by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The defined approaches predict skin sensitization hazard (either a sensitizer or non-sensitizer) and potency by integrating data from in vitro assays and in silico hazard predictions. 

ASCCT and ESTIV will present a webinar on “New approach methodologies for evaluating cardio- and developmental toxicity” on Friday, March 24 from 10-11 a.m. EDT. Registration is required to attend. 

Presenters’ abstracts:

• A multiorgan on-chip platform for the in vitro investigation of off-target cardiotoxicity of liver-metabolized anticancer drugs – Erika Ferrari (BiomimX Srl). Off-target cardiotoxicity is one of the main causes of drug withdrawal from the market. Multiorgan-on-chip (MOoC) platforms represent a disruptive solution to predict liver metabolism on off-target organs to ultimately improve drug safety testing during drug development. This project integrates liver and cardiac models in a compartmentalized valve-based MOoC and shows its application in studying the effects of liver-metabolized terfenadine on cardiac microtissues.
• Predicting developmental toxicity of pyrethroid insecticides in vitro using human-induced pluripotent stem cells - Yanying Ma (National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark). Metabolites of pyrethroid insecticides are detected in most urine samples from the general population. Pyrethroids are suspected to be cardiotoxic and to interfere with thyroid hormones that are essential for fetal brain development. Thus, exposure to pyrethroids during vulnerable windows in pregnancy may adversely affect child neurodevelopment and cardiovascular health. The project findings highlight the risks posed by insecticides on human fetal development, supporting the need to restrict their use in order to reduce human exposure.

ASCCT is offering a student travel award to attend the QSAR 2023 Workshop in Copenhagen. One awardee will be provided with an up to $2000 travel expense reimbursement to attend the meeting plus free registration.  

Awardees must meet the following requirements:

• Awardee must be an ASCCT member. Join or renew your membership.  
• Awardee must be presenting at the meeting.
• Awardee must meet the conference requirements for registration as a student.

If you have questions or to apply, email ASCCT Secretary Kristie Sullivan at  [email protected]. Application materials include an accepted presentation abstract and letter from advisor attesting to student status. The deadline for applications is March 31.

Submission is now open for abstracts and continuing education (CE) course proposals for the 12th ASCCT Annual Meeting, which will be held October 23-25 in the Washington DC area.

This year for the first time,  ASCCT will present CE courses at the annual meeting. Up to four CE proposals will be chosen to be presented the morning of Wednesday, October 25. CE proposal guidelines: 

• Unlike regular oral sessions, CE sessions feature presentations addressing or providing guidance on relatively established science or practice, and are planned with specific takeaways or learning objectives in mind. 
• All proposals should fit within the mission of the ASCCT to further the use of in vitro or computational toxicology methodologies, alone or in concert.
• Topics that will promote discussion of scientific and regulatory policy elements and cross-sector collaboration are welcomed. 
• Sessions will be two hours long. We suggest 3-4 speakers plus time for Q&A. 
• Participatory elements are welcomed; there may be support from the conference organizers available for participatory elements. 

The submission deadline is June 2. ASCCT will endeavor to notify CE submitters of acceptance by June 15. 

ASCCT is also accepting abstracts for the annual meeting. Submissions will be evaluated for three types of presentations: oral, poster, and flash poster. Abstracts should relate to the advancement of in vitro or computational toxicology methodologies, alone or in concert. Submission of proposals addressing scientific advancement, regulatory policy elements, cross-sector collaboration, optimization and validation, application, weight-of-evidence, and other relevant topics is encouraged. Some session topics for this meeting may include:  

• Filling knowledge gaps in regulatory submissions 
• Integrating NAMs into decision-making 
• Endocrine system
• Liver 
• Mixtures
• Medical devices 
• NAMs as problem solvers 
• Ecotoxicity/ONE health 

However, submissions on all topics are welcome. The submission deadline is July 14. 

A three-hour virtual symposium on March 9 will provide an overview of recent achievements using MPS in cell and gene therapy, immunology, and cancer. The symposium, “Global MPS Day”, is being presented by Emulate, Inc. It is free and open to the public but registration is required.

An agenda for the symposium is available on the EmulateBio website. NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer will participate in a panel discussion exploring the implications of the FDA Modernization Act on applications of MPS and other NAMs to drug development. Breakout sessions will focus on topics such as managing MPS data and getting funding for MPS development.

Nominations are being accepting for the 2023 Russell and Burch Award, which recognizes those who have played an important role in limiting the use and suffering of animals in laboratories. The award is named in honor of William Russell and Rex Burch, the scientists who formulated the 3Rs approach of replacement, reduction, and refinement. The Award is now being cosponsored by The Humane Society of the United States and the Humane Society International, and the prize money has been increased to $10,000. Nominations are due by May 2. The award will be presented at the 12^th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences in August. 

Sponsors welcome nominations of scientists who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of alternative methods in the areas of research, testing, or higher education. Any nominations from last year will not need to be resubmitted. Nominations should include a cover letter explaining the nominee’s suitability for the award, the nominee’s curriculum vitae, and three published articles that represent their work in alternative testing methods. To apply, email Mary Hilley at [email protected].

The Health and Environmental Sciences Institute (HESI) and the United Kingdom National Centre for the Replacement Refinement & Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) are jointly presenting the HESI Annual Meeting on June 7-8 in London. “Not Just Another NAMs Meeting: NAMs for Safety Assessment, from Aspiration to Implementation” will focus on the “why” of NAMs implementation, considering drivers of different stakeholder groups, as well as the “how” of a defined implementation strategy. A draft agenda for the meeting is available on the HESI website; registration will be available soon on this page.

A paper by NICEATM and EPA collaborators describes a retrospective analysis of data for 181 pesticides to explore using fewer fish species to support conventional pesticide risk assessments. The results support potentially using fewer than three fish species to conduct ecological risk assessments for the registration of conventional pesticides.

NICEATM scientist Xiaoqing Chang (Inotiv, contractor supporting NICEATM) is first author on two 2022 publications describing applications of in vitro to in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) that were honored by the publishing journals.

• “IVIVE: facilitating the use of in vitro toxicity data in risk assessment and decision making” was included by the journal Toxics on its list of “Annual Recommended Reviews in 2022.” 
• “Quantitative in vitro to in vivo extrapolation for developmental toxicity potency of valproic acid analogues” received the 2023 James G. Wilson Publication Award from the Society of Birth Defects Research and Prevention. The award recognizes the best paper accepted or published in the journal Birth Defects Research during the prior year. Chang will receive her award at the Society’s 63rd Annual Meeting in Charleston, South Carolina this summer. 

Registration is now open for the next joint ASCCT-ESTIV award winners’ webinar: “New approach methodologies for evaluating cardio- and developmental toxicity,” on Friday, March 24 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. EST. 

Presenters’ abstracts:

• A multiorgan-on-chip platform for the in vitro investigation of off-target cardiotoxicity of liver-metabolized anticancer drugs: Erika Ferrari, BiomimX Srl. Off-target cardiotoxicity is one of the main causes of drug withdrawal from the market. Multiorgan-on-chip (MOoC) platforms represent a disruptive solution to predict liver metabolism on off-target organs to ultimately improve drug safety testing during drug development. This presentation will describe how liver and cardiac models can be integrated in a compartmentalized value-based MOoC, and demonstrate application of the MOoC in studying the effects of liver-metabolized terfenadine on cardiac microtissues.
• Predicting developmental toxicity of pyrethroid insecticides in vitro using human-induced pluripotent stem cells: Yanying Ma, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark. Metabolites of pyrethroid insecticides are detected in most urine samples from the general population. Pyrethroids act primarily by interfering with voltage-gated sodium channels, which are essential for nerve cell function and cardiac muscle contraction. Therefore, pyrethroids are suspected to be cardiotoxic. Furthermore, pyrethroids are suggested to interfere with thyroid hormones that are essential for fetal brain development. This presentation will describe the risks posed by insecticides on human fetal development, supporting the need to restrict their use in order to reduce human exposure.

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is hosting a virtual workshop, “Cancer AI Research: Computational Approaches Addressing Imperfect Data”, April 3-4 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST. This workshop will highlight the importance of leveraging advances across fields to accelerate cancer research and discovery through artificial intelligence (AI), enable early detection, and improve diagnosis. An agenda is available on the NCI website. 

The goals of this workshop are to:

• Examine the state of the science for AI methods designed to operate on noisy, complex, or low-dimensional data.
• Explore how these methods may be applied to key areas of cancer research.
• Discuss processes for identifying the biological questions that will motivate further advances in machine learning.

The workshop will be chaired by Caroline Uhler (Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Broad Institute), and Olivier Gevaert (Stanford University). The event is open and free to attend, but registration is required. 

A webpage is available listing activities of NICEATM and ICCVAM at the upcoming SOT Annual Meeting  on March 19-23. The page includes downloadable files of selected abstracts.

NICEATM and ICCVAM will have a strong presence at SOT.

• ICCVAM representative Cecilia Tan (EPA) is chairing and presenting in a continuing education course on “A Training on the OECD Guidance for Characterizing, Validating, and Reporting Physiologically Based Kinetic Models.”
• NICEATM scientist Helena Hogberg is co-chairing and presenting in a continuing education course on “In Vitro to In Vivo Extrapolation Strategy and Guidance across Organ System Toxicities.”
• A March 21 exhibitor-hosted session sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences will focus on “ICCVAM Progress on Advancing Alternatives: Five Years into the Strategic Roadmap.”
• NICEATM staff are chairing, co-chairing, or presenting at eight oral presentation sessions and 12 poster sessions.
• ICCVAM committee members are chairing, co-chairing, or presenting at nine oral presentation sessions and 24 poster sessions.
• ICCVAM committee members are presenting at a March 23 satellite meeting on 21^st Century Toxicology: Sneak Preview of Ongoing Relevant Activities. This event is organized by the Johns Hopkins University Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing and Humane Society International/Animal-free Safety Assessment Collaboration. It is free and open to both SOT attendees and remote viewers.

An article on the website of the European Union’s Joint Research Center presents an overview of the COVID-19 Through Adverse Outcome Pathways (CIAO) project, which has applied the concept of adverse outcome pathways to better understanding the effects of COVID-19. This international project has increased understanding of how COVID-19 affects a number of organ systems. NICEATM scientist Helena Hogberg was lead author on a CIAO project publication focused on nervous system effects.

Hogberg et al. 2022. The adverse outcome pathway framework applied to neurological symptoms of COVID-19. Cells 11(21):3411. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11213411.

The Humane Society International is accepting applications for the position of Director, Chemicals. This scientist will spearhead multinational efforts to shift the safety assessment and regulatory paradigm for chemicals and related products toward animal-free approaches with an aim to phase out testing on animals in key global regions within the foreseeable future. Applicants must have a master’s or higher degree in toxicology or a related field and at least five years’ work experience in risk assessment or regulatory affairs. Supervisory experience and fluency in at least one non-English language are both desirable. More information is available by contacting Catherine Willett at [email protected]. Apply by March 9.

The American Cleaning Institute (ACI) is hosting a workshop, “New Approach Methods (NAMs) for the In Vitro Assessment of Cleaning Products for Respiratory Irritation,” on March 2 in Arlington, VA. The workshop will review in vitro cellular and tissue-based testing methods for assessing the potential hazard of respiratory irritation throughout the life cycle of cleaning products. The content of the workshop will be used to generate a published Workshop Proceedings Report to assist the cleaning products industry in best practices and principles when selecting testing methods for their products.

This workshop is an in-person event. Registration is $450, and you must have or create a free ACI account to register. A program agenda is available on the registration page, as well as lodging information. Speaker biographies are available on the Meet the Speakers page.

NIH and FDA are offering Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer grants to support development of neuromuscular junction tissue chips to replace the mouse lethality assay for testing potency of botulinum toxin. The goal is to position the “Botulinum Toxin Potency Assay using Tissue Chips” as an alternative test method that can be used to replace the mouse assay.

Applications are due August 21. Only U.S. small businesses are eligible for this funding. Applicants are encouraged to contact FDA and the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) to ensure their study design, qualification plan, and objectives are in line with the goals of the funding opportunity. Grantees will be expected to work with FDA and NCATS post-award to develop and implement the final validation plan for the proposed alternative test method. Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.

Abstract deadlines have been extended for two upcoming meetings:

• Abstracts for the 12^th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences are now due Friday, February 24. Information about abstract submission is available on the meeting website. Submit abstracts at https://insight.klinkhamergroup.com/wc12/login. The meeting will be held on August 27-31 in Niagara Falls, Canada.
• Abstracts for the 20th International Workshop on (Q)SAR in Environmental and Health Sciences are now due Wednesday, March 1. A tentative list of topics is available; instructions and a link to submit abstracts are available at https://dtu.events/qsar2023abstracts. The meeting will be held June 5-9 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Slides and video are now available for the January 30 ICCVAM Communities of Practice webinar on “Emerging Approaches for Anchoring Biological Relevance of New Approach Methodologies.” This webinar considered approaches to build confidence in NAMs that are based on evaluating the biological relevance of the NAM to the species of regulatory interest. Ongoing activities and key insights were described in three presentations by speakers from the academic and private sector focusing on applications of small model organisms, organs-on-chips, and models of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.

Save the date for the ICCVAM Public Forum, to be held in person May 18-19 at the NIH Natcher Conference Center in Bethesda, MD. Links to register to attend or present public statements and other information about the meeting will be placed on the meeting webpage when available.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) has established the (Re)Building a Kidney (RBK) Consortium to apply new technologies to understand and treat kidney diseases. Strategies of interest include development of in vitro cultures and organoids.

The Consortium is offering grants of up to $100,000 that may be applied to direct and indirect costs of relevant activities. Researchers affiliated with U.S. and foreign non-profit and for-profit organizations are encouraged to apply. Applications are due Monday, April 3.

Abstracts are due Monday, February 20, for the 20th International Workshop on (Q)SAR in Environmental and Health Sciences. A tentative list of topics is available and includes development, validation, and application of (Q)SARs; big data and bioinformatics; and toxicokinetic modeling.

The 20^th International Workshop on (Q)SAR in Environmental and Health Sciences will be held June 5-9 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The workshop will bring together scientists, regulators, representatives of industry, and other stakeholders from around the world. This is an excellent opportunity to meet experts in development and application of quantitative structure activity relationships (QSARs), exchange results and experiences, and take part in lively discussions.

An upcoming webinar will consider “Evaluation of Chemical-induced Cardiotoxicity: Challenges and Progress.” The webinar will be held Thursday, February 23, from 6:00-7:30 a.m. EST (noon-1:30 p.m. CET). It is presented by the ALTERNATIVE project, a multidisciplinary consortium that is developing innovative platforms to detect and assess cardiotoxicity of chemicals and their biotransformation products. Webinar presentations will focus on epidemiological evidence for chemical-induced cardiotoxicity, the ALTERNATIVE project, and computational tools to assess cardiotoxicity; the webinar will close with a discussion session focusing on next steps.

The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) will present a three-part webinar training series on “Tomorrow’s Data, Today: Sunsetting the 2-year Carcinogenicity Assay.” The series will begin Thursday, February 23, with subsequent webinars to be presented March 2 and March 9. All webinars are from 10:00 a.m. to 12 noon EST. You only need to register once to attend the entire series.

There is a growing consensus among experts that the current carcinogenicity assessment paradigm needs to shift from the traditional 2-year rodent “bioassay” to a more predictive, human-relevant carcinogenicity assessment. This series features international experts from regulatory, industry, and academic backgrounds working to achieve this goal.

The North American 3Rs Collaborative and the New Jersey Association for Biomedical Research announce the return of their 3Rs Sharing Conference April 26 from 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., in Somerset, New Jersey. The theme of this year’s conference is “The 3Rs Across the Research Pipeline,” with content focused on improving rigor and translatability in biomedical research through the robust incorporation of the 3Rs. The potential for integrating translational digital biomarkers, machine learning, and non-animal technologies will be explored. Presentations will address the use of current and emerging technologies to guide future drug development, study design, animal methodology, and best practices to promote laboratory animal welfare.

The Reagan-Udall Foundation and FDA have launched the Regulatory Science Accelerator. This initiative will convene a series of conversations to engage the scientific community to identify the most pressing scientific gaps, emerging sciences and technologies, goals/objectives, and implementation strategy for regulatory science. The first series of meetings will focus on in silico alternative methods. In silico alternative methods are mathematical and/or computational methods and approaches that may help bring FDA-regulated products to market faster, with improved efficacy, or prevent products with increased toxicological risk from reaching the market. Additionally, these methods may harness the potential to replace, reduce, and/or refine animal testing. Those interested in participating in these conversations should fill out a questionnaire to communicate their interest and to share relevant information about in silico alternative methods. The deadline for the questionnaire is March 1. Contact [email protected] with any questions.

PCRM is seeking a Regulatory Science Policy Specialist who will set strategy and oversee policy, scientific, and outreach activities related to the reduction and replacement of animal tests required or conducted by regulatory agencies and companies. This is a full-time position that may be performed remotely from any location in the United States. Candidates should have master’s or PhD degrees in toxicology, pharmacology, cell biology, or a related field and at least 10 years’ work experience, five of which should have been spent in a position related to regulatory testing or compliance.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is seeking candidates for the position of Scientific Director of the Division of Translational Toxicology (DTT), formerly the Division of the National Toxicology Program, to provide creative scientific vision and innovative leadership. The qualified applicant must have a doctoral degree in biomedical sciences and an exceptional record of research accomplishments in toxicology or a related field. Review of applications will begin March 27 and the search will be closed once the position is filled.

DTT conducts innovative toxicology research that aligns with real-world public health needs to translate scientific evidence into knowledge that can inform individual and public decision making. It has four strategic programmatic areas of focus: Exposure-based Research, Health Effects Innovation, Responsive Research, and Strengthening Capabilities. Scientists within DTT use a variety of traditional and cutting-edge approaches to better understand how factors in our environment impact our health.

Abstract submission for the 2023 MPS World Summit has been extended to February 14. Abstracts are invited on the topic of new developments in microphysiological systems (MPS) and applications of MPS, and should be relevant to one of these three tracks:

• Track 1: MPS development: bioengineering models and readouts.
• Track 2: MPS for industrial and regulatory application: standardization, QA, parallelization and automation.
• Track 3: MPS for disease modeling, safety testing, and basic research.

MPS covers cell culture systems replicating (patho-) physiology through engineered organ architecture and functionality. This includes especially 3D-(co-) cultures such as organoids, organ-on-chip models, and multi-organ models, as well as the technologies to engineer and analyze these systems.

Top-scored abstracts will be selected for an oral presentation at one of 24 scientific sessions.

The deadline has been extended to submit abstracts to the 12th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences. Abstracts are due Monday, February 20. Information about preparing abstracts is available on the 12th World Congress website.

Organizers are accepting abstracts for platform or poster presentations. Guidelines for developing abstracts are available on the meeting website. Abstracts should align with one of the six major themes of the meeting, which are subdivided into 60 sessions. There is no charge to submit an abstract.

The 12^th World Congress will be held in Niagara Falls, Canada, on August 27-31. Registration will be opening soon. Sponsorship opportunities for the meeting are still available; visit the meeting website or contact [email protected].

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) is accepting nominations for the 2023 Russell and Burch Award. The award is named in honor of William Russell and Rex Burch, the scientists who formulated the 3Rs approach of replacement, reduction, and refinement, and recognizes those who have played an important role in limiting the use and suffering of animals in laboratories. Nominations are due by May 2. The award will be presented at the 12^th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences in August. The awardee will receive a $5000 award and a plaque.

HSUS welcomes nominations of scientists who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of alternative methods in the areas of research, testing, or higher education. Any nominations from last year will not need to be resubmitted. Nominations should include a cover letter explaining the nominee’s suitability for the award, the nominee’s curriculum vitae, and three published articles that represent their work in alternative testing methods. To apply, email Mary Hilley at [email protected].

The next webinar in the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s (PCRM’s) DyNAMic Discussions series will be Friday, February 10 from 10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. EST on the topic “Ecotox: What Can We Do Today?” A printable agenda and information about speakers and topics in the series are available through the DyNAMic Discussions learning portal.

The February 10 event will feature the following presentations:

• Kristin Schirmer, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology “The RTgill-W1 Fish Cell Line Assay for Predicting Acute Fish Toxicity: Development, Acceptance, and Next Steps.”
• Mark Bonnell, Environment and Climate Change Canada, “Confidence-Based Regulatory Prioritization in Canada Using Version 2.0 of the Ecological Risk Classification Approach for Organic Substances.”

Presentations will be followed by a panel discussion with moderators Eryn Slankster-Schmierer, PCRM; Kristie Sullivan, PCRM; and Gavin Maxwell, Unilever.

An ASCCT/ESTIV webinar on Wednesday, February 22 from 11:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m. EST will discuss “Gaining Confidence in Advanced Methodologies for Studying Challenging Chemicals.” 

Presenters and abstracts:

• Jesse Rogers, EPA, will discuss “Integrating High Throughput Transcriptomics into a Tiered Framework to Prioritize Chemicals for Toxicity Testing.” Rogers will discuss how high content assays such as high-throughput transcriptomics can be paired with high-throughput screening to inform on putative molecular targets and identify chemicals for further screening in a framework to support chemical risk assessment.
• Kelly Carstens, EPA, will describe “Evaluation of Per- and Poly fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) In Vitro Toxicity Testing for Developmental Neurotoxicity.” Carstens will present data showing how a subset of PFAS can perturb neurodevelopmental processes in vitro, and suggest focusing future studies of developmental neurotoxicity on PFAS with certain structural feature descriptors.
• Anna van der Zalm, PETA Science Consortium International, will discuss “A Modern Framework to Establish Scientific Confidence in New Methods.” Van der Zalm will present an overview of a modern, flexible framework to establish scientific confidence in non-animal methods for regulatory use, which comprises five essential elements: fitness for purpose, human biological relevance, technical characterization, data integrity and transparency, and independent review.

The Alternatives Research and Development Fund (ARDF) awards grants to support research projects that develop alternative methods to advance science and replace or reduce animal use. ARDF is currently accepting applications for this year’s grants, with proposals due April 17. 

The maximum grant is $40,000. While preference will be given to U.S. applications, proposals are welcome from any nonprofit educational or research institution worldwide. Expert reviews of each proposal will evaluate scientific merit and feasibility and the potential to reduce or replace the use of animals in the near future. Proposals in the fields of research, testing, or education will be considered. Projects may not use intact non-human vertebrate or invertebrate animals, or monoclonal antibodies produced by in vivo methods. Preference will be given to projects that use:

• In silico and in vitro methods with human cells or tissues.
• Pathway-based approaches as exemplified by the 2007 National Academy of Sciences report, Toxicity Testing in the Twenty-first Century: A Vision and A Strategy.

The International Foundation for Ethical Research (IFER) is accepting applications for 2023-2024 graduate fellowships. These one-year grants of $12,500 support projects by master’s and PhD students in the sciences. Eligible projects will address development, acceptance, and implementation of innovative human-relevant methods that advance science and refine, reduce, or replace the use of animals in research, testing, or education. Special consideration is given to proposals that are likely to replace the use of animals in research. Grants are renewable for up to three years, depending on student progress and availability of funds. Applications are due no later than 11:59 p.m. CST on Sunday, April 30. Contact [email protected] with questions about the application process.

The International Uniform Chemical Information Database (IUCLID) has added data from FDA on 348 approved pharmaceuticals. These data from nonclinical animal and human studies can now be used to develop predictive models, analyze correlations between chemicals, and assess the relevance of animal models to humans. IUCLID expects to make more FDA data available later in the year, and also publish a paper explaining the development of the data set. More details on the data release are available on the European Chemicals Agency website

The Working Party of National Coordinators of the OECD Test Guidelines Programme (WNT) has called for “urgent mobilisation of national and regional resources for the demonstration of reproducibility and reliability of methods developed in single laboratories.” In a statement, the WNT notes a lack of funding for studies to demonstrate transferability and reproducibility of a new chemical safety testing method outside the developer’s laboratory. Lack of funding for such validation studies is hindering progress toward implementation of new methods with the potential to reduce use of laboratory animals and better protect human health and the environment. Read the full statement and learn more about the OECD Test Guidelines Programme on the OECD website.

Registration is open for the Second MPS World Summit, to be held in Berlin June 26-30. Discounted early registration is available until March 31; extra discounts are available for members of the European Organ-on-Chip Society. 

The Second MPS World Summit will accept abstracts for oral and poster presentations through February 14. Abstracts are invited on the topic of new developments in microphysiological systems (MPS) and applications of MPS, with a focus on three subtopics:

• MPS development: bioengineering models and readouts.
• MPS for industrial and regulatory application: standardization, quality assurance, parallelization and automation.
• MPS for disease modeling, safety testing and basic research.

Abstracts must be in English and no more than 350 words. 

The Second MPS World Summit will bring together a diverse community representing researchers, industries, healthcare, and regulators to connect, exchange information, and learn about MPS technologies and applications. Sponsorship opportunities for the meeting are available.

In a January 19 Federal Register notice EPA announced availability of a draft white paper, “Availability of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP).” The white paper states that certain NAMs have been validated and may now be accepted by the EPA as alternatives for certain Tier 1 assays used within the EDSP. Others NAMs may be useful for prioritization purposes and for use as other scientifically relevant information, where appropriate, in weight-of-evidence evaluations. EPA is accepting comment on the draft white paper through March 20.

The EDSP was established by the Federal, Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which required EPA to develop a screening program to determine whether certain substances may have effects in humans similar to effects produced by naturally occurring estrogens or other endocrine effects. The purpose of Tier 1 EDSP screening is to identify chemicals that have potential biological activity in the estrogen, androgen, or thyroid hormone pathways. Recent EPA research efforts have focused on the development and evaluation of high-throughput in vitro assays and in silico methods as NAMs, including databases and computational models, for use as alternatives to the current suite of assays in the EDSP Tier 1 battery, to accelerate the pace of screening, add efficiencies, decrease costs, and reduce animal testing. 

A webpage is available listing activities of NICEATM and ICCVAM at the upcoming Annual Meeting of the Society of Toxicology (SOT) on March 19-23.

NICEATM and ICCVAM will have a strong presence at SOT.

• ICCVAM representative Cecilia Tan (EPA) is chairing and presenting in a continuing education course on “A Training on the OECD Guidance for Characterizing, Validating, and Reporting Physiologically Based Kinetic Models.”
• NICEATM scientist Helena Hogberg is co-chairing and presenting in a continuing education course on “In Vitro to In Vivo Extrapolation Strategy and Guidance across Organ System Toxicities.”
• An exhibitor-hosted session sponsored by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences will focus on “ICCVAM Progress on Advancing Alternatives: Five Years into the Strategic Roadmap.”
• NICEATM staff are chairing, co-chairing, or presenting at eight oral presentation sessions and 12 poster sessions.
• ICCVAM committee members are chairing, co-chairing, or presenting at nine oral presentation sessions and 24 poster sessions.

Registration is open for upcoming workshops on “Meeting the Requirements of the Animal Welfare Act” offered by the USDA Animal Welfare Information Center. Live virtual workshops will be offered on Wednesday, March 8, from 10:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. EST and on Wednesday and Thursday, May 3-4, from 1:00-4:00 p.m. EST each day. There is also a self-paced asynchronous version of the workshop available. 

The Animal Welfare Information Center was established to help the regulated community comply with the Animal Welfare Act. The Center provides information on approaches to prevent duplication of animal experimentation and alternative methods that replace, reduce, or refine animal use. More information about the Center, including a new introductory video, is available on the Center's website.

Register now for the 2^nd ECOTOX Knowledgebase Encore Virtual Training, scheduled for Tuesday, February 7 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. EST. The EPA Ecotoxicology Knowledgebase (ECOTOX) is a comprehensive, publicly available tool providing environmental toxicology data on aquatic life, terrestrial plants, and wildlife. 

The virtual training is specifically targeted for decision-makers, providing:

• An overview of the database content and function
• Application-oriented use case demonstrations
• Opportunities for participatory learning and engagement

The event is an encore of the May 2022 training, presenting the same material with expanded opportunity for live interaction in Session 2. Participants may register for one or both sessions; registration is free but required.

Session 1: Presentation and Q&A: 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EST

This session provides an overview of the knowledgebase content and function with opportunities for participation and Q&A.

Session 2 (Breakout Sessions): 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. EST

This session includes participant breakout groups to work on case study exercises in small groups, aided by facilitators.

CPSC announces a job opportunity for a Toxicologist in the Division of Toxicology and Risk Assessment in the Directorate for Health Sciences. Applicants should have degrees in toxicology or a related field, with advanced degrees preferred. The position is located in Rockville, MD, with no remote option, and will require occasional travel.

• Information and application link for federal employees.
• Information and application link for general public (applicants must be U.S. citizens).

Applications must be received by February 10.

Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, has a postdoctoral opportunity in computational in vitro fish toxicology in collaboration with the University of Utrecht. The postdoc will develop a modular framework that combines in vitro testing and computational modeling for animal-free prediction of chemical toxicity to fish. Candidates should have PhDs in natural sciences or engineering, with expertise in incorporating experimental biological data into modeling frameworks and good English skills. Apply by February 4.

NIEHS encourages data sharing to accelerate the identification of environmental linkages to human disease and translation of that knowledge to improve public health.

A new NIH policy on data management and sharing (DMS) goes into effect on January 25. To prepare the environmental health sciences research community for creation and implementation of this plan, the Environmental Health Language Collaborative (EHLC) is hosting a three-day workshop, “Sharing Your Environmental Health Sciences (EHS) Data: Metadata, Standards, and Tools.”

By the end of the workshop, attendees will be able to:

• Articulate the parts of a DMS Plan and their importance.
• Appreciate how a DMS Plan can aid in their research.
• Understand the basics of standards in the context of data management and sharing, including the value of using community-based standards.
• Know of resources to aid in development and implementation of DMS Plans.

The three workshop sessions will be held on Friday, January 13; Thursday, January 19; and Wednesday, February 1. 

EHLC is an community-driven initiative supported by NIEHS to advance integrative environmental health research by developing and promoting adoption of a harmonized language.

Three NIH institutes and FDA are offering funding to establish research centers that will accelerate the translational use of MPS in drug development through regulatory acceptance and adoption for industrial use. The envisioned centers will support development of MPS that are fit-for-purpose for industry needs, have defined contexts-of-use, and will be developed with consideration of applicable expectations to achieve regulatory approval. These centers will further the development of MPS as drug development tools that, once qualified, will be made publicly and commercially available to fill unmet needs in drug development. U.S.-based nonprofit and for-profit institutions are encouraged to apply for funding; foreign institutions are not eligible. Applications will be accepted beginning February 27 and are due by March 28. 

A pre-application technical assistance webinar for this funding opportunity will be presented Tuesday, January 24, at 3:00 p.m. EST. Register for the webinar by sending an email to [email protected] by Tuesday, January 17. 

Save the dates for two webinars on in vitro toxicology to be presented in February by the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS) and Givaudan. “Derivation of a Point of Departure from In Vitro Methods for Use in Skin Sensitization Risk Assessment” will feature presentations by Andreas Natsch of Givaudan and Argel Islas-Robles of IIVS. Session 1 focusing on model development will be presented on Tuesday, February 7; Session 2 on applications will be presented on Tuesday, February 14. Both webinars will begin at 9:00 a.m. EST, and registration is free.

A new paper by NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer and collaborators presents an analysis of data from the mouse local lymph node assay (LLNA), a standard animal test to identify skin sensitizers. A comparison of LLNA and human data indicates that the LLNA has a high false-positive rate for lipophilic chemicals, suggesting that validation of non-animal tests for skin sensitization intended for use with lipophilic chemical should not be based solely upon LLNA data.

Natsch et al. 2023. Reduced specificity for the local lymph node assay for lipophilic chemicals: Implications for the validation of new approach methods for skin sensitization. Reg Toxicol Pharmacol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2023.105333.

A January 30 webinar will focus on “Emerging Approaches for Anchoring Biological Relevance of New Approach Methodologies.” This webinar is the latest in the Communities of Practice webinar series presented by NICEATM on behalf of ICCVAM. 

“New approach methodologies” (NAMs) refers to approaches that can be used alone or in combination to provide information on chemical hazard and risk assessment without traditional animal tests. Traditional approaches to evaluating NAMs consider how well the results of chemical tests using NAMs correspond with the results of animal tests of the same chemicals. However, the usefulness of this approach is limited, especially when the animal results are variable or the animal model does not adequately represent the species or effect of regulatory interest. This webinar will discuss approaches to build confidence in NAMs that are based on evaluating the biological relevance of the NAM to the species of regulatory interest. Ongoing activities and key insights will be described in three presentations by speakers from the academic and private sector focusing on applications of small model organisms, organs-on-chips, and models of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion.

A draft program is available for the 12th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences. Organizers are accepting abstracts for platform or poster presentations. Guidelines for developing abstracts are available on the meeting website. Abstracts should align with one of the six major themes of the meeting, which are subdivided into 60 sessions. There is no charge to submit an abstract. Abstracts are due Friday, February 10.

The 12^th World Congress will be held in Niagara Falls, Canada, on August 27-31. Registration will be opening soon. Sponsorship opportunities for the meeting are still available; visit the meeting website or contact [email protected].

The EPA Office of Research and Development announces availability of new and updated resources for NAMs development.

• The EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard has been updated. Version 2.1.1 features new Help pages, the ability to visualize structures in Batch Search, updates to production volume data and in vitro to in vivo extrapolation algorithms, and other improvements.
• A video recording, slide deck, and case study worksheets from virtual training on the Dashboard are available on the EPA NAMs Training webpage; filter on “CompTox Chemicals Dashboard” in the second column of the table.
• Save the date for a training webinar on EPA’s ECOTOX Knowledgebase to be presented Tuesday, February 7, from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. EST. 
• Materials are now available from the October 2022 EPA NAMs Conference. A form to provide feedback on the conference is available.

Regular updates on EPA NAMs activities are distributed via the NAMs Update email list.

A new paper in Applied In Vitro Toxicology describes the use of non-animal defined approaches to characterize skin sensitization potential of isothiazolinones. These substances are widely used as antimicrobial preservatives in cosmetics and consumer and industrial products. The study by NICEATM scientists and collaborators indicated that defined approaches show promise to support hazard and potency classification and quantitative risk assessment for isothiazolinones.

Strickland et al. 2022. Application of defined approaches to assess skin sensitization potency of isothiazolinone compounds. Appl In Vitro Toxicol. https://doi.org/10.1089/aivt.2022.0014.

A webinar on “Frameworks for Establishing Scientific Confidence in New Approach Methodologies” will be presented on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, at 10:00–11:30 a.m. EST. The January 18 event will continue presentations focused on a recently published paper on building scientific confidence on new approach methodologies (van der Zalm et al., 2022; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9525335/). This webinar will feature Alistair Middleton, Unilever, speaking on “Are Non-Animal Systemic Safety Assessments Protective? A Toolbox and Workflow”; and Amanda Ulrey, Institute for In Vitro Sciences, Inc., speaking on “How Following GIVIMP Aligns Your Work with the Framework.” Presentations will be followed by a panel discussion with the presenters and panelists Nicole Kleinstreuer, NICEATM; Susanne Kolle, BASF; and Anna Lowit, EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics.

This webinar is a joint presentation of the PCRM DyNAMic Discussions series and the P.E.P. Webinar Series on NAMs for Risk Assessment, co-organized by PSCI, EPA, and PCRM. A recording of a December 7, 2022, webinar focused on the van der Zalm et al. paper is available along with other materials from the DyNAMic Discussions series on the series website.

EMGS has announced the winners of its 2022 Bioinformatics Challenge. First-place was awarded to Ting Li for “DeepDILI: Deep Learning-Powered Drug-Induced Liver Injury Prediction Using Model-Level Representation.” Xi Chen received the second-place award for “AnimalGAN: A Generative AI Alternative to Animal Clinical Pathology Testing.” Both winners are from the Division of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics of the FDA National Center for Toxicological Research. A 2023 Bioinformatics Challenge will be held as part of the 54th EMGS Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL September 9-13, 2023. 

The Environmental Health Language Collaborative (EHLC) is hosting a webinar on Friday, December 16, 1:00-2:00 p.m. EST. Dany Doiron, McGill University Health Centre, will provide an overview of the Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium (CANUE). CANUE generates, collates, and documents health-relevant standardized urban environmental data for all postal codes in Canada and maintains a working data platform to disseminate these datasets. Doiron’s presentation will describe CANUE’s data holdings and the approach used to gather, document, and disseminate environmental exposure data with researchers from across Canada. EHLC is an community-driven initiative supported by NIEHS to advance integrative environmental health research by developing and promoting adoption of a harmonized language. 

Background Reading:

• Brook JR, Doiron D, Setton E, and Lakerveld J (2021). Centralizing environmental datasets to support (inter)national chronic disease research: values, challenges, and recommendations. Environ Epidemiol 5(1): e129. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7939427/.
• Brook JR, Setton EM, Seed, E, Shooshtari M, Doiron D (2018). The Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium – a protocol for building a national environmental exposure data platform for integrated analyses of urban form and health. BMC Public Health 18(1):114. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5759244/.

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods (SACATM) advises ICCVAM, NICEATM, and the Director of NIEHS and NTP on the statutorily mandated duties of ICCVAM and NICEATM activities. The 2022 meeting of SACATM was held on September 21 and 22; slides and video from the meeting are available. The 2023 SACATM meeting is planned for September 21-22 at NIEHS in Research Triangle Park, NC. 

Slides and video are also now available for an October 26-27 NICEATM symposium webinar on “Using New Approach Methodologies to Address Variability and Susceptibility Across Populations.” Visit the NICEATM 3Rs Meetings, Workshops, and Webinars webpage for information about other upcoming NICEATM and ICCVAM events.

A webinar presented by OECD will provide an overview of integrated approaches to testing and assessment (IATA) concepts and the OECD IATA Case Studies project. Speakers will give examples of IATA Case Studies submitted for review and discuss the impact of the project in their areas. The webinar is Friday, December 16 from 2:00–4:00 p.m. CET / 8:00–10:00 a.m. EST. 

Speakers:

• Tara Barton-MacLaren, Health Canada, has been contributing to human health risk assessments and methods development under Canada’s Chemicals Management Plan since 2007. She is a leader in translational research bridging innovations in modern toxicology research and human health risk assessment, and serves as the focal point for the development of new approach methods and strategies for the assessment of chemicals existing in the Canadian marketplace.
• Kristie Sullivan, Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, directs efforts to implement human-relevant alternatives to the use of animals in the testing of drugs, chemicals, and other regulated products. She has presented and conducted training on alternatives to animal tests to industry and government scientists supported advancement of nonanimal test methods. She has also served on committees advising federal and international agencies on topics related to implementation of in vitro and in silico methods for regulatory chemical safety assessment.
• Gavin Maxwell, Unilever, has been involved in the development, evaluation, and application of new approach methodologies for next-generation risk assessment approaches for skin sensitization. He has led European Union cosmetics industry-funded non-animal safety science programs for the past 15 years, and is currently industry co-chair for the European Partnership for Alternatives to Animal Testing.

This month’s joint ASCCT-ESTIV webinar will feature presentations by poster award winners of the 2022 ASCCT meeting, both describing NICEATM projects. The webinar is Thursday, January 19, 2023, from 10:00–11:00 a.m. EST. 

Presenters’ abstracts:

• Facilitating Global Connections through the Microphysiological Systems for COVID Research (MPSCoRe) Working Group – Amber Daniel, Inotiv, contractor supporting NICEATM. The emergence and global spread of COVID-19 emphasizes the need for effective approaches to prevent, control, and treat infectious diseases. Human cell-based in vitro platforms known as microphysiological systems (MPS) have the potential to effectively model the human lung and other organ systems affected by COVID-19. The MPSCoRe working group was organized to connect key MPS stakeholders to maximize the impact of MPS technologies in understanding disease mechanisms and treatments and reducing animal use while improving human health.
• Applying Deep Learning Toxicity Models Across the Chemical Universe – Sunggun Lee, Duke University. Traditional toxicity testing generally relies on in vivo or in vitro methods, which are time-consuming, resource-intensive, and frequently result in flawed generalizations to humans. This project refined two novel deep learning models originally developed by FDA. DeepCarc and DeepDILI predict endpoints for carcinogenicity and drug-induced liver injury. These computational models rapidly screen large chemical libraries to prioritize potentially hazardous substances for further examination. Lee conducted this project while a summer student at NIEHS under the mentorship of NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer.

Shagun Krishna, a postdoctoral fellow within the NICEATM group, has received one of five 2022 Young Researcher Prizes awarded internationally by the Lush Prize. Krishna’s research involves development of a pipeline for cardiovascular risk assessment of pharmaceutical and environmental chemicals. She has led a project to interpret Tox21/ToxCast high-throughput screening assay data, map the assay targets to biological pathways that represent key failure modes in cardiovascular disease, and use the observed patterns of bioactivity to screen and rank chemicals for potential cardiotoxicity. Her research applies cheminformatics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning in a variety of ways, including building structure–activity relationship models and developing evidence maps of the literature supporting environmental contributions to cardiovascular effects.

The Lush Prize offers a global prize fund to support initiatives to end or replace animal testing. This year’s nominees included 65 organizations and representatives from 26 countries. The Young Researcher Prizes are awarded to five young scientists who are focusing their careers on advancing replacements to animal testing. Past Lush Young Researcher Prize winners include NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer and NICEATM scientist Kamel Mansouri.

A new publication reports on a 2021 symposium that explored the use of new approach methodologies for regulatory decision making for tobacco products. The symposium illustrated common ground and interest in science-based engagement across the scientific community and stakeholders in support of tobacco regulatory science.
Lee et al. 2022. Advancing new approach methodologies (NAMs) for tobacco harm reduction: synopsis from the 2021 COREST SSPT–NAMs symposium. Toxics. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10120760.

A new publication describes a human-relevant mechanistic approach to assessing carcinogenicity of agrochemicals as an alternative to the traditional rodent cancer bioassay. The paper outlines challenges and opportunities that authorities should consider as they build a roadmap to global acceptance and incorporation of such an approach. Authors of the paper include scientists with PSCI, a frequent NICEATM collaborator, and the European Commission Joint Research Centre, which interacts with ICCVAM via the International Cooperation on Alternative Test Methods.
Hilton et al. 2022. Towards achieving a modern science-based paradigm for agrochemical carcinogenicity assessment. Reg Toxicol Pharmacol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2022.105301.

This month’s joint ASCCT-ESTIV webinar will focus on “Tools & Recommendations for Improving Peer Review in Scientific Literature.” The webinar is Thursday, December 1 from 9:00–10:00 a.m. EST. 

Presenters’ abstracts:

• PRIVAT: A tool for improving the peer-review of in vitro studies – Paul Whaley, Evidence-Based Toxicology Collaboration. PRIVAT is a tool to help reviewers and editors achieve consistent and thorough peer-review of in vitro studies in a way that provides transparent, actionable information for editorial decision-making. This presentation will discuss the rigorous evaluation to ensure that this tool is a genuine help to reviewers and editors. Methods and prospects for update of the tool, as well as challenges of improving publishing standards in toxicology, including ensuring data availability, will also be discussed.
• Increasing reliability of science with open and dynamic methods in academic publications – Sofia Batista Leite, European Commission Joint Research Centre. The European Commission Joint Research Centre convened a group of scientists and publishers to discuss how to clarify reporting of scientific methods and protocols in life science publications and formulate clear action points. This presentation will focus on actions to be undertaken by research institutions, funding bodies, and publishers that can trigger and support the needed culture change.

The Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC) within the USDA National Agricultural Library of the U.S. Department of Agriculture has updated its 3Rs literature search webpage to help scientists find alternatives to replace, reduce, and refine animal use for research and testing. AWIC provides this information to help those conducting animal research comply with Animal Welfare Act requirements for consideration of alternatives. The 3Rs literature search webpage includes step-by-step instructions for conducting a literature search, literature search examples, worksheets and guides, and frequently asked questions. 

For additional training on searching for animal use alternatives, register for one of AWIC's workshops on “Meeting the Requirements of the Animal Welfare Act.” Virtual workshops are planned for March and May of 2023.

The 20^th International Workshop on (Q)SAR in Environmental and Health Sciences will be held face-to-face June 5-9, 2023, in Copenhagen, Denmark. The workshop will bring together scientists, regulators, representatives of industry, and other stakeholders from around the world. This is an excellent opportunity to meet experts in development and application of quantitative structure activity relationships (QSARs), exchange results and experiences, and take part in lively discussions.

The Center for Alternatives in Animal Testing (CAAT) at Johns Hopkins University is accepting applications for three grant opportunities.

Information about the following two opportunities is available on the CAAT Awards webpage.

• The Reduction Award focuses on research projects that reduce animal use by targeting research and testing where animal models lack reproducibility and translational value. This grant is intended for researchers who carry out systematic reviews, meta-analyses, or citation analyses of animal studies or similar work, whose goal is to reduce animal use in science.
• The Humane Education Award focuses on the development of animal-free training resources for veterinary, medical, or laboratory courses. This grant is proposed for educators and training material developers whose goal is to foster respect and compassion for animals.
• Each award above includes a prize of $6,000 U.S. Preference will be given to studies with broad applicability and a potentially large impact. Applications should be submitted to Kathrin Hermann at [email protected]. Application deadline is Sunday, December 4.

The third award, the Next Generation Humane Science Award, acknowledges and encourages early-career researchers who focus on replacing the use of animals in research. A first-place award of $5,000 will recognize the work of one scientist; a second-place award of $4,000 may be issued depending on the amount and quality of the applications. Email completed applications to [email protected]. Application deadline is Sunday, January 31, 2023.

The following announcements were included in the November newsletter from the European Union Reference Laboratory for Alternatives to Animal Testing (EURL ECVAM).

• EURL ECVAM has appointed a new slate of members for its Scientific Advisory Committee (ESAC) and has launched a continuously open call for applications for membership on subgroups. Peer reviews and other work of the ESAC are normally facilitated by specialized ESAC subgroups.
• EURL ECVAM has compiled a bibliography of 449 papers published between 2013 and 2019 that used advanced non-animal models for cardiovascular disease research.
• EURL ECVAM is accepting applications for its 2023 Summer School on Non-animal Approaches, to be held at the European Union Joint Research Centre in Ispra, Italy, from May 23-26, 2023.
• EURL ECVAM has updated its Endocrine Active Substances Information System (EASIS), a web-accessible database that provides information on endocrine active properties of chemical substances. EASIS currently contains data on over 600 chemicals collected from around 10,000 study entries covering in vitro and in vivo assays in different species, including some human data.

A new paper by NICEATM scientist Helena Hogberg and collaborators describes adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) for four neurological conditions that can be induced by COVID-19 infection: anosmia, encephalitis, stroke, and seizure. Organizing knowledge along an AOP is a valuable tool for understanding disease mechanisms and identifying data gaps, supporting development of treatment and prevention strategy. This approach also facilitates synergy between experts from different backgrounds in a fast-evolving field requiring cross-community cooperation.

Hogberg H, et al. 2022. The adverse outcome pathway framework applied to neurological symptoms of COVID-19. Cells. https://doi.org/10.3390/cells11213411.

An upcoming webinar, “Frameworks for Establishing Scientific Confidence in New Approach Methodologies, Part 1” will be Wednesday, December 7 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. EST. This webinar is a joint presentation of the PCRM DyNAMic Discussions series and the P.E.P. Webinar Series on NAMs for Risk Assessment, co-organized by PETA Science Consortium International, EPA, and PCRM.

The event will feature two presentations from authors of a recently published paper on building scientific confidence in NAMs: Nicole Kleinstreuer, NICEATM, and Tala Henry, EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics. Presentations will be followed by a panel discussion with panelists João Barroso, European Commission Joint Research Centre and Warren Casey, NIEHS.

The paper proposes a “framework comprising five essential elements to establish scientific confidence in NAMs for regulatory use: fitness for purpose, human biological relevance, technical characterization, data integrity and transparency, and independent review” (van der Zalm et al., 2022; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9525335/).

To submit a question for the panelists about establishing scientific confidence in NAMs in advance of the event, visit www.slido.com and enter #TSCA-NAMs.

The NIEHS Small Business Program will soon begin accepting applications for its Applicant Assistance Program (AAP). This free, 10.5-week program is designed to assist small businesses in preparing a Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer grant application in time for the April 2023 deadline. AAP provides participants with services such as application needs assessment, mentoring, application preparation support, and application review. AAP aims to increase the number of applications from underrepresented small businesses, especially women-owned and socially and economically disadvantaged companies and offers support and resources to help those applicants maximize their chances of success. The application portal opens November 14; submit applications by Thursday, December 12.

In a November 2 Federal Register notice, FDA announced availability of a final guidance document, “S1B(R1) Addendum to S1B Testing for Carcinogenicity of Pharmaceuticals.” The guidance was prepared under the auspices of the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use, and offers an integrative approach that provides specific weight-of-evidence criteria that inform whether a 2-year rat study is likely to add value in completing a human carcinogenicity risk assessment. FDA, in this final guidance, considered comments received from the public in response to release of the draft guidance in October 2021.

A new publication describes the data curation workflow for integrating data into the Integrated Chemical Environment (ICE). The ICE data curation process improves the utility of data within ICE for diverse analyses. The process facilitates application of the data in a variety of contexts while preserving data integrity and provenance, providing the structure, reliability, and accessibility needed for data to support chemical assessments.

Daniel et al. 2022. Data curation to support toxicity assessments using the Integrated Chemical Environment. Front Toxicol. https://doi.org/10.3389/ftox.2022.987848

Join the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine’s (PCRM’s) next New Approach Methodology (NAM) Use for Regulatory Application (NURA) event, “Human In, Human Out: Using Primary Population Data for PBPK Analyses,” Thursdays, November 10 and 17 from 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. EST.

In this two-part NURA series, scientists and regulatory experts will present their application of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models within a regulatory context, followed by an interactive discussion. The focus of the webinars is shifting the current standard of absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion studies to a more human-relevant standard.

Speakers include:

• Alicia Paini, esqLABS GmbH
• Agnes Karmaus, Inotiv (contractor supporting NICEATM)
• Kiara Fairmen, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
• Cecelia Tan, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Judy Madden, Liverpool John Moores University
• John Wambaugh, EPA
• Dustin Kapraun, EPA
• Harvey Clewell, Ramboll

The fifth event in the PCRM NURA DyNAMic Discussions series, “Moving Beyond Tick-box Toxicology: Stakeholder Partnerships to Facilitate Fit-for-purpose Solutions,” will be Friday, November 18 from 10:00–11:30 a.m. EST. Further information and materials from the first four DyNAMic Discussions events are available on the PCRM website. The November 18 event will feature Doug Wolf, Syngenta, and Monique Perron, EPA, speaking on “A Source-to-outcome Approach for Inhalation Risk Assessment – Industry Government Collaboration.”

Multiple grants are available from the Berlin Animal Protection Commissioner for the development and application of human-relevant, animal-free methods in research and teaching. The application deadline is December 5. 

The awards and grants are:

• The Early Career Scientist Award (€30,000) will fund a new project for the development and/or application of NAMs in biomedical research. The project must have demonstrable potential to replace and reduce animal use in this field. National as well as international scientists can apply.
• The Ongoing Project Award (€30,000) will fund a project that focuses on developing and/or using NAMs. The applicant needs to demonstrate how the additional funding will allow the project to reach its potential in helping to replace animal experiments in biomedical research. National as well as international scientists can apply.
• Two awards will be given for the Development of New Animal-free Teaching Materials (€10,000 each) to replace the previously practiced use of animals for training or studies in the fields of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, cell biology, clinical skills, surgery, and pharmacology. National as well as international lecturers and teaching material developers can apply.
• Lecturers who train students and scientists in the use of animal-free NAMs can apply for a NAMs Teaching Grant (€5,000 each) to equip and run their teaching labs. The money may be used for setting up and running new hands-on training courses and workshops to train the next generation of NAMs scientists. These grants are reserved for lecturers who are teaching and training in Berlin.

Abstracts are being accepted for the 2023 MPS World Summit on the topic of new developments in MPS and application of MPS. Deadline for submission is January 31, 2023. The MPS World Summit will be held June 26–30, 2023, in Berlin.

MPS are cell culture systems replicating (patho-)physiology through engineered organ architecture and functionality. They include 3D-(co-)cultures such as organoids, organ-on-chip models, and multi-organ models, as well as the technologies to engineer and analyze these systems. Submitted abstracts should focus on one of three tracks:

• Track 1: MPS development: bioengineering models and readouts.
• Track 2: MPS for industrial and regulatory application: standardization, quality assurance, parallelization, and automation.
• Track 3: MPS for disease modeling, safety testing, and basic research.

Top scored abstracts will be selected for oral presentations at one of 24 scientific sessions. 

Students and postdoctoral researchers are eligible for 20 travel awards. European awardees will be reimbursed for $500 in travel costs and $300 in registration fee costs. International awardees will be reimbursed for $1,200 in travel costs and $300 in registration fee costs. Apply by January 31, 2023.

An October 26-27 NICEATM symposium webinar will consider “Using New Approach Methodologies to Address Variability and Susceptibility Across Populations.” The goals of the symposium webinar are to identify opportunities for NAMs to provide relevant information on population variability and susceptibility to environmental chemicals; and identify information needs where NAMs could be designed or improved to fill that need. A webinar series presented by NICEATM and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine provided background information for the symposium webinar.

On Wednesday, November 3 at 11:00 a.m. EDT, ScitoVation will present “New Approach Methodologies for Genetic Toxicity Assessment and Regulatory Evaluation of New and Existing Substances.”

Genetic toxicity assessments evaluate the ability of a chemical to damage genetic material and are a critical component of chemical risk assessment. Most tests currently used to assess genetic toxicity are laborious, time-consuming, or require animal testing, and fail to provide information to support quantitative dose-response analyses. However, higher throughput NAMs for genetic toxicity assessments can provide efficient, animal-free chemical safety assessments. Data from these NAMs can be analyzed using in vitro to in vivo extrapolation (IVIVE) models to estimate points of departure for genotoxicity endpoints and modernize the assessment of genotoxic substances. Health Canada scientists have developed an integrated in vitro NAM platform for the assessment of chemically induced genetic toxicity. In this webinar, Alexandra Long of Health Canada will provide an overview of this project and describe a case where IVIVE was applied to genetic toxicity data to derive points of departure that are protective of human health.

The Pharmaceutical and Bioscience Society International will present an online workshop on “Microphysiological Systems (MPS) as a Tool for Drug Candidate Evaluation: Technologies, Applications, and Regulatory Aspects” on Friday, October 21, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. EDT (8:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Pacific time). The workshop is free but you must create an account with the society to register.

MPS are complex in vitro models that mimic physiologically relevant functions of animal or human organs and tissues. These models have the potential to predict both the efficacy and safety of new drugs. This workshop will consider how MPS technologies, such as organ-on-a chip, are being applied during drug development, challenges to the adoption of MPS, and regulatory considerations. This workshop will provide an introduction/overview to MPS, as well as a deeper dive into organ systems such as liver, cardiovascular, and skin.

On Thursday, October 27, Cruelty Free Europe will present “Target Zero: Routes to a Toxic-free Europe Without Animal Testing.” The webinar will take place from 4:00-9:45 a.m. EDT (10:00 a.m.-3:45 p.m. Central European time).

In October 2020, the European Commission adopted its Chemicals Strategy for Sustainability (CSS), part of the European Union’s zero pollution ambition. The strategy’s goals are better protection of citizens and our environment from harmful chemicals and the promotion of safer and more sustainable chemicals. However, changes to key chemicals legislation under the CSS could trigger an increase in animal testing with questionable chances of success for better protection for human health and the environment. This webinar will bring different sectors together to show how we can plot a route to a toxic-free environment using animal-free testing and research. Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer will be speaking at the event.

The 2022 Lush Prize conference will be held online over two half days on November 9-10. Registration is free and open to anyone. This year’s event will look back over a decade since the launch of Lush Prize in 2012 to review and discuss what progress has been made and look at future focus needs to end animal testing. The program will include a variety of expert speakers across science, lobbying, regulation, policymaking, and public awareness. There will be opportunities for live Q&A, as well as “fireside chat” interviews. NICEATM scientist Kamel Mansouri will be presenting in a session focusing on scientific advances over the last decade.

The Lush Prize offers a global prize fund to support initiatives to end or replace animal testing. This year’s nominees include 65 organizations and representatives from 26 countries. Winners will receive a total of £250,000 in prizes.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention has multiple openings for scientists with backgrounds in toxicology or related fields. All positions are located in Washington, DC, with a possible telework option. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Apply by Monday, October 24.

• Position RTP-MC-ORG-2022-0003 for a Biologist/Toxicologist is a one-year developmental position for a recent graduate which may lead to term or permanent employment. Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, chemistry, or a related field.
• Position RTP-MC-ODH-2022-0012 for a Biologist/Toxicologist is a permanent position for a scientist with a Ph.D. in biological sciences, chemistry, or a related field or equivalent experience.
• Position RTP-MC-ODH-2023-0004 for a Biologist/Toxicologist/Physical Scientist/Chemist is a permanent position for a scientist with a with a Ph.D. in biological sciences, chemistry, physical science, or mathematics or a related field or equivalent experience.

On July 29, NICEATM released version 3.7.1 of the Integrated Chemical Environment (ICE). ICE provides data and tools to help develop, assess, and interpret chemical safety tests. Key features implemented in ICE 3.7.1 are:

• New and updated chemical property predictions from the Open (Quantitative) Structure-activity/property Relationship App (OPERA) version 2.8 (information about OPERA is available at https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/opera).
• Improvements in Saagar fingerprints (Sedykh et al. 2021) in the Chemical Quest tool.

The 3.7.1 update also includes bug fixes to optimize functioning of the ICE website.

A webpage is now available summarizing activities of NICEATM and ICCVAM at the ASCCT Annual Meeting. The meeting will be held October 19-21 in Chapel Hill, NC. NICEATM and ICCVAM will have a strong presence at ASCCT. ICCVAM co-chair Anna Lowit is presenting in a continuing education course on “Weighing the Evidence in Safety Evaluation and Risk Assessment: Data Considerations and the Potential for NAM Integration.” NICEATM scientists are giving three platform presentations, and NICEATM and ICCVAM scientists are coauthors on 20 posters.

A new paper describes a workflow to integrate human ambient exposures to inhaled chemicals with curated hazard data from high-throughput screening assays to identify counties where exposure to the local chemical mixture may affect a common biological target. This workflow demonstrates how new approach methodologies can be used to predict early-stage biological perturbations that can lead to adverse health outcomes from exposure to chemical mixtures. Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer and NICEATM scientist Agnes Karmaus (Inotiv, contractor supporting NICEATM) are coauthors on the paper.

Eccles KM et al. 2022. A geospatial modeling approach to quantifying the risk of exposure to environmental chemical mixtures via a common molecular target. Sci Total Environ. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158905.

The 2020-2021 ICCVAM Biennial Progress Report is now available. The ICCVAM Authorization Act of 2000 directed ICCVAM to prepare a progress report on its first anniversary and biennially thereafter. The eleventh progress report describes ICCVAM activities and accomplishments from January 2020 through December 2021. Key ICCVAM, ICCVAM agency, and NICEATM accomplishments summarized in the report include:

• Publication by OECD of Guideline 497, Defined Approaches on Skin Sensitisation, the first internationally harmonized guideline to describe a non-animal approach that can be used to replace an animal test to identify skin sensitizers. Guideline 497 was drafted and sponsored by ICCVAM agency scientists and international partners.
• Recommendations in March 2021 by the ICCVAM Metrics Workgroup on federal agency progress in promoting alternative toxicological methods.
• Establishment of the Workgroup on Microphysiological Systems for COVID Research, an international collaborative workgroup to coordinate use of microphysiological systems to reduce animal use in COVID-19 studies and future emerging infectious diseases.
• Further development of CATMoS, an online resource for in silico screening of organic chemicals for acute oral toxicity. During 2020 and 2021, the utility of CATMoS for predicting acute oral toxicity in research and regulatory contexts was explored in projects conducted by ICCVAM agencies, including EPA and the U.S. Department of Defense.
• Updates of the NTP’s Integrated Chemical Environment.

FDA and NCATS are offering SBIR and STTR grants for the development of neuromuscular junction tissue chips to replace the mouse lethality bioassay as a potency assay for botulinum toxin. A main objective for this funding opportunity would be to position these tissue chips as an alternative test method as a standalone replacement for mouse lethality bioassay.

Applicants are encouraged to contact FDA and NCATS to ensure their study design, qualification plan and objectives are in line with the goals of the funding opportunity. Grantees will be expected to work with FDA and NCATS post-award to develop and implement the final validation plan for the proposed alternative test method.

The key dates are as follows:

• Open Date (Earliest Submission Date): October 20
• Letter of Intent Due Date: October 21
• Application Due Date: November 21 by 5:00 p.m. local time of applicant organization

Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date. Application instructions are available on the NIH Grants website.

OPERA is now available as an extension to the OECD QSAR Toolbox. The Toolbox was co-developed by OECD and the European Chemicals Agency to support animal-free chemical hazard assessment. OPERA is a free and open-source/open-data suite of QSAR models that provides predictions for physicochemical properties, environmental fate parameters, ADME, and toxicity endpoints. OPERA is an ongoing collaboration between NICEATM and EPA and is being constantly being maintained and updated with additional models, data and features.

The International Foundation for Ethical Research (IFER) is conducting research regarding the use of non-animal models and opportunities to support the development and use of replacements. IFER invites scientists to share their thoughts about non-animal models in an online survey. The survey should take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete. Completed surveys will be entered into a drawing for a $500 VISA gift card.

ASCCT and ESTIV are jointly hosting a webinar on “Using NAMs in Risk Assessment” Friday, September 30, from 10:00-11:30 a.m. EDT. Featured speakers are Katie Paul Friedman, EPA, and George Kass, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Brief overview of speakers and topics:

• “Expectations for new approach methods performance in predicting effects in repeat dose animal studies.” This presentation by Katie Paul Friedman will present an overview of work to characterize benchmark expectations for new approach methodology (NAM) performance in predicting systemic and organ-level effects in repeat dose studies of adult animals using data curated into the Toxicity Reference Database.
• “EFSA’s roadmap on NAMs and related case studies.” George Kass will present an EFSA roadmap for action on NAMs to reduce animal testing. The roadmap aims to define priorities for the incorporation of NAMs as well as to inform a multiannual strategy for increasing the use of NAMs in human health risk assessment to minimize the need for animal-based verification studies. Ultimately, it envisions that by 2027 the majority of EFSA's requests for additional data will be based on NAMs. The presentation will provide an overview of the roadmap on NAMs and some of the activities currently ongoing in the context of its implementation.

The webinar series on “NAMs to Address Population Variability and Susceptibility” continues October 7 at 9:00 a.m. EDT. In this webinar, Shaun McCullough, EPA, will discuss “Impacts of inter-individual variability on differentiated primary cell-based in vitro models for inhaled chemical safety evaluation.” Chirag Patel, Harvard Medical School, will discuss “Data science approaches to discover and prioritize the exposomic determinants of health.” The webinar series is presented by NICEATM and PCRM. Information and materials about the webinar series are available on the PCRM website.

The webinar series will provide background information for an October 26-27 NICEATM symposium webinar on “Using New Approach Methodologies to Address Variability and Susceptibility Across Populations.” The goals of the symposium webinar are to identify opportunities for NAMs to provide relevant information on population variability and susceptibility to environmental chemicals; and identify information needs where NAMs could be designed or improved to fill that need. The webinar series is being convened in advance of the symposium webinar to highlight NAMs that incorporate variability and susceptibility into the evaluation of chemical safety. 

The Environmental Health Language Collaborative (EHLC) is hosting a webinar on Friday, October 7, 2:00-3:00 p.m. EDT. In this webinar, Karamarie Fecho of Copperline Professional Solutions and the University of North Carolina and Sierra Moxon of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory will be presenting on Biolink Model, an open-source standardized data model for semantic harmonization across datasets. The presenters will discuss the potential application of Biolink Model to environmental health science research, with a case study examining the EHLC use case on airborne pollutant exposures and asthma. The presentation will include a discussion on the pros and cons of adopting Biolink Model to support the data harmonization needs of the EHLC community. 

EHLC is an NIEHS-supported community-driven initiative to advance integrative environmental health research by developing and promoting adoption of a harmonized language.  

Hands-on training on the EPA Computational Toxicology (CompTox) Chemicals Dashboard will be held Tuesday, October 18, 2:00-4:30 p.m. EDT. The CompTox Chemicals Dashboard is a suite of databases and web applications developed by EPA to support the development of innovative methods to evaluate chemicals for potential health risks. The computational toxicology tools and data in the Dashboard help prioritize and characterize chemicals based on potential hazards.

Specifically targeted for decision-makers, this training will provide:

• An overview of the Dashboard content and function.
• Application-oriented use-case demonstrations.
• Opportunities for participatory learning and engagement.

This virtual training will feature Nisha Sipes, Assistant Center Director for Research Translations, Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure at EPA. The training will include plenary presentations, small group discussions, and a chance to try out skills. The training will be divided into two parts. Registration for one or both sessions is free but required.

Register for Session 1 (2:00-3:30 p.m.)

• Introduction and overview.
• Presentation and demonstration of Dashboard features and functionality.
• Question-and-answer session.

Register for Session 2 (3:30-4:30 p.m.)

• Breakout sessions: Hands-on case studies.
• Wrap-up and feedback.

You will receive email confirmations from Zoom with the option to download calendar invitations.

Consistent with the goals of the EPA NAMs Work Plan, EPA has released a new NAMs Training website that makes training materials and opportunities related to EPA-developed risk assessment tools freely available to all stakeholders. These tools offer data and information on environmental chemicals, as well as chemical screening and evaluation techniques and other approaches.

The 2022 Lush Prize conference will be held online over two half days on Wednesday, November 9^th and Thursday, November 10^th. Registration is free and open to anyone. This year’s event will look back over a decade since the launch of Lush Prize in 2012 to review and discuss what progress has been made and look at future focus needs to end animal testing. The program will include a variety of expert speakers across science, lobbying, regulation, policymaking, and public awareness. There will be opportunities for live Q&A, as well as “fireside chat” interviews.

The Lush Prize offers a global prize fund to support initiatives to end or replace animal testing. This year’s nominees include 65 organizations and representatives from 26 countries. Winners will receive a total of £250,000 in prizes. 

The webinar series on “NAMs to Address Population Variability and Susceptibility” continues September 12 at 1:00 p.m. EDT with a consideration of how tissue chips are being used to address medical needs of genetically susceptible subpopulations. The webinar series is presented by NICEATM and PCRM. Information and materials about the webinar series are available on the PCRM website.

In the September 12 webinar, Passley Hargrove-Grimes, NIH Tissue Chip Program, will discuss how the “Clinical Trials on a Chip” program addresses variability and susceptibility across populations. Arum Han, NanoBio Systems Lab, will discuss developing extracellular vesicle-based therapeutics against pre-term birth through the use of a maternal-fetal interface chip.

The webinar series will provide background information for an October 26-27 NICEATM symposium webinar on “Using New Approach Methodologies to Address Variability and Susceptibility Across Populations.” Registration for the symposium is open.

Scientists in Research Triangle Park, NC, and surrounding areas are invited to two upcoming events of the North Carolina Society of Toxicology (NCSOT). Visit the chapter’s website at for details.

• A “back-to-school” mixer will be held on Friday, September 30, from 4:30-7:30 p.m.
• The chapter’s annual meeting will be Wednesday, October 19 from 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. at the New Student Center at North Carolina Central University in Durham, NC. Undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees are invited to submit abstracts for poster or platform presentations. The abstract submission deadline has been extended to Thursday, September 15.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and NC3Rs are conducting a review of animal use requirements within WHO guidelines for biologics. As part of that effort, NC3Rs is hosting a series of regional workshops to better understand the potential impact of these changes on manufacturers and regulators globally.

A virtual workshop on Monday, September 26 will focus on requirements in North and South America. Biologicals regulatory agencies and manufacturers from the region will discuss their perspectives on current testing strategies and how changes to WHO guidelines could be implemented to support wider adoption of 3Rs and non-animal approaches. Although the discussions are focused on Pan-America, relevant stakeholders from any region are welcome to attend and participate. 

Biologicals such as vaccines, cytokines, enzymes, and hormones are tested routinely after approval to ensure the safety and potency of products. Many of these tests currently require the use of animals, and a large number of animals are used for this purpose each year. The WHO/NC3Rs project, which is receiving support from NICEATM and FDA, is intended to support recommendations for where non-animal approaches can be adopted.

OECD has published seven new case studies on the use of integrated approaches for testing and assessment (IATA). OECD develops case studies on IATA to increase understanding and experience with these alternatives to animal testing and support their application to regulatory use. The case studies are issued as publications within the OECD Series on Testing and Assessment.

Two of the new case studies are relevant to recent NICEATM and ICCVAM activities.

• Series on Testing and Assessment No. 364, Case Study on the Use of Integrated Approaches for Testing and Assessment for DNT to Prioritize a Class of Organophosphorus Flame Retardants: This case study was prepared by a group of NICEATM scientists in collaboration with other NIEHS and EPA scientists. The case study uses a battery of in vitro and complementary non-mammalian animal models (e.g., zebrafish) to prioritize a class of compounds, organophosphorus flame retardants, for further developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) testing.
• Series on Testing and Assessment No. 367, Case Study on the Use of an Integrated Approach for Testing and Assessment (IATA) for New Approach Methodology (NAM) for Refining Inhalation Risk Assessment from Point of Contact Toxicity of the Pesticide, Chlorothalonil. This case study was developed from an investigation of how an in vitro respiratory model might improve on existing animal models to develop an inhalation exposure risk assessment for the pesticide chlorothalonil. The investigation was discussed in detail at a presentation given by EPA at the 2019 SACATM meeting.

An agenda is available for the virtual meeting of SACATM on Wednesday, September 21 and Thursday, September 22. Registration to view the meeting is open and will be available through the end of the meeting on September 22. Interested persons can also submit written comments or register to present oral comments during the meeting. Written comments and registration to present oral comments are due by Tuesday, September 13. 

SACATM is a federally chartered external advisory group of scientists from the public and private sectors, including representatives of regulated industry and national animal protection organizations. SACATM advises ICCVAM, NICEATM, and the Director of NIEHS and NTP regarding statutorily mandated duties of ICCVAM and activities of NICEATM. Preliminary agenda items for the upcoming meeting include: (1) major ICCVAM accomplishments in 2022; (2) implementing the strategic roadmap: incorporation of alternatives and associated metrics; (3) validation and establishing scientific confidence in new approach methodologies (NAMs); and (4) update on NICEATM computational resources.

PSCI is sponsoring two scientists to attend a four-day in vitro test methods training course hosted by the Institute for In Vitro Sciences. The training will be held in Gaithersburg, MD from January 30–February 2, 2023, and will cover a variety of toxicological endpoints. Applicants may residents of any country but must work in or be studying to pursue a career in toxicology. Applicants who are students must have completed at least one year of a master’s or Ph.D. program. The application deadline is October 21.

The current issue of the NIEHS Environmental Factor newsletter honored a recent NICEATM paper as an “Intramural Paper of the Month.” NICEATM and EPA scientists compiled, curated, and analyzed a set of over 2000 chemicals with multiple independent study records to characterize variability and reproducibility of results. Conditional probability analyses revealed that replicate studies only resulted in the same hazard categorization on average at 60% likelihood. The authors concluded that inherent biological or protocol variability likely underlies the variance in the results.

Karmaus et al. 2022. Evaluation of variability across rat acute oral systemic toxicity studies. Tox Sci. https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfac042.

Scientists who have recently received bachelor’s or master’s degrees in toxicology, cellular and molecular biology, or related fields are invited to apply for EPA fellowships to conduct high-throughput screening assays for cell proliferation endpoints. Applicants must be U.S. citizens. Apply by September 30.

NICEATM is organizing an October 26-27 symposium webinar to discuss “Using New Approach Methodologies to Address Variability and Susceptibility Across Populations.” Registration is now open.

Different human populations exhibit different levels of susceptibility to toxic effects from chemical exposure, presenting a complex problem for chemical risk assessment. Human cell-based and computational NAMs could potentially be used effectively to characterize susceptibility of different human populations. The October 26-27 symposium will identify:

• Opportunities for NAMs to provide relevant information on population variability and susceptibility to environmental chemicals.
• Information needs for population variability and susceptibility where NAMs could be designed or improved to fill those needs.

Invited speakers will present case studies where NAMs are applied to address variability and susceptibility. The program will also include speakers highlighting the concerns associated with environmental chemicals in specific communities. Presentations will be followed by panel discussions among experts to identify specific topics for follow-up activities.

In advance of the symposium, a webinar series is being convened to highlight NAMs that incorporate variability and susceptibility into the evaluation of chemical safety. The webinar series is being co-organized by PCRM. Information about the webinar series, including recordings of past webinars, is available on the PCRM website

Join PCRM Friday, September 16 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. EDT for “Integrated Approaches for Testing and Assessment (IATA): NAM-based Safety Assessment Frameworks.” This is the latest webinar in the New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) Use for Regulatory Applications (NURA) series,  "DyNAMic Discussions: The Future is Already Here." All who registered for the original webinar date (September 2) will receive a notice of the new date through Zoom.

September 16 speakers:

• Nicholas Ball, Dow Chemical Company: Can a framework using NAMs meet regulatory needs for chemical management – EU-REACH as an example.
• Gladys Ouédraogo, L’Oréal:IATAs for addressing systemic toxicity: a perspective on the safety assessment of cosmetics. 

All materials from the first three webinars in the series, including presenter’s slides, session recordings, and supplementary publications, are available through the DyNAMic Discussions learning portal.>

NIEHS is organizing “Clustering and Classification Workshop: Applications to Investigate Adverse Effects of Chemicals on Human Health and Environment.” The workshop will be October 3-4, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. EDT each day. A preliminary agenda, other information, and a link to register are available on the event webpage.

The workshop will introduce the concept of chemical similarity and explore the uses of different classification and clustering approaches for toxicity research and risk assessment. The invited speakers and expert discussants will identify best practices and guidelines for the application of these approaches. Participation from attendees to round table discussions will be encouraged.

Applications are being accepted for the NIH small business Applicant Assistance Program. Apply by September 22.

The Applicant Assistance Program assists small businesses in preparing and submitting a SBIR or STTR application to NIEHS and other NIH Institutes and Centers. The goal of this program is to increase the number of applications submitted by underrepresented small businesses and to increase the number of these applications that are free of errors or omissions and are deemed complete, compliant, and responsive to the review criteria. Only U.S. for-profit companies are eligible for the program, and participating companies must not have received an SBIR or STTR award since 2013.

ASCCT and ESTIV will present a webinar on “Modeling Tools for Better Prediction of the Kinetics and Dynamics of Xenobiotics.” The webinar will be held on Tuesday, August 30 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. EDT.

This webinar will explore how molecular modeling approaches are being used to characterize the kinetics and dynamics of xenobiotics and applied to support use of in vitro data to predict toxicity. Luca Dellafiora, University of Parma, will present “3D Molecular modelling meets toxicology: a useful tool to investigate the TD and TK of food related toxicants.” Nynke Kramer, Wageningen University, will discuss “Measuring and modeling the distribution of test chemicals in in vitro toxicity assays.”

A draft agenda is available for EPA’s “2022 Conference on the State of the Science on Development and Use of New Approach Methods (NAMs) for Chemical Safety Testing.” The conference will be held in-person at EPA headquarters in Washington, DC on October 12-13. A virtual option will also be available. Registration will open soon.

In 2019, EPA committed to developing and implementing a work plan to reduce the use of vertebrate animals in chemical testing while ensuring protection of human health and the environment. To report progress on these activities, EPA hosts regular conferences to provide updates and solicit input from interested stakeholders. The conferences highlight the state of the science on the development and use of NAMs for chemical safety testing.

The webinar series on “NAMs to Address Population Variability and Susceptibility” continues September 12 with a consideration of how tissue chips are being used to address medical needs of genetically susceptible subpopulations. The webinar series is presented by NICEATM and PCRM.

In the September 12 webinar, Passley Hargrove-Grimes, NIH Tissue Chip Program, will discuss how the “Clinical Trials on a Chip” program addresses variability and susceptibility across populations. Arum Han, NanoBio Systems Lab, will discuss developing extracellular vesicle-based therapeutics against pre-term birth through the use of a maternal-fetal interface chip.

The webinar series will provide background information for an October 26-27 NICEATM symposium webinar on "Using New Approach Methodologies to Address Variability and Susceptibility Across Populations.” Registration and further information about the symposium will be available soon.

On June 30, OECD published six new test guidelines and 10 updated or corrected test guidelines. One of the new guidelines, “Test No. 467: Defined Approaches for Serious Eye Damage and Eye Irritation,” describes two approaches using non-animal methods and physicochemical properties to predict eye irritation hazard. It is the second guideline describing a defined approach published by OECD, following last year’s publication of Guideline 497 for predicting skin sensitization. Another new test guideline, Test Guideline 492B, describes a new stand-alone method for eye hazard potential using a reconstructed human corneal epithelium. Both new guidelines describe approaches that can replace animal use for eye irritation hazard classification. The updated guidelines include methods to assess skin sensitization, genotoxicity, and acute oral toxicity.

ICCVAM member agencies participate in the development and review of chemical testing guidelines issued by the OECD Test Guidelines Programme. OECD test guidelines are used by government, industry, and independent laboratories of the 38 OECD member countries to assess chemical safety.

On July 29, NICEATM released version 3.7 of the Integrated Chemical Environment (ICE). ICE provides data and tools to help develop, assess, and interpret chemical safety tests. This release will make it easier for users to access ICE data from other applications. Improvements were also made to the site’s appearance and supporting documentation.

ICE version 3.7 implemented REST APIs, which will allow users to access ICE data more easily via database searches outside of the ICE environment.

Other updates in ICE version 3.7 include:

• More attractive, up-to-date user interface.
• New Publications section with pages listing journal articles, oral presentations, and poster presentations about ICE.
• Updates to supporting documentation, including new documentation about site security.
• New help videos for the ICE PBPK and Curve Surfer tools.

SACATM will meet virtually on Wednesday, September 21 and Thursday, September 22. Registration to view the meeting is open and will be available through the end of the meeting on September 22. Interested persons can also submit written comments or register to present oral comments during the meeting. Written comments and registration to present oral comments are due by Tuesday, September 13. 

SACATM is a federally chartered external advisory group of scientists from the public and private sectors, including representatives of regulated industry and national animal protection organizations. SACATM advises ICCVAM, NICEATM, and the Director of NIEHS and NTP regarding statutorily mandated duties of ICCVAM and activities of NICEATM. Preliminary agenda items for the upcoming meeting include: (1) major ICCVAM accomplishments in 2022; (2) implementing the strategic roadmap: incorporation of alternatives and associated metrics; (3) validation and establishing scientific confidence in NAMs; and (4) update on NICEATM computational resources.

Video and slides are now available from the May 26-27 ICCVAM Public Forum. This event is held annually to share information and facilitate direct communication of ideas and suggestions from stakeholders. 

At the public forum, NICEATM, ICCVAM, and representatives from eight ICCVAM agencies described activities both to advance new approaches to safety testing of chemicals and medical products and to reduce the amount of testing required. Representatives of regulatory agencies such as EPA and FDA described initiatives to promote use of new approach methodologies for required testing, and CPSC announced guidance on stakeholder use of alternatives to animal testing. Research-focused presentations described advancements in development of computational approaches and testing platforms such as microphysiological systems.

In a July 28 Federal Register notice, EPA requested comment on a slate of nominees for the FIFRA Scientific Advisory Panel (SAP). The list of nominees and instructions for submitting comments are available in the Federal Register notice. Submit comments by August 29.

The FIFRA SAP serves as a scientific peer review mechanism of EPA's Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention and is structured to provide independent scientific advice, information, and recommendations to the EPA Administrator on pesticides and pesticide-related issues as to the impact of regulatory actions on health and the environment. Members are scientists who have sufficient professional qualifications, including training and experience, to provide expert comments on the impact of pesticides on human health and the environment. The current slate of nominees was assembled in response to a request for scientists with specific expertise in areas including computational toxicology (new approach methodologies and in vitro to in vivo extrapolation), allergenicity, population modeling, cheminformatics, bioinformatics, and genomics.

NIEHS is offering small businesses funding to develop resources and approaches that reflect the variability in responses to chemical exposures based on genetic diversity in the human population. The goal of this funding opportunity is to enhance the capability of introducing genetic diversity in toxicity testing.

Applicants should propose test chemicals or compounds that are relevant for developing and applying genetic diversity resources and provide a rationale for the proposed dose ranges in these studies. Applicants should provide clear, measurable goals (milestones), particular for Phase I applications and Phase I components of fast-track applications.

The key dates are as follows:

• Open Date (Earliest Submission Date): October 8
• Letter of Intent Due Date: October 8
• Application Due Date: November 8 by 5:00 p.m. local time of applicant organization

Applicants are encouraged to apply early to allow adequate time to make any corrections to errors found in the application during the submission process by the due date.

ASCCT and ESTIV will present a webinar on “Guidance and Standards for Increasing Regulatory Confidence in In Vitro and PBK Models.” The webinar will be held on Thursday, July 28 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. EDT.

Interest is increasing in approaches that combine data from in vitro methods with physiologically based kinetic models to predict chemical toxicity. However, issues remain to be addressed to increase confidence in these approaches to enable their use in regulatory contexts. This webinar will feature two speakers describing guidance documents developed to address these issues. Alicia Paini, esqLABS GmbH, will describe a guidance document issued by OECD describing a scientific workflow for characterizing and validating physiologically based kinetic models developed using NAMs data, highlighting the principles, criteria, and tools laid out in the guidance document. Amanda Ulrey, Institute for In Vitro Sciences, will discuss the OECD guidance document on Good In Vitro Method Practices and provide a strategy of how the document can be used to assess current laboratory processes and increase the reliability and robustness of these processes.

Join PCRM Friday, August 12 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. EDT for a webinar on “NAMs as the New Gold Standard: Bringing Validation into the 21^st Century.” 

This is the third webinar in the NAMs Use for Regulatory Applications (NURA) series, “DyNAMic Discussions: The Future is Already Here,” All materials from the first two sessions, including the presenter’s slides, recordings, and supplementary publications are now available through the DyNAMic Discussions learning portal.

The August 12 webinar will feature the following speakers and topics:

• Amy Clippinger, PETA Science Consortium International, e.V: Establishing Scientific Confidence in New Approach Methodologies.
• Patience Browne, OECD: The Future of Risk Assessment and International Collaboration.

This is a reminder that the webinar series highlighting NAMs that incorporate population variability and susceptibility into the evaluation of chemical safety will begin on July 19 at 9:00 a.m. EDT. The July 19 webinar will feature two presentations about skin models.

The webinar series prefaces the workshop “NAMs to Address Variability and Susceptibility Across Populations” focused on understanding the state of the science and identifying opportunities for NAMs to address environmental health challenges, now and in the future. The webinar series and workshop are being organized by NICEATM and PCRM.

Speakers:

• Nicolas Gaudenzio, Chief Scientific Officer at Genoskin: Height-dimensional profiling of immune response to injectable drugs using bio-stabilized natural human skin.
• Gertrude-Emilia Costin, Director of Laboratory Sciences at the Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS): Pre-clinical assessment of skin tone modulation potential of ingredients and finished products using in vitro efficacy testing strategies based on reconstructed tissue models.

Moderators:

• Helena Hogberg-Durdock, NICEATM, conducts research in applying in vitro methods to assessing developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) potential of chemicals.
• Kim To, Senior Statistician at Inotiv (contractor supporting NICEATM), develops computational tools to help communicate and build an understanding of disparate toxicological data.
• Oluwakemi Oyetade, Toxicology Data Analyst at Inotiv (contractor supporting NICEATM), extracts and analyses of toxicology data/information from various internal and public access databases and across several methods.

NICEATM and PCRM will present a webinar series highlighting NAMs that incorporate variability and susceptibility into the evaluation of chemical safety beginning on July 19 at 9:00 a.m. (EDT). This webinar will feature two presentations about skin models. The webinar series prefaces a workshop on “NAMs to Address Variability and Susceptibility Across Populations” focused on understanding the state of the science and identifying opportunities for NAMs to address environmental health challenges, now and in the future.

The first speaker in the July 19 webinar will discuss donor diversity in ex vivo human skin models related to immune activation. The second speaker will discuss pigmented skin models and their use in pre-clinical efficacy testing of products with potential to modulate skin tone.

Speakers:

• Nicolas Gaudenzio, Genoskin: Height-dimensional profiling of immune response to injectable drugs using bio-stabilized natural human skin.
• Gertrude-Emilia Costin, Institute for In Vitro Sciences (IIVS): Pre-clinical assessment of skin tone modulation potential of ingredients and finished products using in vitro efficacy testing strategies based on reconstructed tissue models.

A printable agenda is available through the PCRM learning portal.

ASCCT and ESTIV will present a webinar on “Guidance and standards for increasing regulatory confidence in in vitro and PBK models” on Thursday, July 28 from 1:00-2:00 p.m. EDT. 

The July 28 webinar will feature the following speakers and presentations:

• Alicia Paini, esqLABS GmbH: Guidance for Increasing Confidence in Physiologically Based Kinetic (PBK) Models…Are We Ready for a Regulatory Change?
• Amanda Ulrey, Institute for In Vitro Sciences, Inc. (IIVS): Implementing Good In Vitro Method Practices (GIVIMP) as a Quality Standard in a Laboratory.

Information and materials for past and upcoming ASCCT webinars is available on their website.

OECD will present a webinar on the Implementation of the first stand-alone NAMs for eye hazard identification into OECD Guidelines: OECD GL 467 and TG 492B on Tuesday, September 27 from 8:00-9:30 a.m. (EDT).   

The webinar will consist of three parts:

• Draize eye test Reference Database (DRD)
• OECD Guideline 467 on Defined Approaches for Serious Eye Damage and Eye Irritation
• OECD Test Guideline 492B on Reconstructed Human Cornea-like Epithelium (RHCE) Test Method for Eye Hazard Identification

OECD prepared this webinar to increase awareness of these newly adopted guidelines for regulatory acceptance and to recognize the efforts of the organisation as well as its stakeholders to commit to 3R principles for chemical hazard testing. These updates can be found on the OECD Test Guidelines for Chemicals page. Other relevant publications can be found on the Series on Testing and Assessment page.

Emulate is launching Moxi, a Social Network for Organ-on-Chip technology. Moxi is a community for researchers, by researchers, designed as a platform dedicated to connecting with peers, keeping up with the latest news, and collaborating to accelerate science into a new era.

The first 500 Moxi registrants will be entered into a drawing to win an iPad Air. Registrants are also invited to submit an image from their Organ-Chip research, view the submissions, and vote for their favorite. The top vote-getter will win a paid trip to the 2023 MPS World Summit in Berlin. Visit Moxi to View Trending Topics, Explore Conversations of Interest, view entry requirements, and to join the discussion.

Attendees at the 2022 New Orleans MPS World Summit are invited to complete a  survey for feedback so the organizers can make next year’s even better.

The 11^th ASCCT Annual Meeting, “Shifting the Paradigm to Next-Generation (Quantitative) Risk Assessment,” will be held October 19-21 in Chapel Hill, NC. The deadline to submit abstracts is July 15. The deadline for poster only submission is September 1.

The meeting will feature the latest science in NAMs and active discussions about the implementation of new science. Students and career scientists are encouraged to attend and present. The meeting will offer awards for students and early-career scientists, mentoring opportunities, and a continuing education course.

Confirmed speakers for the event are as follows:

• Gavin Maxwell, Unilever
• Cavin Ward-Caviness, EPA
• Prof. Ellen Fritsche, IUF - Leibniz Research Institute of Environmental Medicine
• Tim Shafer, EPA
• Heather Stapleton, Duke University
• Katie Paul-Friedman, EPA
• Dan Villeneuve, EPA

Oral presentation sessions are envisioned to include a focus on:

• Next Generation Risk Assessment
• Decision-Making with NAMs
• Developmental Neurotoxicity
• Human Data for WoE Toxicology
• Integrated Approaches to Testing and Assessment
• Ecotoxicology

The Humane Society International (HSI) is hosting a webinar on “Regulatory Acceptance and Use of Next-Generation Approaches for Chemical Safety Assessment” on July 13 at 9:00 a.m. EDT (15:00 CET).

As the range of non-animal tools for hazard and exposure assessment continues to grow, regulatory authorities, the regulated industry, and other stakeholders are facing a common challenge to keep up with the rapidly evolving science.

In this process, several practical and ethical questions arise: how do we move away from animal testing? How do we use high-throughput methods (in vitro, in silico) for risk prioritization? How do we include data from toxicogenomics? How do we look at complex toxicological endpoints and biological mechanisms using new-approach methodologies?
This webinar addresses how state-of-the-art science is being used by corporate and government stakeholders in risk assessment and prioritization to ensure protection.

Presenters:

• Julia Fentem, Unilever: “Next-gen tools for chemical safety assessment”
• Tara Barton-Maclaren, Health Canada: “Regulatory use of bioactivity-exposure ratios for priority-setting and chemical risk assessment”

The Department of Health and Human Services has released the 2022 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Omnibus Grant Solicitations. This funding is available for small business grant applications to support development and commercialization of innovative technologies.

Projects being funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences under these solicitations include development of toxicity screening, testing, and modeling approaches that support Tox21 and other NTP goals. Areas of high priority include development of:

• Tools for exposure assessments such as sensors and computational tools and methods.
• Tools for evaluating environmental health and safety of engineered nanomaterials.
• Biomonitoring technologies and biological response markers of exposure and response.
• Assays and model systems for screening compounds for toxicity.

The first deadline for applications under this announcement is September 5. 

Applicants are strongly encouraged to subscribe to the NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts LISTSERV. You may also subscribe to the SBIR-STTR LISTSERV  to get timely information about the NIH SBIR and STTR Programs.

PCRM will present a webinar on “DART: What can we do today?” on Friday, July 8th from 10:00-11:30 a.m. EDT. This is the next session of the New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) Use for Regulatory Applications (NURA) series, “DyNAMic Discussions: The Future is Already Here.” 

The July 8 webinar will feature the following speakers and presentations:

• Ramya Rajagopal, Unilever: Mechanistic Evaluation and Application of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in an Integrated Approach to Testing Developmental and Reproductive Toxicity (DART) End Points for Next Generation Risk Assessment (NGRA).
• Kelly Carstens, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): Application of Developmental Neurotoxicity (DNT) New Approach Methods (NAMs) for Predicting Human Neurotoxicity

Please note that the session on integrated approaches for testing and assessment previously scheduled for June 24 has been postponed. All current registrants will receive a notice of the new date through Zoom.

The FDA Science Board will meet June 14 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EDT. Meeting presentations will be heard, viewed, captioned, and recorded through an online teleconferencing platform. Topics considered will include:

• Challenges in evaluating the safety of dietary supplement and food ingredients with predicted pharmacological activity, utilizing cannabinoids as a case study.
• Enhanced efforts to spur the development, qualification, and adoption of new alternative methods for regulatory use that can replace, reduce, and refine animal testing and have the potential to provide both more timely and more predictive information to accelerate product development and enhance emergency preparedness.
• Enhanced efforts to ensure optimal organization, infrastructure, and expertise for data science efforts in alignment with its regulatory scope and evidence-based decision making, in support of FDA’s public health priorities.

For additional information, contact Rakesh Raghuwanshi at [email protected].

The 12th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences (WC12) will be held August 27-31, 2023, in Niagara Falls, Canada. WC12 organizers are currently accepting session proposals aligned with the meeting themes:

• Refinement and Impact on Science
• Next-gen Education
• Ethics, Welfare, Policies, and Regulations
• Human-centered Biomedical Research
• 21^st Century Predictive Toxicology
• Regulatory Acceptance and Global Harmonization

The deadline for session proposals has been extended to Friday, June 17. Proposals will be accepted for sessions in symposium, workshop, or dynamic panel/debate formats; suggestions of other formats will be considered as appropriate. Meeting organizers strongly encourage that proposals be designed to facilitate participation across multiple disciplines and sectors. Detailed information about proposal submissions is available on the WC12 website.

PCRM will present a webinar on “Integrated Approaches for Testing and Assessment (IATA): NAM-based safety assessment frameworks” on Friday, June 24 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. EDT. This is the second session of the New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) Use for Regulatory Applications (NURA) series, “DyNAMic Discussions: The Future is Already Here.” All materials from the first session, including the presenter's slides, the webinar recording, and supplementary publications are now available through the DyNAMic Discussions learning portal.

The June 24 webinar will feature the following presentations:

• Nicholas Ball, Dow Chemical Company, will discuss the topic “Can a framework using NAMS meet regulatory needs for chemical management – EU-REACH as an example.”
• Gladys Ouédraogo, L’Oreal, will consider “IATAs for addressing systemic toxicity: a perspective on the safety assessment of cosmetics.”
• The question-and-answer period and discussion will be moderated by Gavin Maxwell, Unilever, and Eryn Slankster-Schmierer, PCRM.

EPA will release its 2022-2023 Small Business Innovation Research Phase I Broad Agency Announcement solicitation in mid-June with a close date in mid-August. A list of proposed topics is available on the EPA website. One proposed topic is support for development of software tools and machine-learning applications for systematic review in science assessment for chemical evaluation.

Registration is still open for the Assay Guidance Workshop on 3D Tissue Models for Antiviral Drug Development, which will be held virtually on June 7-8. The two-day workshop will cover a broad range of critical concepts, including practical approaches and best practices, for developing standardized 3D cellular assays for testing of therapeutics for future pandemic threats.

Sessions:

• Day 1: Tuesday, June 7, 11:00 a.m. – 4:15 p.m. EDT
• Day 2: Wednesday, June 8, 11:00 a.m. – 5:15 p.m. EDT

Session topics:

• Session I: 3D Tissue Models: Utility & Limitations
• Session II: Utility of the Existing 3D Tissue Models for Antiviral Drug Development
• Session III: Use of Robust & Reproducible 3D Tissue Models from Drug Discovery
• Session IV: Summary of Discussions & Perspectives on the Challenges Ahead

The overall goal of this workshop is to help scientists establish robust, reproducible, scalable, consistent, advanced 3D tissue models to study pandemic threat viruses. Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer will be speaking in Sessions III and IV. The workshop is organized by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. Registration is free.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will hold virtual public meetings on Wednesday, June 15. The purpose of the June 15 meetings is to consider public comments and gather information in advance of:

• The 60^th session of the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods on June 27-July 6.
• The 42^nd session of the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals on July 6-8.

General information about both meetings is available in a May 31 Federal Register notice. Interested parties may submit written comments between June 4 and July 5. Details on submitting written comments are available in the Federal Register notice.

The 9th Annual 3Rs Symposium: Collaboration to Improve Animal Welfare and Rigorous Results will be held June 22-23. Due to increasing incidence of COVID-19, the symposium will be held virtually, and the workshop originally scheduled for June 24 will not be held. The symposium is being organized by Johns Hopkins University along with ICCVAM agencies NIH and USDA.

Attendees at the symposium will learn how innovations in animal models, experimental design, refinements, and many other areas are changing the way animals are used in research. The program will feature presentations and panel discussions from international leaders in animal research and welfare, with Q&A time built-in for virtual participants and networking opportunities for in-person attendees. This symposium has applied for Registry of Approved Continuing Education credits to satisfy veterinary continuing education requirements and offers reduced registration for federal workers, postdocs, and students.

NICEATM and EPA scientists compiled, curated, and analyzed a set of over 2000 chemicals with multiple independent study records to characterize variability and reproducibility of results. Conditional probability analyses revealed that replicate studies only resulted in the same hazard categorization on average at 60% likelihood. The authors concluded that inherent biological or protocol variability likely underlies the variance in the results.

Karmaus et al. 2022. Evaluation of variability across rat acute oral systemic toxicity studies. Tox Sci. https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfac042.

Two postdoctoral fellowship opportunities are available within the Spatiotemporal Health Analytics Group at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, NC. The opportunities focus on spatiotemporal geostatistics methods development and climate change exposure and health. For information about either opportunity, contact Kyle Messier at [email protected].

An upcoming webinar will describe the INSPiRE project, which assessed the value of in vitro models to predict the ability of chemicals to cause portal-of-entry effects on the human respiratory tract. The webinar will be presented by ScitoVation on June 1 at 11:00 a.m. EDT.

Because of differences in physiology, anatomy, and biochemistry between the rat and human respiratory tract and the way they limit the ability of the rat to predict human effects, there has been a shift to develop and use human cell-based approaches to characterize potential portal-of-entry effects of inhaled substances. In this webinar, Amy Clippinger and Andreas Stucki of the PETA Science Consortium International e.V. will describe how the INSPiRE project assessed four chemicals from two distinct chemical classes in two different cell systems using various exposure scenarios and biological endpoints. The results give important insights in how in vitro systems can be used to predict effects on the human respiratory tract and inform regulatory decision-making. All registered participants will receive access to the webinar recording.

The 12^th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences (WC12) will be held August 27-31, 2023, in Niagara Falls, Canada.

WC12 organizers are currently accepting session proposals aligned with the meeting themes:

• Refinement and Impact on Science
• Next-gen Education
• Ethics, Welfare, Policies, and Regulations
• Human-centered Biomedical Research
• 21^st Century Predictive Toxicology
• Regulatory Acceptance and Global Harmonization

The deadline for session proposals has been extended to Friday, June 10. Proposals will be accepted for sessions in symposium, workshop, or dynamic panel/debate formats; suggestions of other formats will be considered as appropriate. Meeting organizers strongly encourage that proposals be designed to facilitate participation across multiple disciplines and sectors. Detailed information about proposal submissions is available on the WC12 website.

An upcoming NC3Rs webinar will showcase ongoing and novel initiatives that replace, reduce, and refine fish acute toxicity studies. It will be presented on Tuesday, June 28, at 8:00-11:00 a.m. EDT.

The webinar will feature presentations on novel approaches to support replacement of the use of late life stage animals, and a retrospective data analysis project to identify potential reductions in regulatory fish testing. Presenters include:

• • Natalie Burden, NC3Rs
  • Stephan Fischer, aQuaTox-Solutions
  • Melanie Fischer, Eawag
  • Adam Lillicrap, Norwegian Institute for Water Research
  • Michael Lowit, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

This webinar will be relevant for all academic, regulatory and industry scientists interested in applying the 3Rs in fish acute toxicity testing. There will be a panel discussion at the end of the webinar, with an opportunity for audience members to ask questions. The webinar presentations will be recorded and made available if you are unable to attend live.

The electrophilic allergen screening assay (EASA) has emerged as a promising in chemico method to detect the first key event in the adverse outcome pathway for skin sensitization. A new article in Toxics describes the redesign of EASA into a 96-well plate format that incorporates in-process control measurements to quantify key sources of variability each time the assay is run. ICCVAM members Elijah Petersen (National Institute of Standards and Technology) and John Gordon (U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission) are coauthors of the article, as are NICEATM scientists Judy Strickland and Jim Truax (Inotiv, contractor supporting NICEATM).

Petersen EJ, Uhl R, Toman B, Elliott JT, Strickland J, Truax J, Gordon J. Development of a 96-well electrophilic allergen screening assay for skin sensitization using a measurement science approach. Toxics. 2022; 10(5):257. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10050257.

The deadline for registering to present oral public statements for the ICCVAM Public Forum is Friday, May 20. Interested persons may present oral public statements with associated slides on topics relevant to ICCVAM’s mission. Requests to present oral statements during the meeting will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis as time permits.

Representatives from eight ICCVAM member agencies will describe activities to advance new approaches to safety testing of chemicals and medical products, and to reduce the amount of testing required. Speakers will also provide summaries on NICEATM and ICCVAM activities.

A draft agenda for the May 26-27 ICCVAM Public Forum is available on the webinar information page. Registration is required to view the public forum and will be open through the end of the meeting on May 27.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will present a workshop on “Artificial Intelligence and Open Data Practices in Chemical Hazard Assessment.” This two-day workshop will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, May 25 and 26. It is one of two workshops being convened on topics pertinent to the assessment of human health effects by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Registration is required.

Practical application of systematic review methods to the peer-reviewed literature and other data sources for chemical hazard identification is labor-intensive and costly. Advances in artificial intelligence hold promise to ease those constraints through semi-automation of systematic review workflows. Through presentations, discussions, poster sessions, and software tool demonstrations, workshop participants will consider the following questions:

• What are the key practical hurdles for applying systematic review methods, especially with respect to data extraction, and what computational tools have been applied to address them?
• What strengths and limitations have been identified through application of artificial intelligence (AI) solutions in systematic review?
• What are the key opportunities for furthering application of AI in chemical hazard assessment?

This workshop will feature live panel discussions on various tools used to automate and streamline data extraction and evidence synthesis for systematic reviews. Nicole Kleinstreuer, Acting NICEATM Director, will be presenting in a session on “AI and Data Science Applications: Promises and Prospects.”

Two recent papers describe potential applications of IVIVE, which can help to establish a relationship between concentrations of substances that induce in vitro responses and in vivo exposure levels that could result in human or animal adverse effects.

• A collaboration among three federal offices and Stemina Biomarker Discovery Inc. demonstrated the utility of a Stemina human stem cell-based assay to quantitatively assess a chemical's developmental toxicity potency.
  Chang et al. 2022. Quantitative in vitro to in vivo extrapolation for developmental toxicity potency of valproic acid analogues. Birth Defects Res. https://doi.org/10.1002/bdr2.2019.

• A comprehensive review paper with authors from eight ICCVAM member agencies and the European Union proposes operational definitions for IVIVE, presents literature examples for several common toxicity endpoints, and highlights their implications in decision-making processes across various federal agencies and international organizations. Current challenges and future needs in applying IVIVE are also summarized.
  Chang et al. 2022. IVIVE: facilitating the use of in vitro toxicity data in risk assessment and decision making. Toxics. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics10050232

A draft agenda is available for the May 26-27 ICCVAM Public Forum. Representatives from eight ICCVAM member agencies will describe activities both to advance new approaches to safety testing of chemicals and medical products and to reduce the amount of testing required. Speakers will also provide summaries on NICEATM and ICCVAM activities.

Registration is required to view the public forum and will be open through the end of the meeting on May 27. Interested persons may also register to present oral public statements with associated slides on topics relevant to ICCVAM's mission. Requests to present oral statements during the meeting will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis as time permits. The deadline for registering to present oral public statements is Friday, May 20.

As part of its New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) Use for Regulatory Applications event series, PCRM will present a series of interactive seminars, “DyNAMic Discussions: The Future is Already Here.” This series will explore the barriers to transition to a NAMs-based approach to chemical safety assessment and, through examination of case studies, consider what can be done to accelerate this transition. Programs and agendas for the seminar series are available online.

The first event of the DyNAMic Discussions series will be Friday, May 20, 10:00-11:00 a.m. EDT, on the topic of “NAM-centered paradigms for regulatory decision-making: Leaving the animal tests behind.” Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer will discuss “Acute applications of data-driven evaluations,” and EPA scientist Katie Paul-Friedman will consider “Integration of new approach methodologies for prospective selection of chemicals for additional study.” Each presentation is scheduled to last about 20 minutes, with the remaining 20 minutes reserved for Q&A and audience discussion.

A special webinar presented by ASCCT and ESTIV will explore the intersection of science and policy while raising money to support humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. “Science for Policy, Policy for Science” will be presented on Wednesday, May 25, 10:00-11:00 a.m. The $10 registration fee will support the relief efforts of the Czech Republic-based organization People in Need.

In this webinar, speakers Kristie Sullivan (PCRM), Francois Busquet (Altertox), and Nataliia Bubalo (National University of Food Technologies of Ukraine) will discuss the impact of science on policymakers and provides advice on how to bring science to policymakers’ attention. The webinar will be of interest to researchers and research organizations aiming to achieve policy impact in that it will highlight knowledge areas and identify processes in which to invest.

The 12^th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences (WC12) will be held August 27-31, 2023, in Niagara Falls, Canada. WC12 organizers are currently accepting session proposals aligned with the meeting themes:

• Refinement and Impact on Science
• Next-gen Education
• Ethics, Welfare, Policies, and Regulations
• Human-centered Biomedical Research
• 21^st Century Predictive Toxicology
• Regulatory Acceptance and Global Harmonization

Session proposals are due Friday, June 3. Proposals will be accepted for sessions in symposium, workshop, or dynamic panel/debate formats; suggestions of other formats will be considered as appropriate. Meeting organizers strongly encourage that proposals be designed to facilitate participation across multiple disciplines and sectors. Detailed information about proposal submissions is available on the WC12 website.

The 11^th Annual Meeting of ASCCT will be held October 19-21 in Research Triangle Park, NC. The theme of the meeting is “Shifting the Paradigm to Next-generation (Quantitative) Risk Assessment.” The meeting will feature the latest science in new approach methodologies and active discussions about the implementation of new science. Students and early career scientists are especially encouraged to attend and present. The meeting will offer awards for students and early-career scientists, mentoring opportunities, and a continuing education course.

Abstracts are being accepted through July 15 for poster and oral presentations. Abstracts describing science and policy work representing all aspects of in vitro and computational toxicology are welcome.

PETA Science Consortium International e.V., the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and the Alternatives Research and Development Foundation are offering grants for free recombinant antibodies for use in research and testing. Awardees will receive commercially available recombinant antibodies to test in applications that currently use animal-derived antibodies.

Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae and a proposal describing in detail the how the antibody will be used. Awardees will be expected to provide updates to grant sponsors on the progress of their work and publish their results. The offering has a rolling deadline, and grant amounts will vary based on details of the projects.

Defined approaches to testing that do not use animals are gaining broader acceptance for identification of potential skin sensitizers, but the methods that comprise them have mostly been tested using single chemicals rather than mixtures or formulations. NIEHS and Corteva Agrisciences collaborated to evaluate performance of a defined approach and three individual non-animal test methods to predicting skin sensitization hazard classifications of 27 agrochemical formulations. Results demonstrated that non-animal test methods have utility for evaluating the skin sensitization potential of agrochemical formulations as compared to animal reference data.

Strickland et al. 2022. Application of defined approaches for skin sensitization to agrochemical products. Front Toxicol. https://doi.org/10.3389/ftox.2022.852856.

Videos are now available from a recent training session on the Integrated Chemical Environment (ICE). The training was organized by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and the videos are available on their website.

Attendees at this two-day event learned directly from NICEATM developers how to use ICE tools for data and assay exploration. ICE is a free online suite that houses curated toxicity and physicochemical property data and a variety of tools to analyze and visualize chemical data. These tools provide access to data adhering to FAIR principles-—Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable—for analyses including in vitro to in vivo extrapolation and physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling.

EPA will hold a virtual training session on its ECOTOXicology Knowledgebase (ECOTOX) Tuesday, May 17 from 12:00-2:00 p.m. EDT. Registration is free but required. Please contact Jessica Daniel for more information.

ECOTOX is a publicly available tool providing single chemical environmental toxicity data on aquatic and terrestrial species. ECOTOX was developed to provide risk assessors and researchers with relevant toxicity data that have been identified and curated from peer-reviewed literature and government reports. New data are added every quarter and are available on a public-facing website.

The May 17 training is specifically targeted for decision-makers and will provide:

• An overview of the database content and function.
• Application-oriented use-case demonstrations.
• Opportunities for participatory learning and engagement.

The virtual training will feature ECOTOX Coordinator Jennifer Olker. The program includes an overview and demonstration of the tool and breakout sessions in which case studies will be reviewed.

The 2022 EMGS Bioinformatics Challenge is now accepting submissions. More information and links to past winners, as well as a video recording of the 2021 final round competition, can be found on the EMGS website. Abstracts in any one of the following four areas are sought:

• Novel computational approaches including machine learning and artificial intelligence on high-throughput, high-content, exposure-risk assessment, or clinical data classification.
• Genetic/genomic toxicological applications of model organism databases.
• Predictive modeling with genomic/mutation/epimutation datasets and/or toxicology databases.
• Geospatial analysis that incorporates high-dimensional toxicity, exposure, and/or human health data.

To enter, create one Twitter post with one figure, an abstract of 280 characters (40-70 words) and two hashtags – @EMGSUS and #EBIC22 – by August 31. The abstracts will be evaluated by three criteria:

• Communicates originality of the work.
• Clearly explains the data pipeline or computational procedure.
• Describes interpretation of the results.

Selected participants will receive a $100 monetary award and present their work in the final round competition that will be held as a virtual symposium in Fall 2022. The finalist teams will compete for a grand prize of $1000.

A May 24 webinar held 10:00-11:00 a.m. EDT will address “Do Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Cause Cancer in Humans?” The webinar is hosted by the SOT Carcinogenesis Specialty Section. In this webinar, Ella Atlas (Health Canada) and Andrea Winquist (U.S. Centers for Disease Control) will discuss recent findings using transcript profiling to uncover molecular targets of PFAS linked to carcinogenesis. They will also summarize carcinogenicity findings from rodent studies and examine the epidemiological evidence linking exposure to PFAS and cancer in humans.

• A recent paper in Frontiers in Toxicology describes a collaborative exercise to evaluate how application of standardized phenotype terminology improves data consistency. The exercise suggested that utilizing a common data standard not only reduces the heterogeneity of reported terms but increases agreement and repeatability among different laboratories. ICCVAM member Stephanie Padilla (EPA) is a coauthor on the paper, and NICEATM scientist Jon Hamm (Inotiv, contractor supporting NICEATM) is senior author.
  Thessen et al. 2022. Implementation of zebrafish ontologies for toxicology screening. Front Toxicol. https://doi.org/10.3389/ftox.2022.817999
• A new paper coauthored by Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer examines how parameterization of in vitro to in vivo extrapolation models affects the outputs of those models for predicting thyroid bioactivity. The paper also proposes a range of potentially thyroid-relevant doses that incorporate uncertainty in modeling choices and in vitro assay data.
  Carlson et al. 2022. Impact of high-throughput model parameterization and data uncertainty on thyroid-based toxicological estimates for pesticide chemicals. Environ Sci Tehcnol. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c07143

NICEATM scientist Shagun Krishna will discuss “Computational Cardiotoxicity: Building an AI-assisted Pipeline” at a webinar on Thursday, May 12 at 10:00-11:00 a.m. EDT. The webinar is the last in a series presented by the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute featuring early-career scientists who have conducted compelling research related to cardiovascular safety and risk assessment.

Krishna’s research involves development of a pipeline for cardiovascular risk assessment of pharmaceutical and environmental chemicals. She has led a project to interpret Tox21/ToxCast high-throughput screening assay data, map the assay targets to biological pathways that represent key failure modes in cardiovascular disease, and use the observed patterns of bioactivity to screen and rank chemicals for potential cardiotoxicity. Her research applies cheminformatics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning in a variety of ways, including building structure–activity relationship models and developing evidence maps of the literature supporting environmental contributions to cardiovascular effects.

ASCCT and ESTIV will present a webinar on “Advancing In Vitro Models for Genotoxicity and Carcinogenicity.” The webinar will be held on Monday, May 16 from 11:00 a.m.–12:00 noon EDT.

The webinar featured speakers will be Anouck Thienpont, Vrije Universiteit Brussels, and Silvia Scaglione, React4life. Their research topics are as follows:

• Anouck Thienpont will describe “A novel prediction model to evaluate genotoxicity based on biomarker genes in human HepaRG™ cells.” Thienpont is a Ph.D. student in the Laboratory of In Vitro Toxicology and Dermato-Cosmetology. His research has focused on the GENOMARK biomarker, covering different modes of action in metabolically competent human HepaRG cells.
• Silvia Scaglione will discuss “A novel fluidic microphysiological system for 3D cancer tissue culture towards a better understanding of human cancer progression.” Scaglione’s research focuses on better understanding human cancer disease and the preclinical assessment of novel drug therapies. In particular, she and her team have generated a functional and relevant human cancer model through the adoption of a multi-in vitro organ device, a drug-screening platform, for pharmacological treatments and for cell-based therapies and basic research purposes.

A December 9, 2021, workshop considered the potential utility and expectations for the future use of NAMs in risk assessment and to reflect on the challenges to their implementation. Proceedings of the workshop are now available.

During the workshop, experts from academia, industry, government, and other organizations discussed current scientific knowledge with regard to traditional toxicity studies and NAMs. The workshop addressed three critical questions:

• How are traditional toxicity studies used in informing chemical safety decisions?
• What do we know about the variability and concordance of traditional mammalian toxicity studies?
• What are the needs and expectations of different stakeholders?

The workshop was convened by an ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine exploring the topic of “Variability and Relevance of Current Laboratory Mammalian Toxicity Tests and Expectations for New Approach Methods for use in Human Health Risk Assessment.” The panel’s goal is to set data-driven and science-based expectations for NAMs based on the variability and relevance of the traditional toxicity testing models. Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer and ICCVAM Member Elijah Petersen (NIST) are serving on the committee. The panel’s next public workshop will be held on May 12.

A new paper in Frontiers in Pharmacology describes applications of tools provided in the NTP Integrated Chemical Environment for pharmacokinetic modeling and in vitro to in vivo extrapolation. The paper highlights recent improvements to these tools and discusses their potential to facilitate broader application and acceptance of these techniques.

Hines et al. 2022. Application of an accessible interface for pharmacokinetic modeling and in vitro to in vivo extrapolation. Front Pharmacol. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.864742

ICCVAM will hold a virtual public forum Thursday, May 26, and Friday, May 27, from 10:00 a.m. until about 4:00 p.m. EDT both days. Information and links to register to attend and to present oral public statements are available on the meeting webpage.

This event is held annually to share information and facilitate direct communication of ideas and suggestions from stakeholders. NICEATM, ICCVAM, and ICCVAM agencies will describe activities both to advance new approaches to safety testing of chemicals and medical products and to reduce the amount of testing required.

Registration is required to view the public forum and will be open through the end of the meeting on May 27. Interested persons may also register to present oral public statements with associated slides on topics relevant to ICCVAM's mission. Requests to present oral statements during the meeting will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis as time permits. The deadline for registering to present oral public statements is Friday, May 20.

The MPS World Summit 2022 will be held at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside and virtually from May 30-June 3. Late-breaking abstracts for poster presentations are due Saturday, April 30. Abstracts should describe new developments and applications of microphysiological systems (MPS). Information about the summit and abstract submission is available on the meeting website.

Summit attendees will present the latest scientific achievements in the area of MPS and discuss advances and challenges. This is the latest in a series of events convened to facilitate stakeholder communication, enable networking among young scientists and MPS thought leaders, promote international standardization and harmonization of MPS, and serve as a global training environment. These events will also lay the groundwork for establishing an international MPS society. The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (part of the National Institutes of Health, an ICCVAM member agency) is a major sponsor of the summit.

The European Society for Toxicology In Vitro is sponsoring a best poster award and best oral presentation award (500 EUR each), to be awarded to Ph.D. students or early career scientists presenting their research in the field of in vitro toxicology as first author during the MPS World Summit. An application is required to be considered for the awards and must be submitted by April 30.

The summit will include an education and training workshop to be held Tuesday, May 31, from 9:00-11:45 a.m. Central Time. Workshop participants will attend up to four presentations and demonstrations from leaders in the MPS field. Participants will have a unique opportunity to interact directly with international speakers and to receive a hands-on training on some of the most cutting-edge MPS technologies. Attendance is free but separate registration is required.

A May 11 webinar will address “Data-Driven Solutions to Reducing Animal Use in Ecotoxicity.”

In this webinar, two EPA scientists discuss computational tools and analyses that EPA is using to reduce animal use for ecotoxicity testing. Carlie LaLone, EPA Office of Research and Development, will describe how the SeqAPASS tool, which uses existing protein sequence data for cross-species extrapolation, can be applied to understanding conservation of biology and predicting chemical susceptibility. Michael Lowit, EPA Office of Pesticide Programs, will discuss an ongoing retrospective analysis of fish acute toxicity test data, which will inform whether there is a basis for reducing the number of species while providing sufficient information to support pesticide registration decisions.

The webinar is the latest in a series on use of new approach methodologies in risk assessment co-organized by the PETA Science Consortium International, EPA, and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Information and links to materials from past webinars are available on the PETA Science Consortium International website.

The Animal-free Safety Assessment Collaboration has created an education and training program that covers the entire risk assessment process for cosmetics and ingredients without the use of new animal data, from initial problem formulation through to the hazard or risk assessment.

An ongoing webinar series will provide an overview of select modules within the training program to exemplify what is covered by the module in its entirety. Webinars will be presented by members of the module development team.

• Consumer Exposure – Thursday, April 14.
• Predictive Chemistry: In Silico Tools and Read-across – Tuesday, April 26.
• Dosimetry: Internal Exposure and IVIVE – Thursday, May 5.
• Global Regulatory Landscape – Tuesday, May 10.

The SOT Dermal Toxicology Specialty Section will present a webinar, “International Advances in Alternatives and a Next Generation Risk Assessment Case Study for Skin Allergy,” on Tuesday, April 19, at 12 noon EDT.

This webinar will feature Georgia Reynolds from Unilever and Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer discussing next-generation risk assessment approaches for skin sensitization. A hypothetical skin allergy risk assessment case study of two consumer product exposures will demonstrate how the Unilever Skin Allergy Risk Assessment computational model can be used to calculate a risk metric for a consumer-relevant exposure.

NIEHS will present a two-day workshop on “Modernizing Neurotoxicology at NIEHS: Technologies to Applications in Environmental Health Sciences.” The workshop will be held Tuesday, April 19, from 10:00 a.m.-3:45 p.m. EDT and Wednesday, April 20, from 10:00 a.m.-3:15 p.m. EDT. The workshop is free but preregistration is required.

The workshop is being hosted by the NIEHS Faculty for Advancing Neuroscience Cross-divisional Group. The workshop’s goal is to bring together a diverse group of scientists to:

• Review the latest research applications of several cutting-edge tools in neurotoxicology and lessons learned.
• Identify the most pressing research questions in environmental health that would benefit from use of these new methods.
• Develop a strategy to encourage adoption of these new technologies.

In the April 19 afternoon session covering “In Vitro Approaches in Developmental Neurotoxicity Research,” NICEATM scientist Helena Hogberg will describe “A human iPSC-derived 3D brain sphere model to assess developmental neurotoxicity.”

The International Neurotoxicology Association will present a webinar on “Development of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) that Fill Biological Gaps in the Current In Vitro Developmental Neurotoxicity (DNT) Test Battery.” The webinar will be held on May 19 from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 pm EDT. A full agenda is available for download.

The webinar will be hosted by Chairpersons Lena Smirnova and Melissa Martin. Speakers and their research topics are as follows:

• Melissa Martin, EPA: “Novel approaches using the multi-electrode array to measure local field potentials and network formation.” Martin is a postdoctoral researcher in the EPA Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE). Her research has focused on developmental nicotine exposure and its effects on the brain and behavior.
• Lena Smirnova, Johns Hopkins University: “Multiplexed Developmental Neurotoxicity Test in Human Brain Organoids.” Smirnova is a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Center of Alternatives to Animal Testing, where she is leading the Education Program and Program on Microphysiological Systems and Systems Toxicology. Her research focus is on development of new approach methodologies for developmental neurotoxicity testing and understanding gene environmental interactions in autism.
• Ellen Fritsche, Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine: “Expansion of the current OECD-EFSA developmental neurotoxicity (DNT)-in vitro battery.” Fritsche’s work focuses on the establishment of alternative in vitro methods for neurotoxicity mode-of-action analyses and screening with a focus on DNT.
• Megan Culbreth, EPA: “High-throughput phenotypic profiling (HTPP) of chemical-induced changes in human neural progenitor cell morphology for developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) hazard assessment.” Culbreth is a postdoctoral researcher in the EPA CCTE. Her research focuses on the Establishment of alternative in vitro methods for neurotoxicity mode-of-action analyses and screening with a focus on DNT.
• Jonathan Blum, University of Konstanz: “Use of signaling endpoints to identify neurofunctional disturbances by neonicotinoid pesticides and their metabolites.” Blum is a PhD candidate at the in vitro toxicology and biomedicine chair at the University of Konstanz. He is involved in the implementation of DNT NAMs into screening batteries and in regulatory contexts.
• Tal Sharf, Neuroscience Research Institute, University of California Santa Barbara: “Intrinsic network activity in human brain organoids.” Sharf is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California Santa Barbara Neuroscience Research Institute. He has been utilizing interdisciplinary approaches to better understand processes governing human brain function in the context of neurodevelopmental disorders and disease.

Nominations are being accepted through June 17 for the 2022 Lush Prize, which recognizes advancement toward animal-free testing. The Lush Prize is the largest prize fund in the non-animal testing sector, with a prize fund total of £250,000. Nominations for the prize are accepted in the six categories of Lobbying, Public Awareness, Science, Training, and Young Researcher. Alternatively, the entire £250,000 may be awarded as a Black Box Prize, to recognize a key breakthrough in human toxicity pathways likely to lead to practical non-animal tests that could be accepted by regulators.

Eligibility guidelines are available on the Lush Prize website. Candidates and projects from anywhere in the world are eligible. Requirements of the recipients include attending an awards ceremony and preparing an explanation of the winning project for the ceremony and the Lush Prize website.

EURL ECVAM has issued its 2021 “Status Report on the Development, Validation and Regulatory Acceptance of Alternative Methods and Approaches.” An April 7 news article announced availability of the report.

The report describes research, development, and validation activities, as well as initiatives that promote the regulatory and international adoption and use of alternative approaches and their dissemination. Activities described in the report include:

• Development of NAMs to identify chemicals with potential endocrine activity.
• Exploration of approaches to replace, reduce, or refine animal use for batch testing of vaccines.
• Evaluation of methods to identify potential genotoxins and sensitizers.

EURL ECVAM, which is part of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, coordinates research and validation studies on alternatives to animal testing within the European Union. EURL ECVAM also shares knowledge about and promotes use of alternative methods.

On March 24, NICEATM released version 3.6 of the Integrated Chemical Environment (ICE). ICE provides data and tools to help develop, assess, and interpret chemical safety tests. This release adds new features to ICE tools, improves usability of ICE data, and adds new reference Chemical Quick Lists.

Tool improvements in ICE version 3.6 include:

• Ability to limit Chemical Quest searches to chemicals in user-defined lists.
• New viewing options in Curve Surfer.
• New filtering options in Curve Surfer and Chemical Quest Results views.
• Updated view for uploading custom in vivo and in vitro data in the IVIVE tool.

Additions or improvements to data include:

• Quality control annotations for curated high-throughput screening HTS data.
• References for acute oral toxicity data.
• New endpoints for skin sensitization data.
• Addition and harmonization of endocrine data.
• Downloadable flat files for all data sets available on the Data Sets page.
• New reference Chemical Quick Lists for Cancer and Non-Cancer Assessment.

On March 26, EPA released version 2.1.0 of the High-throughput Toxicokinetics tool (httk). This R software package enables estimation of chemical concentrations in various parts of the human body from a given exposure. The latest update of httk includes:

• Pregnancy models allowing simulations for both mother and fetus (based on Kapraun et al. 2019, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0215906).
• Structure-based quantitative structure–activity relationship models for repeat dose toxicity (Pradeep et al. 2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comtox.2020.100139) and pharmacokinetic parameter prediction (Dawson et al. 2021, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c06117).

More information about EPA’s high-throughput exposure and dose research activities is available on their website.

At the recent SOT annual meeting, NICEATM scientist Shagun Krishna received two scholarship awards from the Yves Alarie Scholarship Fund and from the Dharm V. Singh Association of Scientists of Indian Origin Student Award Fund. Krishna’s poster, “Applying IVIVE to determine margins of exposure for potentially cardiotoxic chemicals,” was also a finalist for the Best Trainee Abstract award given by the Biological Modeling Specialty Section.

The Johns Hopkins University Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing is accepting preproposals for the Alan and Helene Goldberg In Vitro Toxicology Grant. This award of up to $40,000 U.S. will fund a project aimed at significantly reducing or replacing use of laboratory animals for a toxicity testing application. Examples of acceptable projects could include providing mechanistic context of in vitro responses to toxicants in human cells, development of adverse outcome pathways, or conducting systematic reviews. Consideration should be given to the translation of the new method to evaluate or predict health outcomes.

To apply, submit a preproposal summarizing the proposed work, including descriptions of the project’s goal and the experimental design and methods to be used. Preproposals are due by April 15. Authors of accepted preproposals will be invited to submit full grant applications later in 2022.

Applications are still being accepted to attend the second Summer School on Innovative Approaches in Science, which will be held June 7-10 at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center in Research Triangle Park, NC. Applications will continue to be accepted while spaces remain. Attendance is free. Travel awards are available. Applications for travel awards are due April 15.

The Summer School is a four-day educational and training program for undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral and other trainees, as well as early-career professionals. The program offers separate tracks for toxicology and biomedical science, each featuring specific applications of current innovative non-animal methods. Attendees will benefit from career development workshops, poster presentations, laboratory tours and demonstrations, networking opportunities, and scientific talks from experts.

EURL ECVAM is seeing members for the EURL ECVAM Scientific Advisory Committee (ESAC). Interested individuals should apply by May 1.

The main tasks of ESAC are to:

• Assess the scientific validity of alternative methods/approaches intended for a given purpose.
• Advise on other scientific matters related to the work of EURL ECVAM and the protection of animals used for scientific purposes.
• Share its knowledge and experience on alternative methods/approaches used in science.

ESAC is made up of nine experts that serve for terms of five years that can be renewed. Plenary meetings of the committee are typically held once or twice per year; sub-groups focused on a particular topic may meet more often.

The Computational Toxicology Specialty Section of the Society of Toxicology will present a webinar on “The Predictive Toxicogenomics Space (PTGS) Modeling Tool Captures Diverse Cellular and Organ Toxicity Mechanisms and Serves for In Vitro Model-Driven Prediction of Drug-Induced Liver Injury.” The webinar will be held April 27 from 11:00 a.m.-noon EDT.

Speakers Roland Grafstrom and Pekka Kohonen of the Karolinska Institutet will describe an artificial intelligence-derived 14-gene component-based predictive toxicogenomics space tool that generates toxicity estimates based on omics data providing broad coverage of toxicity reactions and mechanisms. The tool enables application of in vitro data to assess tissue injury in multiple organs of experimental animals subjected to repeated-dose toxicity bioassays, including the accurate prediction of human drug-induced liver injury.

In an awards ceremony on Wednesday, March 30, ICCVAM member Suzanne Fitzpatrick (FDA) was presented with the inaugural Outstanding Contribution to Regulatory Safety Evaluation Award by the SOT Regulatory and Safety Evaluation Specialty Section. This award recognizes an individual who has made significant contributions in the areas of regulatory and safety evaluation.

Fitzpatrick is the Senior Advisor for Toxicology at the FDA Foods Program. She is co-chair of an international work group on advancing new predictive toxicology test methods for food safety and also chairs the FDA’s Alternative Methods Work Group, which is currently focusing on in vitro microphysiological systems. A longtime ICCVAM member, Fitzpatrick is the principal FDA representative to ICCVAM and to the Tox 21 partnership.

Two 2021 publications with NICEATM coauthors were recognized in awards ceremonies on Tuesday, March 29 organized by the respective specialty sections.

• Clippinger et al. 2021. Human-relevant approaches to assess eye corrosion/irritation potential of agrochemical formulations. Cutan Ocul Toxicol 40(2):145-167. https://doi.org/10.1080/15569527.2021.1910291
  Winner, Best Paper, In Vitro and Alternative Methods Specialty Section.
• Mansouri et al. 2021. CATMoS: Collaborative Acute Toxicity Modeling Suite. Environ Health Perspect. 2021 Apr;129(4):47013. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8495.
  Honorable Mention, Best Paper, Biological Modeling Specialty Section

A new paper in Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology describes development of a framework for a risk assessment-based weight of evidence determination of the need for rodent cancer bioassays for safety assessment. The reporting framework was developed to support a chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity study waiver rationale for agrochemicals but could also be applied to endpoints other than chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity, and for chemicals other than agrochemicals. Coauthors on the paper include ICCVAM member Warren Casey, NIEHS, and ICCVAM co-chair Anna Lowit, EPA.

Hilton et al. 2022. Rethinking chronic toxicity and carcinogenicity assessment for agrochemicals project (ReCAAP): A reporting framework to support a weight of evidence safety assessment without long-term rodent bioassays. Regu Toxicol Pharmacol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2022.105160.

ASCCT and ESTIV are hosting a webinar on Thursday, April 14 from 11:00 a.m. to noon EDT, “Development and Evaluation of NAMs for New Endpoints: Developmental Neurotoxicity and Respiratory Sensitization.”

• Sabina Burla, Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology, will describe “A 3D alveolar in vitro model for the prediction of chemical respiratory sensitizers and irritants.” Physiologically relevant test systems for the respiratory tract are essential to anticipate the sensitizing potential of chemicals. Burla will describe a study was to evaluate the performance of a 3D alveolar-capillary barrier, which was shown to have the potential to distinguish respiratory sensitizers from irritants. In addition, prohaptens tested in the system were correctly identified as respiratory sensitizers; such chemicals reported as false negatives by other NAMs for respiratory sensitization evaluation.
• Kelly Carstens, EPA, will discuss “Evaluation of in vitro new approach methodologies for developmental neurotoxicity.” Carstens will summarize a study that used a supervised machine learning approach to identify the most informative endpoints in classifying a reference chemical for developmental neurotoxicity (DNT). The five most important features included three cytotoxicity endpoints, network formation, and neurite outgrowth endpoints. This work highlights current obstacles in DNT NAM data interpretation, including a limited set of reference negatives and the question of whether cytotoxicity should be considered off-target or is relevant to deriving key DNT-related points-of-departure.

An online training session April 18-19 will feature demonstrations by NICEATM scientists on new features of the Integrated Chemical Environment (ICE). Registration is free but is required to attend. The session is being presented by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

ICE is a free online suite that houses curated toxicity and physicochemical property data and a variety of tools to analyze and visualize chemical data. These tools provide access to data adhering to FAIR principles-—Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable—for analyses including in vitro to in vivo extrapolation and physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling. Attendees at this two-day event will learn directly from NICEATM developers how to use ICE tools and have questions answered in a Q&A session.

The European Union Joint Research Centre (JRC) has issued “Adverse Outcome Pathway Framework – Study Report.” The report describes a JRC study conducted to learn more about the uptake of the Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) Framework in settings where decisions are made and policy formed about chemical safety and toxicity. The study focused on stakeholders in industry and in regulatory agencies, working in regulatory toxicology, risk assessment or risk management. Stakeholders were asked questions to determine the extent of the uptake of the framework, what facilitated it, or what may be challenging it.

The Animal Welfare Information Center (AWIC) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Library is reorganizing and modernizing its webpages to improve user experience and streamline information discovery. AWIC’s webpages that discuss topics such as the Animal Welfare Act and Housing, Care, and Welfare of Animals have been updated with new content and design. Updates of other pages, including those on Animal Use Alternatives and AWIC Workshops & Trainings will be published throughout 2022.

AWIC provides a variety of resources for exploring alternatives to animal use for research, teaching, and testing, including assistance with literature searching for alternatives to animal use and workshops on meeting the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act. The next virtual workshop (free) is scheduled for May 11.

Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., will receive the 2022 Winslow Medal from the Yale School of Public Health. The award will be presented at an online event on Monday, April 11, at 12 noon-1:30 p.m. EDT. At the event, Birnbaum will discuss “Environmental Health: Past, Present, and Future.”

Birnbaum is the former Director of NIEHS and NTP. During her tenure, she was a strong supporter of NICEATM and ICCVAM. Prior to her appointment as NIEHS and NTP Director in 2009, she spent 19 years at EPA, where she directed the division focusing on environmental health research. She has received numerous awards from professional societies and citizen's groups, and is an active member of the scientific community as both an organizational leader and an author.

The Winslow Medal, the highest honor awarded by the Yale School of Public Health, is given in honor of Charles-Edward Amory Winslow, the founder of the school and a pioneer of modern public health in the United States. It is awarded to an individual who has had a distinguished career in public health, as exemplified by outstanding achievement in public health leadership, scholarship, and contribution to society.

• The National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences is seeking candidates for a postdoctoral position focusing on applying genomic tools to toxicology and pharmacology. Activities will include development of novel human cellular 3-D and co-culture models to study cardiovascular disease, as well as neurological and renal diseases.
• The University of California, Berkeley, is seeking candidates for a postdoctoral position who have backgrounds in biomolecular modeling and chemical informatics with an interest in chemical toxicology, data management, and analysis. The focus of this position will be to develop one or more integrated databases for large sets of biomolecular computational data and experimental or literature sources of chemical toxicology data.

Slides and video from the January 25 ICCVAM Communities of Practice Webinar on “New Approach Methodologies to Assess (Developmental) Neurotoxicity” are now available. In this webinar, two speakers from U.S. federal research and regulatory agencies described key issues and ongoing activities in alternatives to animal testing to predict chemical effects on the developing and adult nervous system.

Please mark your calendar for Thursday and Friday, May 26-27, when ICCVAM will present its annual Public Forum. At this virtual event, representatives of ICCVAM member agencies will describe activities to advance new approaches to safety testing of chemicals and medical products and to reduce the amount of testing required. Registration and other information will be posted on the event webpage when available.

ASCCT and ESTIV are hosting a webinar, March 17 from 9-10:30 a.m. EDT, “Maturing Three-dimensional Toxicology Models of the Barrier Organs: Examples from Lung and Skin.”

• Patricia Zoio, NOVA University of Lisbon, will present “Full-thickness skin-on-a-chip model for in vitro drug testing and disease modelling.” Zoio will describe use of a reconstructed human skin model as a tool for drug discovery, disease modeling, and basic research. This innovative low-cost skin-on-a-chip model with integrated electrodes could provide a new in vitro tissue system compatible with long-term studies of skin diseases for evaluating the safety and efficacy of novel drugs.
• Sabrina Madiedo-Podvršan, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, will present “Developing and investigating a new in vitro hepato-pulmonary co-culture model for the toxicological study of inhaled xenobiotics.” This presentation will describe two kinds of lung/liver models: a developmental model that allows for the technical setup of the co-culture platform, and a physiological-like model that better approximates a human in vivo situation. These models hold promise for a new physiologically relevant way of studying inhalation toxicology.
• Samuel Constant, Epithelix, will discuss “3D Human airway epithelial models to study SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and to discover antivirals.” Since the first step of SARS-CoV-2 infection is taking place in airway epithelial cells, it is logical to use a 3D airway epithelial model as a drug testing platform. This presentation will highlight how Epithelix reconstituted human airway epithelial models can be used to characterize viral infection kinetics, tissue-level tropism, and transcriptional immune signatures induced by SARS-CoV-2.

A webpage is now available summarizing activities of NICEATM and ICCVAM at the March 27-31 SOT annual meeting. Please refer to this page as you plan your SOT itinerary.

NICEATM and ICCVAM will have a strong presence at SOT. NICEATM scientists are coauthors on 14 posters and three platform presentations. ICCVAM members are coauthors on an additional 19 posters and six talks. Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer will speak at a continuing education course on “Conceptual Models in Immunotoxicology: Leveraging Biological Knowledge, Alternative Approaches, and Computational Strategies for the Future of Risk Assessment.” NICEATM scientist Helena Hogberg will speak at a continuing education course on “Next-Level Neurotoxicology: New Technologies to Advance Visualization of Spatial Molecular Alterations and Behavioral Phenotyping.”

The week before SOT, NICEATM scientist Bethany Cook (Inotiv, contractor supporting NICEATM) will present a poster at the American Chemical Society (ACS) spring meeting. The poster describes recent updates to the NTP Integrated Chemical Environment, which provides data and tools to help with development and evaluation of new testing approaches. The ACS spring meeting will be March 20-24.

An upcoming webinar will focus on “Building Trust in the Scientific Evidence Base Supporting Chemical Risk Assessment and the Role of the AOP Framework.” The webinar will be Wednesday, March 16, from 8:00-9:30 a.m. EDT. It is organized by OECD and the Joint Research Centre (JRC) of the European Commission.

The webinar will focus on the report, “Addressing Evidence Needs in Chemicals Policy and Regulation,” published last month by the JRC. This report summarizes the key insights from a study on stakeholder perceptions of the main challenges facing chemicals regulation and of alternative approaches to conducting toxicological studies. The webinar will be an opportunity to hear the main findings of the report and a set of actionable recommendations, including how knowledge management systems can be designed in a user-centric fashion to address current challenges, with the AOP Framework being a prominent example.

EPA is launching an effort to bring innovative science to the review of new chemicals before they enter the marketplace. A virtual workshop on this effort, the New Chemicals Collaborative Research Program, will be held April 20-21 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. EDT each day.

This multi-year research program will refine existing approaches and develop and implement new approach methodologies to ensure the best available science is for new chemical evaluations conducted under the Toxic Substances Control Act. Workshop attendees will hear an overview of the program and have an opportunity to provide input during topic-focused breakout sessions and a general public comment period.

Three organizations are offering travel awards to the Summer School on Innovative Approaches in Science. Applicants for all awards must be enrolled in the Summer School; note that all awards are limited to attendees enrolled in a specific track.

• The PETA Science Consortium International e.V. is offering up to $1,100 U.S. to offset airfare and hotel expenses for a graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, or early-career scientist participating in the Summer School’s toxicology track. The award recipient must attend all four days of the Summer School. Apply by April 1.
• The American Society for Cellular and Computational Toxicology is offering a $1,000 U.S. award to support attendance of a graduate student or postdoctoral trainee participating in the Summer School’s toxicology track. Applicants must be conducting or display a strong interest in human-relevant science that does not envision future use of animals. Apply by April 15.
• The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine is offering a $1,000 U.S. award to support attendance of a student or early-career researcher participating in the Summer School’s biomedical science track. Applicants must be conducting or display a strong interest in human-relevant science that does not envision future use of animals. Apply by April 15.

The Summer School will be held June 7-10 at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center in Research Triangle Park, NC. The program will highlight modern alternatives to the use of animals, including in vitro and computational modeling, in toxicology and biomedical sciences. The Summer School is being organized by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine; NIEHS scientist Warren Casey is on the steering committee.

The Brazilian Centre for Validation of Alternative Methods (BraCVAM) has launched a new website. The website is currently only available in Portuguese but there are plans to launch an English-language version.

BraCVAM is an office within the Brazilian government’s Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, which coordinates health research for the Brazilian Ministry of Education and Public Health. BraCVAM functions as the focal point within Brazil to identify or receive requests for test method validation and implements appropriate validation studies with the National Network of Alternative Methods to the Use of Animals within the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology, Innovations, and Communications. For more information about BraCVAM, email [email protected].

A session titled “Cross-Species Extrapolation: Opportunities in a 21st-Century Regulatory Nonanimal Testing World” is planned for Tuesday, March 29 during the upcoming SOT annual meeting. Four invited speakers will share their views on the changing regulatory context that provides opportunities for cross-species extrapolation to inform a nonanimal testing paradigm for assessing human and environmental health. The session will be held as a roundtable to encourage discussion between researchers and regulators.

The session is being organized by the SOT Sustainable Chemistry through Contemporary Toxicology Specialty Section, the In Vitro and Alternative Methods Specialty Section, and the Women in Toxicology Special Interest Group. The session organizers invite interested SOT members to provide their opinions on the opportunities and challenges of using cross-species extrapolation and bioinformatics to support regulatory decision-making. Please respond by March 1.

The Evidence Based Toxicology Consortium will present a webinar on “Ontologies for Toxicology” on Wednesday, March 16, at 10:00 a.m. EDT.

Application of ontologies to toxicology and environmental health holds the promise to help improve research standards, make data sharing easier, make research more findable, and contribute to automating systematic review. However, people often find it difficult to grasp what ontologies are, what they do, and how to use them. In this webinar, three experts in this field will introduce ontologies and answer questions about their use.

Relevant reference: Whaley et al. 2020. Knowledge organization systems for systematic chemical assessments. Environ Health Perspect. https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/EHP6994.

A new paper in Environmental Health Perspectives describes STopTox, a comprehensive collection of computational models that can predict the toxicity hazard of small organic molecules. STopTox was developed through a collaboration among NICEATM, the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, Duke University, and the Federal University of Goias in Brazil. Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer and NICEATM scientists Judy Strickland and David Allen (Inotiv, contractor supporting NICEATM) coauthored the paper.

Borba et al. 2022. STopTox: an in silico alternative to animal testing for acute systemic and topical toxicity. Environ Health Perspect. https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/10.1289/EHP9341.

A workshop on “Increasing Confidence in New Approach Methodologies for Regulatory Decision-making” will be held next Wednesday and Thursday, February 23-24, from 8:00 a.m.-noon EST each day. The workshop is free and open to the public.

The workshop aims to raise awareness of currently available NAMs and explore how regulatory application and acceptance of these tools can be accelerated by overcoming the most significant barriers to their implementation. Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer will discuss “Validation and standardization of latest NAMs.” The workshop will be of interest to academic, regulatory, and industry scientists engaged in the development and application of NAMs.

The workshop is being presented by NC3Rs in collaboration with the British Toxicology Society and the UK Health and Safety Executive’s Chemicals Regulation Division.

The third and final webinar in a series on “Current Concepts in Quantitative Risk Assessment for Skin Sensitization” will be presented Wednesday, March 9, from 9:00-10:30 a.m. EST. If you registered for the previous webinars in the series, you do not need to register for subsequent webinars.

The webinar topic is “Opportunities and New Approaches for Quantitative Risk Assessment.” Petra Kern, Procter & Gamble will discuss “Next-generation quantitative risk assessment for skin sensitizing cosmetics and fragrances,” and Marco Corvaro, Corteva Agriscience, and Susanne Kolle, BASF, will describe “Assessing skin sensitization potential and potency of pesticidal products with advanced NAMs.”

This webinar series has provided an overview of the current state of the science in the rapidly developing field of quantitative risk assessment of skin sensitizing chemicals. The webinars are intended as background for a planned workshop in 2022 on quantitative risk assessment of skin sensitizing pesticides but they are of interest to the broader scientific community as they are relying on the development of concepts and methods in other areas such as cosmetics, fragrances, and consumer products. The webinar series is organized by NICEATM, the Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology, and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.

ARDF awards grants to support research projects that develop alternative methods to advance science and replace or reduce animal use. ARDF is currently accepting applications for this year’s grants, with proposals due April 15.

The maximum grant is $40,000. While preference will be given to U.S. applications, proposals are welcome from any nonprofit educational or research institution worldwide. Expert reviews of each proposal will evaluate scientific merit and feasibility and the potential to reduce or replace the use of animals in the near future. Proposals in the fields of research, testing, or education will be considered. Projects may not use intact non-human vertebrate or invertebrate animals. Preference will be given to projects that use:

• In silico and in vitro methods with human cells or tissues.
• Pathway-based approaches as exemplified by the 2007 National Academy of Sciences report, Toxicity Testing in the Twenty-first Century: A Vision and A Strategy.

The National Cancer Institute is offering grants to support the development and characterization of state-of-the-art biomimetic tissue-engineered technologies for cancer research. Projects supported by this funding will become part of the Cancer Tissue Engineering Collaborative (TEC) Research Program. The goals of the Cancer TEC Program are to (1) catalyze the advancement of innovative, well-characterized in vitro and ex vivo systems available for cancer research, (2) expand the breadth of these systems to several cancer types, and (3) promote the exploration of cancer phenomena with biomimetic tissue-engineered systems.

Applications for funding will be accepted beginning on May 5, with applications due June 5 and quarterly thereafter through February 2025. Grants of up to $400,000 will be awarded to fund projects that can continue up to five years. Eligibility for these grants is open to for-profit and nonprofit institutions within and outside the United States.

The European Union Joint Research Centre has issued a report, “Addressing Evidence Needs in Chemicals Policy and Regulation.” The report provides insights into key stakeholder perceptions of the main challenges facing chemicals regulation. It also examines stakeholder views on alternative approaches to conducting toxicological studies and the role and value of the adverse outcome pathway framework. The report puts forward a set of actionable recommendations including how knowledge management systems can be designed in a user-centric fashion to address current challenges. The Joint Research Centre is planning a webinar in March to raise awareness of the report.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and NC3Rs are conducting a review of animal use requirements within WHO guidelines for biologics. As part of that effort, NC3Rs is surveying national regulatory authorities and national control laboratories about opportunities and barriers to adoption of replacement, reduction, and refinement alternatives and use of non-animal approaches in quality control, batch, and lot release testing of biologicals. Please respond by March 4.

Biologicals such as vaccines, cytokines, enzymes, and hormones are tested routinely after approval to ensure the safety and potency of products. Many of these tests currently require the use of animals, and a large number of animals are used for this purpose each year. The WHO/NC3Rs project, which is receiving support from NICEATM and FDA, is intended to support recommendations for where non-animal approaches can be adopted. The project is currently in an information-gathering phase, with a survey of biologicals manufacturers having been conducted in 2021. Data collected will be anonymized and published in a peer-reviewed journal or as a report on the NC3Rs website, and/or presented at scientific meetings or webinars.

ASCCT and the European Society for Toxicology In Vitro are co-hosting a webinar, “Serum-free Cultures: Why and How?” It will be presented Thursday, February 24, from 9:30-10:30 a.m. EST.

Eliminating fetal bovine serum from cell culture media overcomes the ethical and legal challenges associated with its use and bolsters the reproducibility of in vitro research. Increasingly, scientists are focusing on replacing fetal bovine serum as a supplement in cell culture media with animal-free components. This webinar will explore development of animal-component-free culture conditions for two in vitro test systems.

• Barbara Jozef of EAWAG: the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology will describe efforts to develop a serum-free formulation capable of supporting cell proliferation of the rainbow trout gill cell line, RTgill-W1, which is the platform for the first internationally accepted in vitro assay to predict chemically induced acute fish toxicity.
• Aline Chary of the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology will present a case study in which commercially-available media without fetal bovine serum has been used to culture A549, an immortalized human epithelial alveolar-like cell line commonly used in respiratory research.

Abstracts are being accepted for the 2022 International Congress of Toxicology (ICT 2022), which will be held in Maastricht, Netherlands from September 18-21. Deadline for early reviewing is March 1, and the final abstract submission deadline is March 31. Submitted abstracts will be considered for poster presentations or short oral communications. Abstract submitters may apply for awards and travel fellowships. More information is available on the meeting website under menu items “Awards” and “Travel Fellowships.”

Registration for ICT 2022 is now open; the deadline to be eligible for the early bird fee is May 15. The detailed program and registration information are available on the meeting website.

Abstracts are being accepted for presentations at the MPS World Summit 2022, to be held at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside from May 30-June 3. Abstracts should describe new developments and applications of MPS. Top scored abstracts will be selected for an oral presentation at one of 14 scientific sessions. Information about abstract submissions is available on the meeting website. The abstract deadline has been extended to February 14.

MPS comprise a number of bioengineering breakthroughs that reproduce organ architecture and function in vitro. Fueled by stem cell technologies, a broad variety of human models and test systems have emerged. A global conference on MPS was identified by opinion leaders in the field as a key step forward in the maturation and harmonization of the area. About 30 international companies and organizations, including NICEATM, have teamed up to initiate a series of annual MPS World Summits to present the latest scientific achievements, discuss advances and challenges, and enable communication between young and newly interested scientists and pioneers of the MPS field. These events will facilitate stakeholder communication, enable networking among young scientists and MPS thought leaders, promote international standardization and harmonization of MPS, and serve as a global training environment. They will also lay the groundwork for establishing an international MPS society.

A report recently published in ALTEX summarizes a workshop at which FDA and the pharmaceutical industry’s Innovation and Quality Microphysiological Systems (IQ MPS) Affiliate considered drug development applications of complex in vitro models (CIVMs) such as MPS. Participants were able to build a general consensus on the need for animal CIVMs for preclinical species to better determine species concordance. They also determined that use of CIVM technologies in drug development applications will require qualification which will vary depending on the specific context of use. ICCVAM members Paul Brown, Suzanne Fitzpatrick, and Donna Mendrick co-authored the report.

Baran et al. 2022. Perspectives on the evaluation and adoption of complex in vitro models in drug development: Workshop with the FDA and the pharmaceutical industry (IQ MPS Affiliate). ALTEX. https://doi.org/10.14573/altex.2112203.

A paper in the journal Biology describes development of a computational approach to predict whether a chemical would affect the human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) potassium channel. This function regulates heart rhythm and is often involved in drug-induced cardiotoxicity. Tox21 screening data were used to develop machine learning approaches that use statistical models to predict the probability of a new chemical to cause cardiotoxicity via this mechanism. Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer is senior author on the paper.

Krishna et al. 2022. High-throughput chemical screening and structure-based models to predict hERG inhibition. Biology. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology11020209.

Registration is still open for the ICCVAM Communities of Practice webinar “New Approach Methodologies to Assess (Developmental) Neurotoxicity.” The webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, January 25, at 10:00 a.m. EST. Registration for the webinar will remain open until the end of the webinar.

The nervous system has unique characteristics and can have different sensitivity to toxic substances compared to other organ systems. Effects of chemicals on the nervous system can be affected by concurrent exposures to other substances. During early life stages, exposure to neuroactive drugs and environmental toxins can interact and/or interfere with developmental processes of the brain, which can in turn result in structural and/or functional alterations. Traditional (developmental) neurotoxicity tests use mammals, but the high cost and low throughput of these tests make them impractical to use for all chemicals of potential concern. In addition, it is challenging to correlate the interpretation of animal data to complex human neurological effects. Therefore, interest is increasing in exploring human cell-based assays, computational systems, and other alternatives to traditional animal tests that can be used to predict chemical effects on the developing and adult nervous system.

New approach methodologies (NAMs) are any non-animal technology or approach, or combination of these, that can be used to provide information on chemical hazard and risk assessment. This webinar will discuss NAMs that are being considered or developed for assessing potential effects of chemicals on the nervous system. Key insights and ongoing activities will be described in two presentations featuring speakers from U.S. federal research and regulatory agencies.

The SOT Computational Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Specialty Sections will present the second of a two-part webinar series, “Integrating computational tools into carcinogenicity assessments,” on February 15, 2022 from 10:00-11:00 a.m. EST.

This webinar will cover computational tools and predictive models for assessing carcinogenicity and discussion of opportunities to improve on current methods used in safety evaluation of drugs and potentially hazardous chemicals. Emilio Benfenati, Istituto Mario Negri, Italy, will discuss use of read-across software to predict toxicity of botanicals, and Raymond Tice, RTice Consulting, will review current status and future needs for in silico models to predict carcinogenicity. The topics explored will be of interest to trainees including undergraduate and graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and those who are interested in expanding their knowledge base of carcinogenesis or computational toxicology. Slides and recordings of past webinars are available on the Carcinogenicity Specialty Section webpage.

Two scientists with ties to NICEATM and ICCVAM have been named as 2022 award recipients by the Society of Toxicology.

Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D., DABT, ATS, will receive the 2022 SOT Merit Award, which recognizes an SOT member who has made distinguished contributions to toxicology throughout an entire career in areas such as research, teaching, regulatory activities, consulting, and service to the Society. Birnbaum is Scientist Emeritus at NIEHS, a role she assumed in 2019 after a ten-year tenure as NIEHS Director. While serving as NIEHS Director, Birnbaum was a strong supporter of NICEATM and ICCVAM. An advocate for advances in toxicology and risk assessment throughout her career, she played a key role in the 2013 reinvention of ICCVAM that set the stage for ICCVAM’s notable accomplishments and increased productivity in recent years.

Amy Clippinger, Ph.D., will receive the 2022 SOT Enhancement of Animal Welfare Award, which recognizes an SOT member for contributions made to the advancement of toxicological science through the development and application of 3Rs methods. Clippinger is President of PETA Science Consortium International e.V. In that role, she frequently collaborates with NICEATM and ICCVAM agency scientists to advance alternatives to animal testing. Her publications in the past year include descriptions of alternatives to animal use for pyrogen testing, eye irritation and corrosion, and inhalation toxicity, with coauthors from ICCVAM agencies including NIEHS, EPA, CPSC, and NIST. Clippinger is currently a member of SACATM, ICCVAM’s advisory committee.

Birnbaum and Clippinger will receive their awards on March 27 at a ceremony at the SOT Annual Meeting in San Diego.

The SOT In Vitro and Alternative Methods Specialty Section will present a webinar, “Inhalation Toxicity: In Vitro to Human Risk Assessment” on Thursday, January 27, at 11:00 a.m. EST. This webinar will cover inhalation toxicity from in vitro testing to use of these data in human health risk assessment. The session will include two sets of speakers, followed by a joint discussion. The first speaker, Shawn McCullough of EPA, will focus on in vitro inhalation models and parallel findings from human studies. The second set of speakers, Iris Muller and Maria Baltazar of Unilever, will discuss application of in vitro data for use in human health risk assessment for consumer products.

Apply by February 18 to attend the Summer School on Innovative Approaches in Science, to be held June 7-10 at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center in Research Triangle Park, NC. The program will highlight modern alternatives to the use of animals, including in vitro and computational modeling, in toxicology and biomedical sciences. The Summer School is being organized by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine; NIEHS scientist Warren Casey is on the steering committee.

NC3Rs is inviting sponsors to submit proposals for CRACK IT Challenges. CRACK IT funds collaborations between industry, academics, and subject matter experts to deliver 3Rs benefits, either by improving business processes or developing a commercial product. Proposals for the current round of CRACK IT Challenges are due February 28. 

CRACK IT sponsors define the Challenges and work with the NC3Rs to set out the business case and 3Rs benefits. Sponsors are required to provide in-kind contributions and/or funding to help solve the Challenges. Sponsors may choose to fund a single-phase challenge, which focuses on the validation of new technologies, prototypes and methods that are closer to market, or a two-phase challenge, which may include research, development and validation of new technologies, prototypes, and methods.

A report is available from the December 2020 Toxicology Forum workshop on “Assessing Chemical Carcinogenicity: Hazard Identification, Classification, and Risk Assessment.” At this workshop, challenges related to assessing chemical carcinogenicity were organized under the topics of (1) problem formulation; (2) modes-of-action; (3) dose-response assessment; and (4) the use of new approach methodologies (NAMs). Participants acknowledged the scientific limitations of the traditional rodent chronic bioassay, but also identified knowledge gaps that need to be overcome to facilitate the further development and uptake of NAMs. Key among these was development of adverse outcome pathway networks that could guide development of integrated approaches to testing and assessment. NIEHS scientist Warren Casey coauthored the report.

Felter et al. 2022. Assessing chemical carcinogenicity: hazard identification, classification, and risk assessment. Insight from a Toxicology Forum state-of-the-science workshop. Crit Rev Toxicol. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408444.2021.2003295.

ASCCT and ESTIV are co-hosting a webinar, “Advances in Genotoxicity: Reconstructed Skin Comet and Micronucleus Assays.” It will be presented Friday, January 21, from 10:00-11:30 a.m. EST.

The in vitro genotoxicity test battery has a high sensitivity for prediction of in vivo genotoxic/carcinogenic agents but tends to overpredict the genotoxicity hazard, resulting in misleading positive results. To address this, the Cosmetics Europe Genotoxicity Task Force has established two in vitro skin genotoxicity models as follow-up assays to the in vitro test battery for substances with dermal exposure: the reconstructed skin comet assay and the reconstructed skin micronucleus test.

In this webinar, Stefan Pfuhler, Procter & Gamble, and Kerstin Reisinger, Henkel AG & Co., report on the completed validation of these assays. Both assays exhibited good sensitivity and specificity. A combination of these assays enables detection of DNA damage leading to all three types of genotoxic damage (mutation, clastogenicity, and aneugenicity). The high predictivity for the expected in vivo outcome observed for these higher tier in vitro assays supports their use as follow-up tests to the standard test battery. This tiered strategy shows great promise as an in vitro-only approach for genotoxicity testing of dermally exposed substances, and both assays were recently accepted into the OECD test guideline development program.

Abstracts are being accepted for presentations at the MPS World Summit 2022, to be held at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside from May 30-June 3. Abstracts should describe new MPS developments and applications. Top scored abstracts will be selected for an oral presentation at one of 14 scientific sessions. Abstracts must be submitted by January 31.

MPS comprise a number of bioengineering breakthroughs that reproduce organ architecture and function in vitro. Fueled by stem cell technologies, a broad variety of human models and test systems have emerged. A global conference on MPS was identified by opinion leaders in the field as a key step forward in the maturation and harmonization of the area. About 30 international companies and organizations, including NICEATM, have teamed up to initiate a series of annual MPS World Summits to present the latest scientific achievements, discuss advances and challenges, and enable communication between young and newly interested scientists and pioneers of the MPS field. These events will facilitate stakeholder communication, enable networking among young scientists and MPS thought leaders, promote international standardization and harmonization of MPS, and serve as a global training environment. They will also lay the groundwork for establishing an international MPS society.

Registration is open for the ICCVAM Communities of Practice webinar “New Approach Methodologies to Assess (Developmental) Neurotoxicity.” The webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, January 25, at 10:00 a.m. EST.

The nervous system has unique characteristics and can have different sensitivity to toxic substances compared to other organ systems. Effects of chemicals on the nervous system can be affected by concurrent exposures to other substances. During early life stages, exposure to neuroactive drugs and environmental toxins can interact and/or interfere with developmental processes of the brain, which can in turn result in structural and/or functional alterations. Traditional (developmental) neurotoxicity tests use mammals, but the high cost and low throughput of these tests make them impractical to use for all chemicals of potential concern. In addition, it is challenging to correlate the interpretation of animal data to complex human neurological effects. Therefore, interest is increasing in exploring human cell-based assays, computational systems, and other alternatives to traditional animal tests that can be used to predict chemical effects on the developing and adult nervous system.

This webinar will discuss NAMs that are being considered or developed for assessing potential effects of chemicals on the nervous system. Key insights and ongoing activities will be described in two presentations featuring speakers from U.S. federal research and regulatory agencies.

In a December 21 Federal Register notice, NICEATM requested available data and information on approaches and/or technologies currently used to predict the efficacy of ectoparasiticides without using animals. Responses should be submitted by Friday, January 28.

NICEATM supports efforts to develop, validate, and implement alternatives to animal use for testing of chemicals and medical products. These include approaches used to evaluate the efficacy of ectoparasiticides on dogs and cats, such as products to prevent flea and tick infestations. Currently, the standard tests for this endpoint use animals that can experience significant discomfort and distress during the study.

Respondents to this data request should provide information on any activities relevant to the development or validation of alternatives to in vivo test methods currently used by federal agencies for regulatory and other decision contexts. Submitted information will be used to assess the state of the science and determine technical needs for non-animal test methods used to evaluate the efficacy of ectoparasiticides on dogs and cats and to facilitate their incorporation into a testing strategy for regulatory purposes.

Manufacturers, regulators, and others involved in quality control and batch release testing of biological products in Europe are invited to a workshop on “Implementing the 3Rs in WHO Guidelines: Understanding the Impact on Quality Control and Batch Release Testing of Biologicals in Europe.” The workshop will be held Wednesday, March 2, 5:00-10:30 a.m. EST (10:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. GMT).

NC3Rs is working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to review animal testing requirements within their guidelines for the quality control and batch release testing of biologicals. The aim of this project is to identify opportunities for the wider integration of 3Rs approaches and recommend these for implementation by the WHO through the Expert Committee on Biological Standardization. The upcoming event is one of a series of regional workshops to better understand the potential impact of these changes on manufacturers and regulators globally. The output from these workshops will inform the recommendations made to the WHO. Other workshops are being planned to cover North/Central America, Latin/South America, Africa, and Asia/Oceania.

The International Foundation for Ethical Research (IFER) is accepting applications for graduate fellowships. These one-year grants of $12,500 support projects by master’s and Ph.D. students in the sciences. Eligible projects will address development, acceptance, and implementation of innovative human-relevant methods that advance science and refine, reduce, or replace the use of animals in research, testing, or education. Special consideration will be given to proposals that are likely to replace the use of animals in research. Grants are renewable for up to three years, depending on student progress and availability of funds. Applicants must be beginning or beyond their second year of graduate school as of September 2022. Applications are due Saturday, April 30.

Videos from the September 2021 SACATM meeting are now available. Minutes from the meeting will be posted to this page following review and approval by the committee.

SACATM is a federally chartered external advisory group of scientists from the public and private sectors that advises ICCVAM, NICEATM, and the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and NTP regarding statutorily mandated duties of ICCVAM and activities of NICEATM. The September 2021 meeting’s agenda included detailed discussion of two topics of current interest to ICCVAM: reducing or replacing animal use for ecotoxicity testing and new approaches to validation of new testing methods.

The next SACATM meeting is scheduled for September 21-22. Information about the meeting will be posted on the NTP website when it is available.

On December 6, Helena Hogberg joined NICEATM as an NIEHS staff scientist. Hogberg will conduct research drawing on her broad expertise in applying in vitro methods to assess developmental neurotoxicity (DNT) potential of chemicals.

Hogberg received her Ph.D. in toxicology from Stockholm University and performed her doctoral research at EURL ECVAM in Ispra, Italy. She developed new in vitro approaches to detect chemicals with DNT potential, focusing on gene expression and electrical activity recordings. During a postdoctoral fellowship at CAAT, Hogberg explored the application of a broader set of in vitro models to DNT, including organotypic models, induced pluripotent stem cells, and transcriptomics and metabolomics approaches. After completing her fellowship, she was appointed as a research associate and later deputy director of CAAT. In these roles Hogberg administered a variety of CAAT programs and research activities and continued her own research on DNT.

Hogberg currently serves on the OECD DNT expert group; EPA Scientific Advisory Panel for the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act; the EPA expert group on NAMs for DNT assessment; and the Scientific Advisory Board for the European Commission-funded Horizon 2020 grant, “Novel Testing Strategies for Endocrine Disruptors in the Context of Developmental NeuroToxicity (ENDpoiNTs).”

A new publication updates guidance on Good Cell and Tissue Culture Practice previously issued in 2005 and known as GCCP 1.0. The update, GCCP 2.0, was required to reflect advances in complexity in cell models and address a resulting need for more comprehensive quality management to ensure reproducibility and quality derived scientific data. GCCP 2.0 describes six main principles to consider when performing cell culture: characterization and maintenance of essential characteristics, quality management, documentation and reporting, safety, education and training, and ethics.

The effort to develop GCCP 2.0 followed the 2018 publication of the OECD guidance document on Good In Vitro Methods Practices. The final GCCP 2.0 document reflects hundreds of recommendations from participants in a CAAT-coordinated Scientific Advisory Committee that had over 50 members. NICEATM scientists Helena Hogberg (NIEHS) and David Allen (ILS, contractor supporting NICEATM) are co-authors on the GCCP 2.0 document.

Pamies et al. 2021. Guidance document on Good Cell and Tissue Culture Practice 2.0 (GCCP 2.0) [published online ahead of print]. ALTEX. https://doi.org/10.14573/altex.2111011.

A new paper in ALTEX details findings of a survey of U.S. federal agencies conducted by the ICCVAM Nanomaterials Workgroup (NanoWG). Established in 2020, the NanoWG characterized U.S. agency requirements and needs for the testing of engineered nanomaterials in order to avoid the use of animals while fulfilling those requirements. In addition to presenting the workgroup’s survey findings, the paper discusses the role of dosimetry and interference/bias controls in supporting the ability of NAMs to provide robust results in nanomaterials testing.

Petersen et al. 2021. U.S. federal agency interests and key considerations for new approach methodologies for nanomaterials [published online ahead of print]. ALTEX. https://doi.org/10.14573/altex.2105041.

ASCCT and ESTIV will hold a webinar Thursday, December 16 at 10:00 a.m. EST. The webinar will feature presentations on development and application of in vitro data that won awards at the two societies’ 2021 annual meetings.

• Agnes Karmaus, Integrated Laboratory Systems LLC (contractor supporting NICEATM), will discuss “Gaining Context for High-Throughput In Vitro Data: Annotation Approaches and Visualization Tools.” Karmaus will describe a mapping approach for high-throughput screening assay endpoints that provides a robust assay grouping schema in a toxicological endpoint-based framework. This curation and annotation is available in the NTP Integrated Chemical Environment (ICE). Karmaus’ presentation won the inaugural Applied In Vitro Toxicology award at the 2021 ASCCT annual meeting.
• Saskia Galanjuk, Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine, will describe “The Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell (hiPS) Test as an Alternative Method for Developmental Toxicity Testing.” The hiPS test is a non-animal in vitro test to evaluate the embryotoxic potential of substances. In the test, human stem cells develop into cardiomyocytes that can be evaluated using functional assays and quantitative PCR to assess chemical effects. Galanjuk’s presentation won the ESTIV best poster award at the EUROTOX 2021 congress.

A workgroup co-organized by NICEATM and NC3Rs is coordinating activities among investigators to apply MPS to investigations of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. Workgroup members met with representatives of the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 3 to discuss research needs relevant to the biology and treatment of Omicron and the potential for MPS to provide human-relevant platforms for rapidly addressing those needs. A spreadsheet detailing relevant research capabilities is available on the WHO website.

The MPS for COVID Research working group was established by NICEATM and NC3Rs to coordinate the use of MPS to reduce animal use in studies of COVID-19 and future emerging infectious diseases. Workgroup members include researchers, MPS model developers, therapeutic/vaccine manufacturers, and international regulators; new members are welcome.

An upcoming workshop will focus on “Current and Future Regulatory Needs for Chemical Risk Assessment.” The goal of the workshop, to be held Monday, January 31, 2022, from 7:00-11:00 a.m. EST (1:00-5:00 p.m. Central European Time), is to obtain stakeholder input on regulatory needs for risk assessment of chemicals with the potential to cause chronic systemic human health effects.

The workshop is sponsored by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 Union project, “Risk Assessment of Chemicals Integrating Human Centric Next Generation Testing Strategies Promoting the 3Rs” (RISK-HUNT3R). The goal of RISK-HUNT3R is to develop integrated approaches to next-generation risk assessment tailored for a variety of industry sectors and relevant regulations. Strategies will focus on chronic systemic human health effects and use innovative mechanism-based, human-relevant in silico and in vitro NAMs. ICCVAM member Stephen Ferguson, NIEHS, serves on the RISK-HUNT3R Scientific & Regulatory Advisory Board.

EPA has released an update of its New Approach Methodologies Work Plan. The update of the EPA workplan addresses recommendations made by the ICCVAM Metrics Workgroup in its report, “Measuring U.S. Federal Agency Progress Toward Implementation of Alternative Methods in Toxicity Testing.” In its updated work plan, EPA commits to reporting summary metrics on reducing vertebrate animal testing and use annually on its website beginning in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Reducing the use of vertebrate animals for toxicity testing is a priority for EPA. As such, the Agency is working on development and application of NAMs. NAMs are defined as any technology, methodology, approach, or combination that can provide information on chemical hazard and risk assessment to avoid the use of animal testing. In this document, which updates a work plan released in June 2020, EPA describes its updated roadmap and identifies tangible steps to achieving a reduction in the use of vertebrate animals for toxicity testing and related research while ensuring the Agency’s activities fully protect human health and the environment.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is presenting a series of webinars to support new trainers in designing educational programs in chemical risk assessment and to share experience between new and more experienced trainers. Topics for the three webinars include identifying and characterizing the audience for training; identifying content and developing learning activities; and choosing a format and assessment methods for the training. The webinar series began November 30 and will continue through March 2022.

The European Union (EU) has brought three ongoing projects to advance alternatives together under the “Animal-free Safety Assessment of Chemicals: Project Cluster for Implementation of Novel Strategies” (ASPIS) collaboration. ASPIS, established in November, will coordinate efforts among the ONTOX, PrecisionTOX, and RISK-HUNT3R projects to advance sustainable, animal-free, and reliable chemical risk assessment. Updates on ASPIS activities will be presented at a workshop to be held November 24-25, 2022, during the 21^st International Congress of the European Society for Toxicology In Vitro (ESTIV 2022) in Barcelona, Spain.

The Center for Alternatives for Animal Testing (CAAT) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health will present a virtual symposium, “Alternative Approaches in Developmental Neurotoxicity,” on Tuesday, November 30, from 10:00 a.m.- 1:00 p.m. EST. Symposium presenters will discuss the status of new approach methodologies for developmental neurotoxicity. The symposium will also honor Helena Hogberg as she departs CAAT to join NICEATM at NIEHS.

CAAT sponsors the Next Generation Humane Science Award to acknowledge and encourage early-career researchers who focus on replacing animal experiments. The 2021 award will provide a prize of up to $5,000 recognizing the work of one scientist, or it may be shared among two or more scientists. Factors considered in the evaluation of applications include the potential of the work to replace animal experiments and be used in a regulatory context. Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents working at U.S.-based institutions and have received Ph.D. or equivalent degrees no earlier than 2012. Applications are due December 3.

The second webinar in a series on “Current Concepts in Quantitative Risk Assessment for Skin Sensitization” will be presented Wednesday, December 8, from 9:00-10:30 a.m. EST. Nicole Kleinstreuer of NICEATM and Denise Bloch of the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment will speak on “Methods for Hazard and Exposure Assessment.” If you registered for the first webinar in the series, you do not need to register for subsequent webinars.

This webinar series will provide an overview of the current state of the science in the rapidly developing field of quantitative risk assessment of skin sensitizing chemicals. The webinars are intended as background for a planned workshop in 2022 on quantitative risk assessment of skin sensitizing pesticides but they are of interest to the broader scientific community as they are relying on the development of concepts and methods in other areas such as cosmetics, fragrances, and consumer products. The webinar series is organized by NICEATM, the Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology, and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs.

A workshop on “New Approach Methods (NAMs) for Human Health Risk Assessment” will be held Thursday, December 9, from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. The workshop is being convened by an ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer and Elijah Petersen of the National Institute of Standards and Technology are among the members of the National Academies committee, which is conducting a consensus study on “Variability and Relevance of Current Laboratory Mammalian Toxicity Tests and Expectations for NAMs for use in Human Health Risk Assessment.” Kleinstreuer and Petersen are both members of ICCVAM. The goal of this study is to set data-driven and science-based expectations for NAMs based on the variability and relevance of the traditional toxicity testing models.

The NIH Applicant Assistance Program provides free support for companies that are planning to apply for a Phase I NIH SBIR or SSTR award. NIEHS participates in the Applicant Assistance Program and provides funding for development of improved methods for toxicity testing or computational approaches for predictive toxicology. Applications for the program must be submitted by December 10. A Q&A webinar for applicants will be presented on Monday, December 6, at 2:00 EST; a link to register is available on the Applicant Assistance Program information page.

Registration is open for this year’s Lush Prize conference, to be held Wednesday, November 24 and Thursday, November 25, from 8:00-11:00 a.m. (1:00-4:00 p.m. UK time) each day. The theme of this year’s conference is “The Role of Public Awareness in the Replacement of Animals in Safety Testing.”

The Lush Prize is a global prize fund to support initiatives to end or replace animal testing. With £250,000 awarded each cycle, it is the largest prize fund in the non-animal testing sector. Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer and NICEATM scientist Kamel Mansouri are both past recipients of the Lush Prize Young Investigator Award.

The European Coalition to End Animal Experiments is offering a €10,000 prize to support and recognize development and application of animal-free antibodies in biomedical laboratory procedures. The aim of this prize is to highlight the versatility and superiority of animal-free antibodies and encourage their acceptance and use for research and therapeutic purposes.

The application deadline for the prize is January 15, 2022. Only European researchers are eligible, and projects must not use any animal-derived materials. Projects can be ongoing or completed and should focus on the innovative development or application of animal-free antibodies for research or medical purposes. The prize winner will receive financial support to attend an event in Brussels in spring of 2022 to accept the prize and give a short presentation.

PCRM is organizing the Summer School on Innovative Approaches to Science, to be held June 7-10, 2022, at the North Carolina Biotechnology Center in Research Triangle Park, NC. The program will highlight modern alternatives to the use of animals, including in vitro and computational modeling, in toxicology and biomedical sciences. NIEHS scientist Warren Casey is on the Summer School’s steering committee.

Applications for the Summer School will be accepted beginning in December. A form to sign up to receive updates is available on the Summer School webpage.

A free training symposium on “New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for Medical Devices” will be presented December 2-3 from 10:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m. EST each day. The symposium is part of the series “NAM Use for Regulatory Application” presented by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Attendees at this event will learn about qualifying NAMs through the FDA Medical Devices Development Tools program, how to perform in silico chemical characterization, and how to use available in vitro methods for assessing irritancy, biocompatibility, pyrogenicity, and thrombogenicity. Discussion sessions will allow participants to present questions to panelists. Speakers include ICCVAM member Jennifer Goode of the FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

The SOT Carcinogenesis and Computational Toxicology Specialty Sections are co-hosting a webinar on “Integrating Computational Tools into Carcinogenicity Assessments.” It will be presented Tuesday, December 14, at 10:00-11:00 a.m. EST.

The webinar will explore computational tools and predictive models for assessing carcinogenicity. Speakers will also address opportunities to improve on current methods and increase their implementation in safety evaluations for drugs and potentially hazardous chemicals.

• Mark Cronin of Liverpool John Moores University will provide an overview of in silico methods to predict carcinogenicity, including read-across, structural alerts, and quantitative structure-activity relationships. His presentation will consider future applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence.
• Federica Madia of the European Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC) will discuss the EURL ECVAM curated database of genotoxicity and carcinogenicity results and the potential application of these data to regulatory science.

The SOT Biological Modeling Specialty Section is hosting a webinar on “Standardization of PBPK Modeling Practice.” It will be presented Friday, January 14, 2022, at 12:00 noon-1:00 p.m. EST.

The lack of a standardized template for PBPK model coding and analysis reporting has hindered the sharing, reusing, and reviewing of developed models and thus the acceptance of PBPK models as risk assessment tools by regulatory agencies. In this webinar, two EPA scientists will describe their recent efforts in this area and how standardization of model coding and reporting will facilitate acceptance of PBPK modeling in risk assessment.

• Cecelia Tan will present a harmonized reporting template that can be adopted and customized by public health agencies receiving PBPK model submission. The template can also serve as general guidance for submitting PBPK-related studies for publication in journals or other modeling sharing purposes.
• Paul Schlosser will present a PBPK model coding template in the freely available R language by using a case study on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The template is designed to make the review process more efficient and less error-prone.

Recordings and materials are now available from the “Nix the Six” virtual training series presented in September and October by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. The five webinars in this series focused on available methods and strategies for avoiding or reducing animal tests when assessing chemicals and pesticides for six acute endpoints commonly referred to as the “6-pack.” Speakers included NICEATM scientist Kamel Mansouri (Session 1, “Oral and Dermal Toxicity”), ICCVAM member Joanna Matheson, CPSC (Session 3, “Skin and Eye Irritation”), and Acting NICEATM Director Kleinstreuer (Session 5, “Opportunities and Outlook”).

Two recent publications highlight activities by the World Health Organization (WHO) to advance alternatives to animal testing.

• WHO has issued a “Framework for the Use of Systematic Review in Chemical Risk Assessment.” Systematic review is a method for identifying, selecting, appraising, and synthesizing available evidence to answer a research question in a way that maximizes transparency and minimizes bias and error. In the context of chemical risk assessment, it has the potential to reduce animal use and improve decision-making. NIEHS scientists Andy Rooney and Brandy Beverly contributed to the WHO report.
• A new paper in Biologicals describes a WHO collaboration with the United Kingdom NC3Rs to review animal-based testing methods described in WHO manuals, guidelines and recommendations for biologicals. The goal is to identify where updates can lead to a more harmonized adoption of replacement, reduction, and refinement of animal use in batch release testing requirements.
  Lilley et al. 2021. Integrating 3Rs approaches in WHO guidelines for the batch release testing of biologicals. Biologicals. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biologicals.2021.10.002.

A new paper in Frontiers in Toxicology provides the first Canadian regulatory update on how Health Canada is advancing the incorporation of alternative, non-animal strategies for the evaluation of pest control products and industrial chemicals. Health Canada participates with ICCVAM and other international partners in the International Cooperation on Alternative Test Methods.

Bhuller et al. 2021. Canadian regulatory perspective on next generation risk assessments for pest control products and industrial chemicals. Front Toxicology 3:748406. https://doi.org/10.3389/ftox.2021.748406.

An online workshop on “Robust, Predictive Alternative Methods for Assessing Biocompatibility of Dental Materials” will be held Wednesday, November 10 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. EST. The focus of this workshop is NAMs that could be used to predict the biocompatibility of dental materials.

The workshop will bring together key stakeholders from academia, NIH, NIST, and FDA. Participants will discuss major challenges in the biocompatibility assessment of new dental restorative materials during early stages of product development, explore potential solutions to overcome limitations in predictive preclinical testing, and establish opportunities for collaboration in this domain. The agenda includes presentations from five ICCVAM members: Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer, John Elliott (NIST), Elijah Petersen (NIST), John Gordon (CPSC), and Simona Bancos (FDA Center for Devices and Radiological Health).

The workshop is being organized by NIST and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. For more information, contact Elijah Petersen at [email protected].

Adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) are a conceptual framework for describing causal linkages between perturbations of biological systems and resulting adverse effects to human health or the environment. The Society for Advancement of Adverse Outcome Pathways (SAAOP) is sponsoring an AOP Community of Practice Symposium in February 2022. Participants in this virtual event can attend any or all of the three half-day sessions. Sessions will provide an opportunity to learn more about AOPs and their applications, as well as how to develop novel AOPs or to contribute to existing AOPs.

SAAOP invites submission of abstracts relevant to development, reviewing, or use of AOPs. Selected abstracts will be presented in three one-hour sessions during the workshop. Submit abstracts by December 3.

ASCCT and the European Society for Toxicology in Vitro are co-hosting a webinar, “How to Control and to Maintain the Quality of Cell Cultures.” It will be presented Tuesday, November 30, from 10:00-11:00 a.m. EST.

An increasing number of animal tests can now be replaced by cell-based assays. The various validated methods provide good predictivity and high precision, but the reliability of the assays very much depends on the quality of cell culture. As cells are living organisms, many factors can affect the proper function of cells and have an impact on the outcome of an assay. In this webinar, Oliver Wehmeier of acCELLerate GmbH will discuss preventing microbial contamination, the importance of regular mycoplasma testing, and the problem of cross-contamination among cell lines. Also, variances caused by the cells and the cultivation process will be addressed, and guidance for a Good Cell Culture Practice as the essential basis for running reliable and precise cell-based assays will be introduced.

The kinetically derived maximum dose (KMD) refers to the dose at which a departure from dose proportionality or linear pharmacokinetics (PK) is observed. A September 2020 symposium organized by NICEATM, the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs, and the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute reviewed the application of the KMD in toxicity testing. Symposium presentations summarized commonly raised technical and scientific issues related to the use of KMD as an approach to select doses in toxicology testing studies or to interpret dose-response study results.

Two publications developed following the symposium are now available in Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology:

• Lowe et al. 2021. Incorporating human exposure information in a weight of evidence approach to inform design of repeated dose animal studies. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2021.105073.
• Tan et al. 2021. Opportunities and challenges related to saturation of toxicokinetic processes: Implications for risk assessment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2021.105070.

A new paper describes a hypothetical skin allergy risk assessment of two consumer products, face cream containing 0.1% coumarin and deodorant containing 1% coumarin. The risk assessment demonstrates application of the computational Skin Allergy Risk Assessment (SARA) predictive model developed by the consumer products company Unilever. NICEATM is working with Unilever to test and further develop the SARA model.

Reynolds et al. 2021. A hypothetical skin sensitisation next generation risk assessment for coumarin in cosmetic products. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2021.105075.

On October 11, NICEATM released version 3.5 of the Integrated Chemical Environment (ICE). ICE provides data and tools to help develop, assess, and interpret chemical safety tests. This release adds expanded capabilities and new data to the existing ICE resources.

ICE version 3.5 includes the following expanded capabilities:

• New result selection options in the Chemical Quest and Curve Surfer tools.
• Application of Saagar fingerprints (described in Sedykh et al. 2021: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.0c00464) to Chemical Quest searches.
• Ability to display AC50 plots in Search results.

In addition, updated data have been added for acute oral toxicity, cancer, and skin sensitization, and modeling tools are using updated absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion data.

The Johns Hopkins University Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) and the Animal Protection Commissioner of Berlin invite early career scientists to apply for a two-day online workshop on new approach methodologies (NAMs) in biomedical research. The program will include presentations and interactive sessions with established scientists from academia, industry, government, and non-government organizations. Topics to be discussed will include publishing research using NAMs, finding funding for NAMs research, and training opportunities in NAMs.

The workshop is free but attendees must preregister by November 7. Registrants have the option to submit abstracts describing their research involving NAMs; up to ten early career scientists will be selected to present at the workshop.

In an October 18 Federal Register notice, EPA called for nominations for technical experts to serve on its Board of Scientific Counselors, a federal advisory committee to the Office of Research and Development. Nominations are due by November 12.

The board consists of non-EPA scientists, engineers, and economists who are experts in their respective fields. EPA will consider nominees from industry, business, public and private research institutes or organizations, academia, government (federal, state, local, and tribal) and non-government organizations, and other relevant interest areas. Nominees are sought with expertise in a variety of fields, including environmental modeling, exposure science and assessment, information and data science, NAMs, physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling, risk assessment, and toxicology.

The ASCCT annual meeting was held virtually from October 12-14. NICEATM scientists and ILS contractors supporting NICEATM presented four oral presentations and nine posters. A list of NICEATM activities at ASCCT is available on the NTP website; posters presented will be available for download from this page soon.

At the meeting, Agnes Karmaus, ILS (contractor supporting NICEATM) was recognized as the inaugural winner of the Applied In Vitro Toxicology (AIVT) award for her ASCCT presentation describing annotation and visualization of high-throughput assay data used in ICE. The AIVT award, given by the journal Applied In Vitro Toxicology, recognizes an early-career scientist whose work has made a lasting impact on the implementation of NAMs.

A new article in ALTEX describes opportunities to use MPS, also known as organs-on-chips, to study brain cell infection by SARS-CoV-2 and its relevance to COVID-19 effects on the human brain. The article, co-authored by Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer, explores the potential of MPS to address pathogenesis of neurological signs, their long-term consequences, and possible interventions.

Kang et al. 2021. COVID-19 – prime time for microphysiological systems, as illustrated for the brain. ALTEX. https://doi.org/10.14573/altex.2110131.

Articles in the October EURL ECVAM newsletter highlight applications of non-animal and computational approaches to understanding COVID-19; availability of new models for immuno-oncology and neurodegenerative disease research; and new methods for identifying skin sensitizers. The newsletter also includes links to recent publications, job opportunities, and upcoming events.

The September issue of Applied In Vitro Toxicology focuses on integrated strategy approaches in toxicology. Integrated strategy approaches provide a means by which information on chemical toxicity from several sources can be combined to provide a prediction of human risk as good or better than that provided by an animal test. Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer is a co-author of the introduction to the special issue, which provides an overview of integrated strategy approaches and the applications discussed in the issue articles.

Eskes et al. 2021. Usefulness and applicability of integrated strategy approaches in toxicology. Appl In Vitro Toxicol. https://doi.org/10.1089/aivt.2021.0021.

The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has published advice to stakeholders on how to advance the use of non-animal test methods for identification of skin sensitizers. The advice focuses on application of OECD Guideline 497, “Defined Approaches for Skin Sensitization,” issued in June. An October 13 press release describes the ECHA advice and the potential impact of Guideline 497.

NICEATM is hosting a webinar series on “Current Concepts in Quantitative Risk Assessment for Skin Sensitization” in collaboration with the Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs. Video from the first webinar in the series, “Introduction to Skin Sensitization and Contact Dermatitis,” is now available on the NTP website. Visit this page to register for the upcoming webinars in the series on December 8, 2021, and March 9, 2022.

A November 3 webinar will address “Application and Use of In Vitro and Ex Vivo Eye Irritation Test Methods.” The webinar is the latest in a series on use of new approach methodologies in risk assessment co-organized by the PETA Science Consortium International, EPA, and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

In the webinar, Hans Raabe of the Institute for In Vitro Sciences will review human-relevant approaches to assess eye irritation and describe features of available non-animal test methods that guide selection of test methods to optimize ocular safety assessments. João Barroso of the European Commission Joint Research Centre will provide an overview of non-animal approaches accepted or under consideration by OECD and of relevant revisions of the United National Globally Harmonized System for Classification and Labelling of Chemicals

A virtual workshop on October 25 will feature presentations by scientists from government, industry, and animal welfare organizations on reducing the use of the 90-day dog study in international regulation of agrochemicals. “Challenges and Opportunities for Overcoming Dog Use in Agrochemical Evaluation and Registration” is being presented by the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

In an October 5 Federal Register notice (86 FR 54982), FDA announced draft guidance for industry, “S1B(R1) Addendum to S1B Testing for Carcinogenicity of Pharmaceuticals.” The draft guidance expands the testing scheme for assessing human carcinogenic risk of small molecule pharmaceuticals. It introduces an integrative approach that provides specific weight-of-evidence criteria that inform whether a 2-year rat study adds value in completing a human carcinogenicity risk assessment. The draft guidance also adds a plasma exposure ratio-based approach for setting the high dose in the rasH2-Tg mouse model. FDA is accepting comments on the draft guidance through December 6.

Purdue University is seeking candidates for a tenure-track Assistant/Associate Professor position in computational toxicology in the College of Human and Health Sciences. The successful candidate will lead an independent research program that utilizes state-of-the-art computational approaches to advance understanding of how environmental exposures adversely affect human health. The candidate will also develop new College courses focused on the use of "big data," artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other computational approaches to human health and disease.

Review of applications will begin October 15 and continue until the position is filled. Candidates must have Ph.D.s in toxicology, computational biology, or a related field and productive postdoctoral research experience. Evidence of prior success in extramural funding is preferred.

NIEHS is seeking a dynamic, highly motivated scientist to serve as Chief of the Mechanistic Toxicology Branch (MTB) in the Division of the NTP (DNTP). The MTB conducts investigative toxicology studies in support of DNTP projects for screening, prioritization, and mechanistic understanding of xenobiotic effects on human health.

The ideal candidate will have a research-based professional degree (Ph.D., M.D., Pharm.D., or D.V.M.) in the life sciences, with extensive experience in in vivo and in vitro toxicology studies. They must demonstrate strategic and visionary leadership for identifying and matching new scientific technologies with the needs of the DNTP, while also understanding the limitations of data generated through these approaches for public health decision-making. The applicant should be recognized for their scientific expertise within the national and international scientific community. The applicant will have demonstrated a commitment to applied and translational research with unique insights into how to build trust in decision-making stakeholders. They will also have demonstrated experience leading diverse scientific research programs, including participation in multi-institutional programs and national and international consortia. Applications should be received by November 6.

The Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag) is seeking a scientist with a strong record of accomplishment to lead a research program to advance aquatic toxicology by applying systems biology. Eawag conducts research, education, and expert consulting to achieve the dual goals of meeting direct human needs for water and maintaining the function and integrity of aquatic ecosystems. The successful candidate for this position will establish a group with high international visibility that will strengthen mechanistic understanding of the complex interactions of environmental stressors with aquatic organisms.

Applicants should have Ph.D.s in field such as systems biology, engineering, physics, biomathematics/statistics, or in environmental science with emphasis on biological systems modeling. Excellent communication in English and teamwork skills are essential. The successful candidate will be expected to acquire third party funding, recruit Ph.D. and master’s students, and contribute to Eawag’s mandate in teaching and expert consulting. Applications should be submitted by November 30.

In June 2021, OECD issued a guideline on defined approaches for skin sensitization. Development of the new guideline was sponsored by NICEATM in collaboration with other U.S. government agencies and scientists from Canada and the European Union. This document represents a new type of product for OECD and will enable a non-animal approach to identifying potential skin sensitizers to be used worldwide.

A webinar on Monday, October 18, at 8:00 a.m. EDT will discuss the implementation of the new guideline in OECD member countries. The webinar is free and open to the public. Presenters at the webinar will include Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer; Anna Lowit, EPA, ICCVAM co-chair; and Paul Brown, ICCVAM member from the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.

A free virtual workshop on Thursday, October 14, will consider actions needed to advance global deletion of the abnormal toxicity test. This test, also known as the general safety test or the innocuity test, is an animal test to detect potentially harmful extraneous contaminants in injectable biological products. The test has declined in use due to its numerous drawbacks and limitations but is still included is some regulatory requirements. The goal of the upcoming workshop is to identify actions to make the deletion of the test a global concrete achievement. International organizations and funding bodies, industry representatives, and regulatory stakeholders are invited to share their view and discuss the respective experiences in a multi-stakeholder environment.

The workshop is being presented by the Animal-free Safety Assessment Collaboration and organized by the Humane Society International and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations in collaboration with the International Alliance for Biological Standardization.

NICEATM is partnering with the Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs to present a webinar series on “Current Concepts in Quantitative Risk Assessment for Skin Sensitization.” The next webinar in the series on December 8 will consider the topics of methods for skin sensitization hazard and potency determination using currently available non-animal test methods, as well as exposure assessment and quantification.

The webinar series is free and open to the public. Those who registered to view the first webinar are automatically registered for the second webinar. A video from the first webinar in the series, which presented an introduction to skin sensitization and contact dermatitis, will be posted on the webinar series webpage when available.

The second Microphysiological Systems (MPS) World Summit will be held virtually Thursday, December 8. The theme of the meeting is “Systems Engineering of MPS.” This is the latest in a series of meetings with the goal of bringing together a global audience to create a roadmap for MPS technologies and establish an international society. The meeting is free and open to the public.

Meeting organizers are accepting abstracts for oral and poster presentations through October 21. Abstracts should be in English, 300 words or less, and relevant to the topic of new developments in MPS. Young scientists (35 and under) submitting abstracts can apply for consideration for a travel award that will support in-person attendance at a hybrid conference to be held in New Orleans in May-June 2022. 

The United Nations has an opening for a Programme Management Officer supporting the secretariat of the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). The SAICM is a policy framework to promote chemical safety around the world. Candidates should have at least a master’s or equivalent degree in environmental science or management, business administration, economics, or related field, and at least five years’ experience in project or program management, preferably in the context of environmental management. Candidates should be fluent in written English; a working knowledge of French and another UN language is desirable. The position is located in Geneva.

The Programme Management Officer P3 (position 156105) will support the coordination of the work of the SAICM Emerging Policy Issues and the SAICM Issues of Concern in the lead up to the fifth session of the ICCM. The Officer will also participate in the development, implementation and evaluation of the SAICM work program as it relates to the Emerging Policy Issues and Issues of Concern; monitor and analyze program/project development and implementation; review relevant documents and reports; identify problems and issues to be addressed and proposes corrective actions; liaise with relevant parties; and identify and track follow-up actions. Apply by November 10.

The first meeting of the National Academies’ Committee on Variability and Relevance of Current Laboratory Mammalian Toxicity Tests and Expectations for New Approach Methods (NAMs) for Use in Human Health Risk Assessment will be held on Thursday, September 23, with a public session from 1:00-2:15 p.m. EDT. Information about the meeting and a link to register is available on the National Academies' website.

The public session will include discussions with EPA staff regarding the statement of task, reasons for the committee’s study, and description of the types of committee recommendations that would be most useful. There will then be a brief period to allow public comments on the committee’s task (two minutes maximum per commenter, preferably one speaker per organization). If you plan to comment, please indicate this on your registration. You may also send comments or any written materials for consideration to [email protected] by 12:00 noon EDT on September 23.

A webinar on Thursday, October 21, at 11:00 a.m. EDT will consider “EU REACH Regulation, EU Cosmetic Regulation, and New Animal Tests on Cosmetic Ingredients.” The webinar is presented by the American Society for Cellular and Computational Toxicology and the European Society for Toxicology In Vitro.

Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) is the most important chemical regulation in the European Union (EU), requiring all manufacturers and importers of chemicals produced in quantities above 1 ton/year to register these substances. The registration includes a detailed risk assessment, often based on new animal testing. While the EU Cosmetic Regulation has banned new in vivo tests of both finished cosmetics and cosmetic ingredients, in practice animal tests are still being conducted on many cosmetics ingredients to fulfill REACH requirements. In this webinar, Costanza Rovida of Konstanz University and Jean Knight of White Rabbit Beauty will discuss their recent study that highlights this conflict.

QSAR Toolbox is a free software application intended for use by governments, chemical industry and other stakeholders for filling gaps in toxicity data needed for assessing the hazards of chemicals. QSAR Toolbox was developed by OECD in close collaboration with the European Chemicals Agency.

QSAR Toolbox version 4.5 includes an automated workflow for defined approaches for skin sensitization based on the recently released OECD Guideline 497. Other new features of version 4.5 include:

• Human skin sensitization data for over 1000 substances compiled by NICEATM and the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment.
• New photosensitivity data on 73 substances.
• A workflow editor that allows user development of automated and standardized workflows for predicting or grouping of chemicals.
• Improved interaction with the International Uniform Chemical Information Database (IUCLID).

NIEHS is recruiting a Staff Scientist to lead the development and application of multi-scale computational models to better understand and predict adverse human-health outcomes associated exposure to environmental chemicals. The candidate should be an experienced scientist who will serve as a subject-matter expert in the field of multi-scale modeling of biological systems and provide technical leadership in developing and applying computational tools to predict chemical-induced toxicity and identify underlying mechanisms and modes of action.

The candidate must have a doctoral-level degree in computational science, mathematics, bioengineering, computational genetics, bioinformatics, toxicology, statistics, or related fields, and at least two years of post-degree research experience. Candidates must demonstrate experience applying large-scale mechanism based mathematical modeling techniques in life sciences, including experience in building, validating, and using complex, system level models of biological systems and critically assessing different methods for simulation of single species, communities, and populations. Apply by Wednesday, October 13.

The annual meeting of ICCVAM’s advisory committee, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods, is on September 28-29. An agenda, abstracts, and background materials are now available for the virtual meeting.

Agenda items for the upcoming meeting include: (1) major ICCVAM accomplishments in 2021; (2) regulatory needs and research applications for ecotoxicity testing; (3) evolving approaches to validation; and (4) update on NICEATM computational resources. Written and oral comments are invited for the agenda topics. The deadline to register to submit comments is Friday, September 17. Registration to view the meeting will be available through the end of the meeting on September 29.

SACATM is a federally chartered external advisory group of scientists from the public and private sectors that advises ICCVAM, NICEATM, and the Director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and NTP regarding statutorily mandated duties of ICCVAM and activities of NICEATM.

A webinar on Wednesday, September 22, at 4:30 p.m. EDT will feature presentations by the four finalists in the EMGS 2021 Bioinformatics Challenge:

• Predicting Molecular Initiating Events from High Throughput Transcriptomic Screening using Machine Learning (lead institution: EPA).
• Leveraging Zebrafish High-throughput Screening Data and Conditional Generative Adversarial Networks to Advance Predictive Toxicology (lead institution: North Carolina State University).
• Transcriptomic Meta-Analyses Reveal a Molecular Fingerprint Underlying Hepatic Cholestasis Response (lead institution: ScitoVation LLC).
• Exposome Target Prediction with Coupled Matrix-Matrix Completion (lead institution: University of Michigan).

The webinar is being presented in conjunction with the 2021 EMGS Virtual Annual Meeting, but it is free and open to the public, and registration for the meeting is not required to attend.

A new paper in Computational Toxicology describes recent updates to the Integrated Chemical Environment. ICE provides data and computational tools to support chemical safety testing, allowing a broad range of users to interact with annotated and curated data. This paper includes an overview of the newest ICE tool, Chemical Quest, which allows users to search within the extensive ICE database for structurally similar chemicals to a target chemical or substructure.

Abedini et al. 2021. Application of new approach methodologies: ICE tools to support chemical evaluations. Comput Toxicol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comtox.2021.100184.

ASCCT is hosting their annual meeting virtually from October 12-14. The overarching theme for this year’s meeting is “Practical Applications of New Tools in Toxicology”. The agenda will include five sessions of oral presentations, posters, and other engagement opportunities. The meeting is free and open to the public but registration is required: register by October 8.

Abstracts are still being accepted for static poster presentations and are due by September 10. Abstracts should be related to in vitro and in silico toxicology, broadly defined and including science, policy, and regulatory topics.

A postdoctoral research opportunity is available at the EPA Office of Research and Development’s Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure located in Durham, North Carolina. Applications must be received by September 24.

This project focuses on developing computational models to predict the safety of chemicals without running tests on whole animals. The research participant will be part of a team that includes biologists, bioinformaticians, and toxicologists. The participant may evaluate a series of current hypotheses regarding the in vitro to in vivo relevance of the data and will generate and test new hypotheses as appropriate. This research will require integration of in vitro screening data from a variety of assay technologies, in vivo physiology, and toxicokinetic data and models. The participant will gain training in the general areas of computational biology, bioinformatics data science, mathematical modeling, data management, and computational toxicology.

This full-time appointment is initially for one year and may be renewed for 3-4 additional years upon EPA recommendation subject to availability of funding. The candidate should have received a doctoral degree in a relevant field within the last five years or be currently pursuing such a degree. Preferred candidates will have software development experience in Python, R, Java, or C, and proficiency in the use of relational databases. Candidates must be U.S. citizens.

The Biocomplexity Institute at Indiana University has a postdoctoral position developing multicellular, multi-scale mechanistic computational models of wound closure, epiboly, and early embryonic development in zebrafish. The position is offered in partnership with Purdue University’s National Science Foundation-funded EMBRIO Institute and is located at the Indiana University Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering in Bloomington, IN. Contact James Glazier at [email protected] with questions. Applications must be received by October 7.

The research participant will work with faculty and student researchers to develop Cellular Potts and particle-based biomechanical models of zebrafish tissue dynamics and implement them in the CompuCell3D and Mechanica modeling frameworks. The models will be used to perform virtual experiments exploring hypotheses about the interplay of biochemical signaling and mechanics leading to emergent regulation in tissue dynamics. The participant will receive training from members of the Biocomplexity and EMBRIO Institutes and relevant collaborators in developmental and cellular biology and computational, mathematical, agent-based, and biological modeling.

The successful candidate will initially receive a 12-month full-time non-tenure track appointment, with the potential for the appointment to be extended annually for a maximum term of four years, subject to satisfactory performance and funding. The candidate should have a doctoral degree in bioengineering, biophysics, mathematical biology or a closely-related field. Commitment to and expertise in developmental biology are essential. Prior publications in agent-based modeling, especially multicellular or biological network modeling are required.

The NIH Applicant Assistance Program (AAP) provides free support for for-profit companies that are planning to apply for a Phase I NIH SBIR or STTR award. The AAP is open to current and future entrepreneurs developing innovative technology ideas in the healthcare space that who have not previously received NIH SBIR or STTR grants. This includes applicants seeking grants from NIEHS to support development of chemical safety testing methods that reduce or replace animal use. Information about small business grants available from NIEHS and NIEHS’ participation in the AAP is available on the NIEHS website.

Applications for the AAP are due September 22. Potential applicants can learn more about the AAP at an informational webinar on Monday, August 30, from 12:30-2:00 p.m. EDT. The webinar is hosted by the National Cancer Institute. The informational webinar will be followed by a Q&A webinar on Wednesday, September 8, at 2:00 p.m. EDT.

USDA is updating Veterinary Services Memorandum (VSM) 800.211, Guidance for Master Reference Qualification, Requalification, Dating, and Monitoring. The revision of VSM 800.211, which was last updated in 2011, seeks to clarify and provide additional detail regarding dating of newly licensed product Master References and monitoring the stability of those references. This updated memorandum also includes guidance on reference qualification and requalification, including guidance for use of in vitro methods for this purpose. Comments on the revision of VSM 800.211 are requested by Monday, September 20.

The EURL ECVAM scientific advisory committee has issued “ESAC Opinion on the Scientific Validity of the GARDskin and GARDpotency Test Methods.” ESAC, the EURL ECVAM Scientific Advisory Committee, advises EURL ECVAM on scientific issues. It conducts independent peer reviews of validation studies of alternative test methods and assesses their scientific validity for a given purpose. The new report relates to the peer review of the GARDskin and GARDpotency in vitro test methods for skin sensitization. The ESAC considers that GARDskin can contribute to skin sensitization hazard identification in a weight-of-evidence approach. However, ESAC identified issues with the GARDpotency assay that need to be addressed before it can be used for regulatory purposes.

An agenda, abstracts, and background materials are now available for the virtual SACATM meeting on September 28-29. Registration to view the meeting will be available through the end of the meeting on September 29. Interested persons may also register to submit comments for consideration at the meeting. The deadline to register to submit comments is Friday, September 17.

SACATM is a federally chartered external advisory group of scientists from the public and private sectors that advises ICCVAM, NICEATM, and the Director of NIEHS and NTP regarding statutorily mandated duties of ICCVAM and activities of NICEATM. Agenda items for the upcoming meeting include: (1) major ICCVAM accomplishments in 2021; (2) regulatory needs and research applications for ecotoxicity testing; (3) evolving approaches to validation; and (4) update on NICEATM computational resources.

A postdoctoral research opportunity is available at the EPA Office of Research and Development’s Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure located in Durham, North Carolina. Applications must be received by September 20.

This project focuses on refining and advancing EPA's tools for high-throughput toxicokinetics (HTTK). The research participant will join a high-performing team supporting the advancement of HTTK and will be mentored in conducting independent research. Depending upon the participant's interests, the project may address (1) new mathematical toxicokinetic models for occupationally relevant routes of exposure and sensitive populations; (2) new methods, and potentially a new R package, for the analysis of in vitro toxicokinetic measurements; (3) analysis of machine learning tools for extrapolating from existing data; (4) analysis of new in vitro toxicokinetic data; and/or (5) new approaches for evaluating in vitro predictions with in vivo data.

This full-time appointment is initially for one year and may be renewed for 3-4 additional years upon EPA recommendation subject to availability of funding. The candidate should have received a doctoral degree in a relevant field within the last five years or expect to complete such a degree by September 24. Relevant fields include biomedical engineering, informatics, computer science, signal processing, machine learning, chemistry, physics, applied mathematics, pharmacology, or statistics. Candidates must be U.S. citizens.

PCRM is hiring a Regulatory Testing Specialist to join the Research and Regulatory Affairs Team. The Regulatory Testing Specialist will work to promote alternatives to the use of animals in toxicological testing and research, with an emphasis on international guidelines and activities. The applicant should have a master’s or doctoral degree in toxicology, pharmacology, cell biology, or a related field and at least two years of experience in a non-governmental organization, government, or industry position related to regulatory testing and/or compliance. Experience with OECD test guidelines and regulatory requirements is a plus. This full-time position is based in PCRM’s offices in Washington DC but may be performed remotely from any location in the United States

Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer and Elijah Petersen of NIST are among the provisional members of a committee being convened by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for the consensus study, “Variability and Relevance of Current Laboratory Mammalian Toxicity Tests and Expectations for New Approach Methods (NAMs) for use in Human Health Risk Assessment.” Kleinstreuer and Petersen are both members of ICCVAM. The National Academies’ Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology is accepting comment on the composition of the committee through August 29.

This study will review the variability and relevance of existing mammalian toxicity tests, specifically in the context of human health risk assessment. It will set data-driven and science-based expectations for NAMs based on the variability and relevance of the traditional toxicity testing models. 

PCRM will present five virtual training and discussion sessions focused on available methods and strategies for avoiding or reducing animal tests when assessing chemicals and pesticides for six acute endpoints commonly referred to as the “6-pack.” Methods and strategies presented will be applicable to pesticides, antimicrobials, and other products. The series will be held on consecutive Thursdays starting on September 9. For a complete schedule and to register, visit https://www.pcrm.org/ethical-science/animal-testing-and-alternatives/nura.

Each session in the “Nix the Six” virtual training series will feature three to four short lectures and a roundtable discussion in a Zoom Webinar format. Attendees will be able to ask questions and provide comments; other applications may be used to enable additional interaction between attendees and panelists. Registrants may attend any or all of the sessions, which are free and open to the public. Speakers include NICEATM scientist Kamel Mansouri (Session 1, “Oral and Dermal Toxicity”), ICCVAM member Joanna Matheson, CPSC (Session 3, “Skin and Eye Irritation”), and acting NICEATM Director Kleinstreuer (Session 5, “Opportunities and Outlook”).

The NIH Office of Research Services will present a Bioinformatics and Computational Biology Symposium on Thursday, September 9, from 9:30 a.m.-3:00 p.m. The symposium is free and open to the public but registration is required. Complete information is available on the event webpage; a link to register can be found on the left menu.

The symposium includes a morning plenary session with the keynote presentation, “Big data for health and disease” and talks on DNA structure, proteomic tumor analysis, and data integration to study COVID-19. The afternoon session includes concurrent tracks on single-cell sequencing and genomics.

ASCCT and the European Society for Toxicology in Vitro are co-hosting a webinar “Organs-on-chips: New Science and Standards for Implementation.” It will be presented Friday, September 10, from 10:00-11:30 a.m. EDT.

The webinar will feature two presentations:

• “Organ-on-Chip models for bioavailability, biotransformation, and (sub)chronic toxicity studies”: Meike van der Zande, Wageningen Food Safety Research, will discuss the design and characterization of intestinal and liver organ-on-chip systems and their potential applications in pharmacology and toxicology.
• “The many roles of standards for organ on chip”: Monica Piergiovanni, European Commission Joint Research Centre, will summarize a workshop that brought researchers, developers, standards authorities, and regulators together to build a list of areas where standards would contribute to wider acceptance and use of organs-on-chips.

The University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, has approved $250,000 (AUD) for research proposals that address one or more of the following criteria:

• Show promise for replacing or substantially reducing the number of animals used in research.
• Establish or significantly develop new methodologies.
• Develop animal welfare applications for the University's Tecniplast digital ventilated caging system.

Funding applicants must be academic staff of the University of New South Wales, but collaborations are welcome. Applications are due September 20; for more information, visit the University of New South Wales website or contact Malcolm France.

The NIEHS Office of Data Science will present a webinar on “The Integrated Chemical Environment: Computational Tools and Curated Data to Support Toxicity Assessment” on Wednesday, August 18, at 11:00 a.m. EDT. The webinar is free and open to the public. To join the webinar on August 18, go to https://nih.zoomgov.com/j/1607258769.

NTP’s Integrated Chemical Environment (ICE) provides access to high-quality, curated, regulatory-relevant toxicological and chemical data and in silico predictions of chemical properties to support chemical evaluations, data integration, and model development. In this webinar, John Rooney, ILS (contractor supporting NICEATM), will describe how ICE uses annotations and graphic displays to provide context for high-throughput assay results. He will demonstrate some ICE tools and present case studies showing how these tools can be used for chemical analyses and comparisons.

NICEATM is partnering with the Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology and the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs to present a webinar series on “Current Concepts in Quantitative Risk Assessment for Skin Sensitization.” The first webinar, which provides an introduction to skin sensitization and contact dermatitis, will be Tuesday, September 21, at 9:00 a.m. EDT. The webinar is free and open to the public. Information about the webinar series and a link to register for the September webinar are available on the webinar series webpage.

Despite progress in the adoption of new approach methods as alternatives to traditional animal tests, quantitative risk assessment of skin sensitizing chemicals remains a challenging process. This webinar series will provide an overview of the current state of the science in this rapidly developing field. While the main focus of the webinars will be on testing of pesticides, the webinars will be of interest to the broader scientific community as they rely on the development of concepts and methods in other areas, e.g. cosmetics, fragrances, and consumer products.

The September 21 webinar will feature David Basketter, DABMEB Consultancy Ltd., speaking on the history and current state of play for skin sensitization testing, and Wolfgang Uter, University of Erlangen-Nurnberg, discussing the epidemiology of contact dermatitis with a focus on occupational exposure and monitoring.

A feature article published online July 28 in Drug Discovery Today reviews progress in the effort to apply microphysiological systems (MPS, also known as “tissue chips”) to the development of therapies for COVID-19. Coauthors Nicole Kleinstreuer, acting Director of NICEATM, and Anthony Holmes, National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (United Kingdom), describe the establishment of a global working group to coordinate activities around MPSs and COVID-19 and to maximize their scientific, human health, and animal welfare impacts.

Kleinstreuer, N. and Holmes, A. 2021. Harnessing the power of microphysiological systems for COVID-19 research. Drug Discovery Today. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drudis.2021.06.020

A postdoctoral position is available in the Predictive Toxicology Branch in the Division of the NTP at NIEHS in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Applications will be accepted until October 18 or until the position is filled.

The position will support a project to develop a comprehensive in-house in silico modeling pipeline that will combine best practices in data-curation, data-mining and predictive machine-learning tools and serve as a resource for DNTP and cross-divisional NIEHS collaborators. The postdoctoral fellow will be co-mentored by NIEHS scientists Kamel Mansouri and Charles Schmitt.

The applicant should have a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in a relevant discipline and no more than five years of postdoctoral experience. They should have experience in cheminformatics and computational chemistry; statistics and advanced data mining methods; and machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms. They should also have experience with programming languages (Python, Matlab, Java), modeling and molecular simulation tools, and the KNIME environment.

The 11^th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences will take place virtually August 23-September 2. Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer is on the scientific committee for the conference, and she and other NICEATM scientists will be giving over 20 platform and poster presentations. Presentations will also be given by Acting Predictive Toxicology Branch Chief Warren Casey and other ICCVAM committee and workgroup members.

A schedule of NICEATM and ICCVAM presentations at World Congress is available on the NTP website.

The Department of Health and Human Services has released the 2021 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Omnibus Grant Solicitations. This funding is available for small business grant applications to support development and commercialization of innovative technologies.

Projects being funded by NIEHS under these solicitations include development of toxicity screening, testing, and modeling approaches that support Tox21 and other NTP goals. Areas of high priority include development of:

• Tools for exposure assessment, including assessment of exposure to nanomaterials
• Improved or expanded testing methods for toxicity screening
• Computational approaches for predictive toxicology
• Technologies such as alternative or improved methods for fixing and preserving tissues

The first deadline for applications under this announcement is September 5. More information is available on the NICEATM website.

The SOT Computational Toxicology Specialty Section will present a webinar “Moving from One-Size-Fits-All to Fit-for Purpose TTC Values” on Thursday, August 5, at 11:00 a.m. EDT. The webinar is free and open to the public.

Threshold of toxicological concern (TTC) values have historically been derived from datasets of structurally diverse compounds that span a wide range of toxicological or carcinogenic potency. However, there is increasing interest in developing fit-for-purpose TTC values for compounds in specific use categories or structural classes. Speakers Ron Brown, Risk Sciences Consortium, and Grace Patlewicz, EPA, will explore recent efforts to develop fit-for-purpose TTC values and describe the factors that should be considered when deriving TTC values for compounds in specific use or structural categories.

Slides and video are now available from the May 27 ICCVAM Public Forum. The Public Forum featured 13 presentations from nine ICCVAM member agencies describing activities supporting replacement, reduction, or refinement of animal use for chemical safety testing. Representatives of nine ICCVAM stakeholder organizations presented statements during the meeting. Topics addressed by the commenters included validation of new methods and incorporation of human-relevant data; communicating effectively with the public about the validity of non-animal methods; and the need for international agreement on testing requirements.

The internationally accepted RTgill-W1 cell line assay for acute fish toxicity will be discussed in a webinar to be presented on Thursday, September 16, at 9:00 a.m. EDT. The webinar is being presented by the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute, and Aquatox Solutions Ltd.

The RTgill-W1 cell line assay was recently adopted by OECD, and is the first internationally accepted cell-based test for acute fish toxicity. The webinar will provide an overview of the assay and discuss its advantages, limitations, and potential future applications and developments.

A new paper discusses validation of the AR-CALUX test method, which identifies chemicals with the potential to interact with the androgen receptor. Warren Casey, Acting Chief of the Predictive Toxicology Branch at DNTP is a co-author of the paper, which found the method was able to detect androgen receptor agonists and antagonists.

Milcamps et al. 2021. Reliability of the AR-CALUX in vitro method used to detect chemicals with (anti)androgen activity: results of an international ring trial. Toxicol Sci. https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfab078.

“Putting In Vitro Platforms at the Heart of Cardiotoxicity Testing” will be the focus of a webinar to be presented Tuesday, July 13 at 9:00 a.m. EDT by the National Centre for Replacement, Refinement & Reduction of Animals in Research.

A typical investigative animal study to assess cardiac contractility of drugs prior to clinical trials can use up to 24 dogs. Applying in vitro platforms early in drug development could significantly reduce these numbers. The webinar will present the results of the 2013 InPulse CRACK IT Challenge to develop a human-based in vitro system to assess cardiotoxicity in new drugs.

Chris Denning, University of Nottingham, will describe the technologies developed under the CRACK IT Challenge, how they were validated, and how they have been applied across various sectors. Peter Clements, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), will describe the rationale behind the challenge and how GSK will apply the technologies developed. He will also discuss the wider scientific and 3Rs benefits of these models compared to traditional in vitro and in vivo approaches.

Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer will be one of five experts presenting their work on artificial intelligence at a livestreamed event on Thursday, July 15, at 6:00 p.m. EDT. Experts in different industries will present case studies and perspectives on how computational approaches can be applied to learning and problem-solving.

ASCCT and the European Society for Toxicology In Vitro will present a webinar on “Bridging Toxicology and Research: COVID-19 Initiatives” on Wednesday, July 21, at 10:00 a.m. EDT.

Marco Travaglio, University of Cambridge, will present the results of his study examining links between COVID-19 and air pollution. He found that multiple markers of poor air quality, including nitrogen oxides PM2.5, are associated with increased COVID-19 deaths in England. Maria João Amorim, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, will discuss the CIAO project, which focuses on modeling the pathogenesis of COVID-19 using the adverse outcome pathway framework. This crowdsourcing effort is building evidence about the biological mode of action of the virus with the goal of informing policy and healthcare decisions.

Registration is open for the virtual meeting of SACATM on September 28-29. Interested persons may also register to submit comments for consideration at the meeting. The deadline to register to submit comments is Friday, September 17; registration to view the webcast will be open until the meeting ends on September 29.

SACATM is a federally chartered external advisory group of scientists from the public and private sectors that advises ICCVAM, NICEATM, and the Director of NIEHS and NTP regarding statutorily mandated duties of ICCVAM and activities of NICEATM. Preliminary agenda items for the upcoming meeting include: (1) major ICCVAM accomplishments in 2021; (2) regulatory needs and research applications for ecotoxicity testing; (3) evolving approaches to validation; and (4) update on NICEATM computational resources. More information about the meeting is available in a June 30 Federal Register notice.

A webinar on Wednesday, September 22, at 4:30 p.m. EDT will feature presentations by the four finalists in the EMGS 2021 Bioinformatics Challenge:

• Predicting Molecular Initiating Events from High Throughput Transcriptomic Screening using Machine Learning (lead institution: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency).
• Leveraging Zebrafish High-throughput Screening Data and Conditional Generative Adversarial Networks to Advance Predictive Toxicology (lead institution: North Carolina State University).
• Transcriptomic Meta-Analyses Reveal a Molecular Fingerprint Underlying Hepatic Cholestasis Response (lead institution: ScitoVation LLC).
• Exposome Target Prediction with Coupled Matrix-Matrix Completion (lead institution: University of Michigan).

The webinar is being presented in conjunction with the 2021 EMGS Virtual Annual Meeting, but it is free and open to the public, and registration for the meeting is not required to attend.

Acting NICEATM Director Kleinstreuer and NICEATM scientist John Rooney (ILS, contractor supporting NICEATM) are co-authors of a recent paper that discusses the impact of input data on artificial intelligence models. The article reviews efforts to improve confidence in the robustness of toxicological data. Case studies demonstrate the effect of data curation on the performance of artificial intelligence models for predicting skin sensitization and skin irritation.

Alves et al. 2021. Curated data in — trustworthy in silico models out: the impact of data quality on the reliability of artificial intelligence models as alternatives to animal testing. ATLA. https://doi.org/10.1177/02611929211029635.

Emulate, Inc., a leader in organ-on-chips technology, has developed an in vitro system that combines organoids and organs-on-chips technology to more faithfully recreate human biology. Their Colon Intestine-Chip Grant Program will offer one researcher the hardware, chips, cells, and scientific support needed to get started using Organs-on-Chips technology for colon research.

Applications must be received by June 30. One grant winner will be selected and receive over $130,000 of equipment, including the essential hardware, chips, validated cells, and scientific support to apply this technology to their research. Applicants must not be current users of the Emulate Human Emulation System. Equipment can only be shipped to facilities in the U.S., Canada, European Union, United Kingdom, or Switzerland.

ASCCT is hosting their annual meeting virtually from October 12-14. The overarching theme for this year’s meeting is “Practical Applications of New Tools in Toxicology”. The agenda will include five sessions of oral presentations, posters, and other engagement opportunities.

The abstract deadline for the ASCCT annual meeting has been extended. Abstracts to be considered for oral and “flash” poster presentations are due by July 23. Abstracts to be considered for static poster presentations only are due by September 10. Abstracts should be related to in vitro and in silico toxicology, broadly defined and including science, policy, and regulatory topics.

Volunteers are still needed for the meeting organizing committee; if you are interested, please contact the Secretary at [email protected].

The European Union Public-private Partnership for the Pre-validation of Endocrine Disruptors Characterization Methods (PEPPER) is seeking candidate methods for prevalidation studies. Candidate methods should have been developed in Europe in response to an identified need relevant to regulatory identification of endocrine disruptors. Methods should have an established protocol and historical data, not require specialized or expensive equipment, and have the potential to reduce or replace animal use for endocrine disruptor identification.

The Institute for In Vitro Sciences, Inc. (IIVS) is a non-profit research and testing laboratory dedicated to the advancement of in vitro methods worldwide. IIVS is unique in its position as a high-quality testing laboratory that also offers technical and educational resources to advance the field.

IIVS currently has openings for the scientific positions listed below.

• Biologist I: Entry-level laboratory scientist position; candidate should have at least an A.A./A.S. degree in biological sciences.
• Toxicologist I: Develops and performs a variety of toxicology studies; candidate should have either a master’s degree and 3+ years of relevant experience or a Ph.D.
• Toxicologist I/Study Director: Develops and performs a variety of toxicology studies and participates in management of dermal and ocular programs; candidate should have either a master’s degree and 3+ years of relevant experience or a Ph.D.
• Laboratory Administrative Support Specialist: ensures GLP compliance and prepares and reviews protocols and reports; candidate should have at least a B.A./B.S. in biological sciences or equivalent experience.
• Respiratory Toxicology and Immunology Scientist: Develops and performs a variety of toxicology studies and participates in development of the respiratory sensitization program; candidate should have a Ph.D. and up to 3 years of relevant experience.

ASCCT and the European Society for Toxicology in Vitro are co-hosting a webinar “Human Induced Pluropotent Stem Cells (hiPSC) in Toxicology”. The webinar will feature two presentations:

• Catherine Verfaillie, Leuven University, Belgium: Multicellular 3D liver models based on hiPSC-derived liver cells
• Anne Marie Vinggard, National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark: Novel human pluripotent stem cell-based assays to predict developmental toxicity

The webinar will be held on Wednesday, June 23 from 10:00-11:30 a.m. EDT.

PCRM is hiring a Regulatory Testing Specialist to join the Research and Regulatory Affairs Team. The Regulatory Testing Specialist will work to promote alternatives to the use of animals in toxicological testing and research, with an emphasis on international guidelines and activities. Applicants should have a master’s or doctoral degree in toxicology, pharmacology, cell biology, or a related field and at least two years of experience in a non-governmental organization, government, or industry position related to regulatory testing and/or compliance.

On June 7, NICEATM released version 3.4 of the Integrated Chemical Environment (ICE). ICE provides data and tools to help develop, assess, and interpret chemical safety tests. This release adds new tools and expanded capabilities to the existing ICE resources.

ICE version 3.4 includes the following new tools and expanded capabilities:

• Chemical Quest (Beta): uses fingerprints to predict structure similarity.
• Drawing of 2D structures (part of the Chemical Quest tool): users can draw their own structures and query ICE for all chemicals that are similar to the drawn structure.
• Query by multiple chemical identifiers: CASRNs, DTXSIDs, SMILES or InChiKeys are now accepted as inputs into all ICE tools.
• Send assays to other ICE tools: users can switch between ICE tools and keep the same assays selected.

New data and data updates include:

• DART in vivo assays from NTP and the European Chemicals Agency.
• Dermal irritation in vivo assays (rat Draize skin irritation/corrosion test).
• Updates to ICE curated high-throughput screening data and data from OPERA.

The OECD Test Guidelines Programme has issued a new test guideline, Defined Approaches for Skin Sensitisation. Development of the new guideline was sponsored by NICEATM in collaboration with other U.S. government agencies and scientists from Canada and the European Union. This document represents a new type of product for OECD, and will enable a non-animal approach to identifying potential skin sensitizers to be used worldwide. Validation against a curated set of human data indicates that this approach predicts human skin sensitization hazard better than the accepted animal test.

Other documents approved by OECD include:

• A new test guideline describing use of a reconstructed human epidermis model for phototoxicity assessment.
• Updates of six test guidelines for eye and skin irritation and skin sensitization.
• Two new test guidelines for aquatic toxicity tests.

The QSAR 2021 Conference Organizing Committee selected DNTP/NICEATM scientist Kamel Mansouri as the recipient of the QSAR 2021 Promising Early Career Award. The award recognizes an early career scientist that demonstrates significant contributions to the field of non-animal testing methods and shows promise in continuing to have a meaningful role in the field. The award was presented at the awards luncheon on June 9.

Mansouri is a computational chemist at NIEHS. He led an international project to build computational models to predict whether substances might be toxic when ingested. He is also the lead developer of OPERA, a free and open-source/open-data suite of quantitative structure activity relationship models that provides predictions of physicochemical properties, environmental fate parameters, and toxicity endpoints.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate’s Biological and Physical Sciences Division is announcing a multi-agency initiative, “Extended Longevity of 3D Tissues and Microphysiological Systems for Modeling of Acute and Chronic Exposures to Stressors (3DTANDMPS)”. The initiative kicked off with a virtual Pre-Proposers Conference to eld on June 8, 12 noon EDT. This conference enabled NASA to provide potential proposers with information, or emphasize existing information that may benefit proposers. Proposers also had the opportunity to pose questions and receive answers and request clarifications. 

This announcement is focused on adapting existing 3D tissues and microphysiological systems (MPS) to extend the current longevity of the 3D tissues and MPS to at least 6 months. Proposals for this initiative are due June 28, 2021. For more information about the initiative contact Lucie Low.

A notice published by EPA in the May 21 Federal Register announced availability of draft human health and/or ecological risk assessments for several pesticides. EPA is accepting public comment on the risk assessments through July 20. The Federal Register notice includes instructions on how to submit comments.

One of the pesticides covered by this announcement is the fungicide chlorothalonil, which was the subject of a case study to use an in vitro model to develop an inhalation risk assessment. The case study is described in an article in the 2018-2019 ICCVAM Biennial Report. Data from the in vitro model was used to derive human inhalation risk, which is included in the document “Chlorothalonil: Revised Human Health Draft Risk Assessment for Registration Review.” This and other documents relevant to the chlorothalonil evaluation are available in a docket on Regulations.gov.

CompuCell 3D is hosting their 16th Annual Multicell Virtual-Tissue Modeling Online Summer School and Hackathon from August 1-8. Anyone with a current or potential interest in mechanistic modeling of biological systems is invited to participate in the event. The course covers multicellular modeling, which applies to developmental and tissue biology, tissue engineering, emergent diseases like cancer, in-host modeling of infection and immune response and tissue-level toxicology. No specific programming or mathematical experience is required.

Registration is open for the 11th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences, to be held online August 23-September 1. The World Congress online platform will provide a unique place for discussions of the most important topics relevant to replacement, reduction, and refinement of animal use in the life sciences.

NICEATM has had three abstracts accepted to World Congress for oral presentations and nine accepted for poster presentations. Acting NICEATM director Nicole Kleinstreuer is also participating in six sessions as a speaker, co-chair, or roundtable discussant. Information about NICEATM and ICCVAM activities at World Congress will be available soon on the NICEATM website.

NIEHS is fostering a community-driven initiative, the Environmental Health Language Collaborative, to advance integrative environmental health research by developing and promoting adoption of a harmonized language. This initiative will facilitate answering large-scale complex research questions that require integration of multiple disparate data sources by developing language standards for describing data and biomedical knowledge.

To kick-start the initiative, NIEHS is hosting a series of virtual events:

• June 24, 1:00-4:00 p.m. EDT: The Value of Creating Language and Community in Catalyzing Knowledge-Driven Discovery in Environmental Health Research
• July 20, 1:00-4:00 p.m. EDT: A Primer on Using Terminologies, Vocabularies, and Ontologies for Knowledge Organization
• September 9-10, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. EDT: Catalyzing Knowledge-Driven Discovery in Environmental Health Sciences through a Harmonized Language

The events will be recorded and made available on the pre-workshop website for those unable to attend. If you have questions about the initiative, community, or the workshops, please contact Stephanie Holmgren.  

A video is available from a May 12 meeting covering “Updates on Activities Related to 21st Century Toxicology.” This is an annual event organized by the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing (CAAT) and the Animal-Free Safety Assessment Collaboration. The video recording of the webinar can be found on the CAAT YouTube page.

The meeting featured updates on efforts to advance toxicity testing in the 21st century. Presentations from leaders in the field included an update from acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer on ICCVAM and NICEATM activities.

Materials are now available from an April 28-29 virtual workshop, “Putting Science into Standards - Organ on Chip: Towards Standardization.” The workshop was organized by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, the European Committee for Standardization, and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization.

Organs-on-chips, or more broadly microphysiological systems, are innovative devices that emulate human/animal biology and can reproduce one or more aspects of an organ’s functionality. The goal of this workshop was to facilitate the exchange of views on the future development of this technology, its application areas, and stakeholder needs in order to identify how European standardization can support safe, widescale deployment of these systems. The workshop included eight plenary sessions and three themed parallel breakout sessions.

NICEATM has entered into an agreement with consumer products company Unilever to collaboratively test and further develop their Skin Allergy Risk Assessment (SARA) predictive model. SARA is a computational model that uses a variety of input data to estimate a probability that a chemical will cause an allergic skin reaction in humans. NICEATM will test the SARA model using a variety of chemical data sets, including chemicals of interest to U.S. and international regulatory agencies. NICEATM and Unilever will also work together to expand the SARA model to include data generated by NICEATM. The intent is to make the SARA model openly available for public use along with other NICEATM predictive models. Availability of the SARA model will help further reduce animal use for the endpoint of skin sensitization, and will improve upon existing efforts by providing points of departure for quantitative human risk assessment.

Information about other NICEATM projects to evaluate alternatives to animal use for skin sensitization is available on the NTP website.

Reference: Reynolds et al. Probabilistic prediction of human skin sensitizer potency for use in next generation risk assessment. Comput Toxiol 9:36-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comtox.2018.10.004

MPS provide human cell-based platforms that enable the study both of normal organ function and effects on organ function by toxicants or pathogens. On April 1, NICEATM and the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement, and Reduction of Animal Research (NC3Rs) co-hosted a Spring Workshop for the Microphysiological Systems for COVID Research (MPSCoRe) working group.

Meeting attendees were individuals and organizations that represent MPS stakeholders as well as COVID researchers. The agenda featured talks from two sessions, “MPS Models for Testing Therapeutics” and “MPS Models for Understanding Disease Mechanisms”, followed by a Roundtable discussion. To view a recording of the presentations and other materials from the meeting, visit the NICEATM MPS page.

ASCCT is hosting their annual meeting virtually from October 12-14, 2021. The overarching theme for this year’s meeting is “Practical Applications of New Tools in Toxicology”. The agenda will include five sessions of oral presentations, posters, and other engagement opportunities.

Abstracts for oral and poster presentations are due by July 15, 2021. Abstracts should be related to in vitro and in silico toxicology, broadly defined and including science, policy, and regulatory topics.

ASCCT and the European Society for Toxicology in Vitro are co-hosting a webinar “New Approach Methods in Genotoxicity and Mechanistic Toxicity Testing for the Animal-free Safety Assessment of Novel Pharmaceuticals and Chemicals”. The webinar will feature a presentation from Giel Hendriks, CEO of Toxys, who will talk about the development of in vitro cell-based assays for chemical safety assessment with the focus on understanding the mode-of-action of toxic compounds. The webinar will be held on Tuesday, May 18, from 10:00-11:00 a.m. EDT.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences is seeking an experienced scientist to join NICEATM. Candidates must have:

• Specialized experience in nonanimal alternatives and in vitro testing strategies.
• Strong background in toxicology, physiology, molecular biology, and/or related biological science disciplines.
• Understanding of principles used for chemical and safety hazard evaluations and risk assessment.
• Knowledge of environmental factors capable of adversely affecting human health.
• Experience with model systems for predicting human health effects, such as microphysiological systems, organotypic cultures, stem cell based approaches, and ‘omics technologies.
• Understanding of the goals and activities of NICEATM and its working relationship with ICCVAM, DNTP, NIEHS, NIH, and other federal agencies, as well as experience working with NGOs, chemical industry scientists, and research organizations.

Review of applications will begin on June 3. Applicants must have a PhD, DVM, ScD, MD, or equivalent in toxicology or related fields, with at least five years of research experience after receiving the final degree, such as postdoctoral research and/or equivalent experience in their field. Application packages should include a full curriculum vitae and a 3-4 page statement of research experience and interests as well as three letters of recommendation. Please include in your CV a description of mentoring and outreach activities, especially those involving women or other underrepresented groups in biomedical research.

An agenda is available for the ICCVAM public forum, which will be presented virtually Thursday, May 27 from 9:00 a.m. until about 4:30 p.m. EDT. This event is held annually to share information and facilitate direct communication of ideas and suggestions from stakeholders. NICEATM, ICCVAM, and a number of ICCVAM agencies will describe activities both to advance new approaches to safety testing of chemicals and medical products and to reduce the amount of testing required.

Registration is required to view the public forum webcast and will be open through the end of the meeting on May 27. Interested persons may also register to present oral public statements with associated slides on topics relevant to ICCVAM's mission. Requests to present oral statements during the meeting will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis as time permits. The deadline for registering to present oral public statements is May 14.

An ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will provide the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with a review of the variability and relevance of existing laboratory mammalian toxicity tests for human health risk assessment. This review will inform the development of approaches for validation and establishing scientific confidence in using new approach methodologies (NAMs). The panel will also develop recommendations on expectations associated with NAMs when they cannot be compared with human studies. The work of the study committee will be informed by:

• An initial public workshop organized by a subgroup of the committee.
• A literature review that addresses the variability and human relevance of current laboratory mammalian toxicity tests and approaches to validation and establishing scientific confidence in using NAMs.
• Public information gathering meetings organized by the study committee.

Nominations are due May 13 for committee members and reviewers for this study. Nominees should have expertise in the fields of in vitro assay development, model systems toxicology, human health risk assessment, biostatistics, veterinary medicine, or in silico and in vitro alternatives to animal testing systems. For more information, contact Clifford Duke at [email protected].

A paper published April 30 in Environmental Health Perspectives describes a NICEATM-led international project to build computational models to predict whether substances might be toxic when ingested. The project produced the Collaborative Acute Toxicity Modeling Suite (CATMoS), which was developed specifically to help reduce or replace animal use for regulatory testing. An article about the paper is featured in the current issue of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Environmental Factor newsletter.

Mansouri et al. 2021. CATMoS: Collaborative Acute Toxicity Modeling Suite. Environ Health Perspect 129(4):47013. https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/doi/full/10.1289/EHP8495

The Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing and the Animal-Free Safety Assessment Collaboration are hosting their annual meeting on Wednesday May 12, 10:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. EDT. The topic of this year’s meeting is “Updates on Activities Related to 21st Century Toxicology”.

The meeting will feature updates on efforts to advance toxicity testing in the 21st century (TT21C), and leaders in the field will provide brief presentations, including an update from acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer on ICCVAM and NICEATM activities. Ample time will be reserved for discussion among webinar participants. This annual meeting has been held in the past as a satellite meeting of the SOT annual meeting. This year, however, with SOT held virtually, it was decided to hold the TT21C meeting virtually as well, and to do so independently from the SOT meeting.

A webinar on “Incorporating Non-animal Alternatives Into Toxicity Testing Under TSCA” will be presented on Thursday May 13, at 1:00-4:00 p.m. EDT. This half-day workshop will bring together toxicity data generators, users, and a wide variety of stakeholders to discuss and make recommendations on the opportunities and challenges in minimizing chemical tests on vertebrate animals. Topics to be considered include effectively communicating with relevant stakeholders and the role of NAMs in improving the assessment of chemicals on vulnerable populations. The workshop will include breakout groups considering the topics of: regulatory flexibility; information gaps NAMs can fill; engaging with stakeholders; EPA directive to eliminate mammalian testing by 2035; and metrics.

The workshop is being hosted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the UCLA School of Law, and the Environmental Law Institute.

PETA-SCI, Unilever, EPA, and Syngenta are co-organizing a virtual workshop series on “Using In Silico and In Vitro Approaches for Next Generation Risk Assessment of Potential Respiratory Toxicants”. The workshop series will take place on May 19, May 26, and June 2, 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. EDT. The webinars will be listening only. Registration for the individual webinars is available on the PETA-SCI website.

Posters presented by NICEATM at the SOT annual meeting, held virtually from March 12-16, are now available on the NICEATM webpage. NICEATM and ICCVAM had a strong presence at meeting, presenting ten posters as well as coauthoring seven others. The next annual SOT meeting will be held in San Diego March 27-31, 2022. More information about this meeting can be found on the event webpage.

NICEATM will be presenting four posters at the 19th International Workshop on (Quantitative) Structure-Activity Relationships in Environmental and Health Sciences on June 7-10.

A new review article by the European Union (EU) Joint Research Centre, a participant organization in the International Cooperation on Alternative Test Methods, summarizes current EU regulatory requirements for the human health assessment of chemicals. This summary takes into account the respective requirements and constraints imposed by the EU Cosmetics Products Regulation, which bans animal testing for these products, and the EU REACH (registration, evaluation, and authorization of chemicals) regulation, which imposes information requirements for chemicals manufactured in or imported into the EU. The review considers the critical endpoints and identifies the main challenges in introducing alternative methods into regulatory testing practice. It complements efforts involved in implementing the Strategic Roadmap for Establishing New Approaches to Evaluate the Safety of Chemicals and Medical Products in the United States with regards to defining testing needs as a prerequisite to implementation of alternatives to animal testing.

Pistollato et al. 2021. Current EU regulatory requirements for the assessment of chemicals and cosmetic products: challenges and opportunities for introducing new approach methodologies. Arch Toxicol. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-021-03034-y

The Society for Birth Defects Research and Prevention (BDRP) will hold their 61st annual meeting virtually from June 24-July 7. Registration for the meeting is required. The meeting will feature award presentations, keynote speakers, platform sessions, and poster sessions. The program agenda is available.

Late-breaking abstracts are being accepted for poster sessions and are due May 7. Posters will be presented on June 28, 29, or 30 from 3:30–4:30 p.m. EDT. During the poster sessions, authors will have their own “virtual rooms” to discuss their research face-to-face with other meeting attendees.

The 19th International Workshop on (Quantitative) Structure-Activity Relationships in Environmental and Health Sciences (QSAR 2021) will be held virtually June 7-10, 2021. The meeting program is available and registration is open; the registration deadline is May 8.

Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer, NICEATM computational chemist Kamel Mansouri, and senior toxicologist Agnes Karmaus (ILS, contractor supporting NICEATM) are serving on the organizing committee for QSAR 2021. NICEATM will be presenting four posters at QSAR 2021 describing NICEATM tools and data resources for development and evaluation of new chemical safety testing approaches. Information on NICEATM activities at QSAR 2021 is available on the NICEATM website.

Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer and other NICEATM scientists are co-authors on a new review article in Cutaneous and Ocular Toxicology that describes available non-animal test methods and their relevance to eye anatomy and mechanisms of eye irritation in humans. Combinations of the reviewed methods may be used in development of human-relevant integrated testing approaches.

Clippinger et al. Human-relevant approaches to assess eye corrosion/irritation potential of agrochemical formulations. Cutan Ocul Toxcol. DOI: 10.1080/15569527.2021.1910291

ICCVAM will hold a virtual public forum Thursday, May 27 from 9:00 a.m. until about 4:30 p.m. EDT. This event is held annually to share information and facilitate direct communication of ideas and suggestions from stakeholders. NICEATM, ICCVAM, and a number of ICCVAM agencies will describe activities both to advance new approaches to safety testing of chemicals and medical products and to reduce the amount of testing required.

Registration is required to view the public forum webcast and will be open through the end of the meeting on May 27. Interested persons may also register to present oral public statements with associated slides on topics relevant to ICCVAM's mission. Requests to present oral statements during the meeting will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis as time permits. The deadline for registering to present oral public statements is May 14.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will award $29 million in grants to develop new tools to analyze massive amounts of scientific information. Tools will use technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and advanced algorithms. DOE is offering two grants for research in the following areas:

• Data-Intensive Scientific Machine Learning and Analysis: pre-applications due April 23.
• Randomized Algorithms for Extreme-Scale Science: pre-applications due April 16.

DOE National Laboratories, universities, industry, and nonprofit research institutions may apply, with competitive funding awarded based on peer review.

The 19^th International Workshop on (Quantitative) Structure-Activity Relationships in Environmental Health Sciences (QSAR 2021) will be held virtually from June 7-June 10, 2021. Each day of the meeting will feature two concurrent platform sessions and a keynote speaker each morning, with sponsored platform presentations followed by three concurrent poster sessions in the afternoons. The full program for QSAR 2021 is available on the program website.

To register for QSAR 2021, visit the meeting registration webpage. The deadline to register is May 8.

A free virtual workshop on April 28-29 will consider the topic “Putting Science into Standards - Organ on Chip: Towards Standardization”. The workshop is hosted by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, the European Committee for Standardization, and the European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization. Registration is open.

Organ-on-chips, or more broadly microphysiological systems, are innovative devices that emulate human/animal biology and can reproduce one or more aspects of an organ’s functionality. Among other benefits, they can lead to better testing of drugs and adapted treatments to genetic diversity, ethnicity, sex and age; reduce the cost of clinical trials and replace animal testing for cosmetic products. The goal of this workshop is to facilitate the exchange of views on the future development of this technology, its application areas, and stakeholder needs in order to identify how European standardization can support safe, widescale deployment of these systems.

A group of European research centers and nonprofits is conducting a survey to identify the most commonly used animal-derived materials and reagents (e.g., animal sera, antibodies, etc.) in in vitro experimentation, and characterize the current level of knowledge on available non-animal derived alternatives. Survey results will help create a framework to shape policy in science and education. The survey is being coordinated by Italian nonprofit “Oltre la Sperimentazione Animale” (OSA; English: “Beyond Animal Experimentation”).

The survey is directed to scientists at any level involved in human health or life science research. It takes about 15 minutes to complete. There is no deadline to respond. Survey organizers hope to compile responses from at least 500 researchers and share survey results in a presentation at the virtual 11^th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences in August.

ASCCT and the European Society of Toxicology In Vitro will host a webinar on “Legal and Policy Considerations for the Use of New Approach Methodologies in Chemical Risk Assessment.” The webinar will be presented on Tuesday, April 27, from 10:00-11:30 a.m. EDT.

• The first presentation, "Legal and Policy Challenges in Agency Regulatory Use of NAMs," will be given by Gary Marchant of the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University and Kirk Hartley of ToxicoGenomica and LSP Group LLC. Marchant and Hartley will discuss the challenges of using NAMs in regulatory decision-making using case studies from EPA.
• In the second presentation, "Case Studies of Actual Uses of NAMs in Civil Litigation Involving Diseases/Conditions," Hartley will discuss the use of NAM-based data in product liability and personal injury cases.

EMGS has announced the four finalists in its 2021 Bioinformatics Challenge:

• Predicting Molecular Initiating Events from High Throughput Transcriptomic Screening using Machine Learning (lead institution: EPA).
• Leveraging Zebrafish High-throughput Screening Data and Conditional Generative Adversarial Networks to Advance Predictive Toxicology (lead institution: North Carolina State University).
• Transcriptomic Meta-Analyses Reveal a Molecular Fingerprint Underlying Hepatic Cholestasis Response (lead institution: ScitoVation LLC).
• Exposome Target Prediction with Coupled Matrix-Matrix Completion (lead institution: University of Michigan).

The second-round competition will be held as a series of webinars presented in conjunction with the EMGS annual meeting in September.

The 2021 FDA Science Forum will be held virtually on Wednesday and Thursday, May 26-27. The event allows the public to view the research and collaboration ongoing at FDA, and how FDA researchers use novel science and technologies to inform FDA’s regulatory decision-making and drive innovation.

The theme of this year’s forum is “Science as the Foundation for Protecting and Promoting Public Health,” and one of the topic areas is “Tools to Effectively Use Big Data.” The forum will feature a keynote address by is National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci.

In a March 31 Federal Register notice, CPSC requested comment on its “Proposed Guidance for Industry and Test Method Developers: CPSC Staff Evaluation of Alternative Test Methods and Integrated Testing Approaches and Data Generated from Such Methods to Support FHSA Labeling Requirements.” CPSC has developed this guidance, building on its Animal Testing Policy, to assist stakeholders in determining what test methods are deemed reliable for determining compliance with the labeling requirements under the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. This includes clarification of CPSC informational requirements and process for evaluating new approach methodologies and integrated approaches to testing and assessment.

More information about the draft guidance and instructions on how to submit comments are available in the Federal Register notice (download notice as PDF). Comments are due June 14.

NIEHS is leading a community-driven initiative to advance integrative environmental health research by developing and promoting adoption of a harmonized language. This initiative will facilitate answering large-scale complex research questions that require integration of multiple disparate data sources by developing standards for describing data and biomedical knowledge.

To begin the process of community development, NIEHS is hosting a session on “Enhancing Semantic Interoperability in Environmental Health Sciences Research” on Wednesday, April 21, from 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m. EDT (3:00-4:30 p.m. UTC). This is the first of several events that NIEHS will host related to this initiative.

The April 21 event is part of the upcoming Research Data Alliance Plenary Meeting, which will be held virtually from April 20-23. Research Data Alliance is an international collaboration with the goal of building the social and technical infrastructure to enable open sharing and re-use of data.

HESI is accepting nominations for the 2021 HESI Innovation Prize. This prize recognizes scientists who share HESI’s commitment to synthesizing ideas, resources, and collaborators across scientific disciplines and sectors. The theme of this year’s prize is “health equity,” and nominees will be evaluated on their work to catalyze health equity progress in relation to HESI’s four focus areas: safe and effective medicines, food safety and security, chemical and consumer product safety, and environmental quality and sustainability.

Individual scientists who hold a master’s degree or higher may self-nominate or be nominated by colleagues; there are no geographic restrictions. Groups and institutions are not eligible. Nominations will be evaluated on the basis of work done by the nominee over the past five years. The winner will receive an unrestricted cash prize of $80,000 USD. Nominations are due by June 30; winners will be announced in August.

To establish appropriate benchmarks for understanding the performance of new approach methodologies, the reference standard animal tests should be well characterized. To assess variability in the rabbit skin irritation test, NICEATM analyzed data from 990 substances tested at least twice each. The analysis found that chemicals classified as moderate irritants at least once were classified as mild or non-irritants at least 40% of the time when tested repeatedly. This analysis indicates that variability present in the rabbit skin irritation test should be considered when evaluating nonanimal alternative methods as potential replacements.

Rooney et al. 2021. Analysis of variability in the rabbit skin irritation assay. Reg Toxicol Pharmacol. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yrtph.2021.104920.

HSUS has extended the deadline for nominations for the Russell and Burch Award to April 30. This award is named in honor of William Russell and Rex Burch, the scientists who formulated the three Rs approach of replacement, reduction and refinement and recognizes those who have played an important role in limiting the use and suffering of animals in laboratories. The 2021 award will be presented virtually at the 11th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences.

For this award, HSUS welcomes nominations of scientists who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of alternative methods in the areas of research, testing, or higher education. Applicants may nominate themselves or others. Anyone who submitted a nomination last year will not need to resubmit the application. Nominations should include a cover letter explaining the nominee’s suitability for the award, the nominee’s curriculum vitae, and three published articles that represent their work in alternative testing methods. To apply email Mary Hilley at [email protected].

ARDF is soliciting proposals for research projects that focus on significantly reducing or replacing laboratory animals in biomedical research, product testing, and education. Up to $40,000 U.S. will be awarded. Proposals will be accepted from non-profit, tax-exempt educational or research institutions from any country. Preference will be given to proposals from U.S. institutions and organizations describing in silico and in vitro methods with human cells or tissues using pathway-based approaches as exemplified by the 2007 National Academy of Sciences report, “Toxicity Testing in the Twenty-first Century: A Vision and A Strategy.” The deadline to apply for the funding opportunity is April 30.

OECD is presenting a webinar on physiologically based kinetic modeling (PBK) titled “Gaining Acceptance in Next Generation PBK Modelling Approaches for Regulatory Assessments.” The webinar’s six speakers will describe a scientific workflow for characterizing and validating PBK models, a template for documenting PBK models in a systematic manner, and a checklist to support model evaluation. The webinar will be held on May 10 from 7:20-9:30 a.m. EDT.

The SOT In Vitro and Alternative Methods and Computational Toxicology specialty sections are co-sponsoring a 75-minute webinar on May 19 at 11:00 a.m. titled “State of the Science: QSAR Modeling of Skin Sensitization.” The webinar will feature three speakers:

1. Vinicius Alves, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Pred-Skin: A Web Portal for Accurate Prediction of Human Skin Sensitizers
2. Emily Golden, Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, Johns Hopkins University: Evaluation of the Global Performance of Eight In Silico Skin Sensitization Models Using Human Data
3. Glenn Myatt, Leadscope, Inc.: Skin Sensitization In Silico Protocol

The SOT Computational Toxicology Specialty Section selected DNTP/NICEATM scientist Shagun Krishna as the recipient of this year’s Yves Alarie Diversity Award for Trainees and Young Investigators. This award recognizes a young investigator from an under-represented group who is working in the field of computational toxicology. The award was presented at the specialty section’s virtual reception on March 16.

Krishna is a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Her mentor is Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer. The current focus of Krishna’s research is developing informatics approaches to identifying potentially cardiotoxic substances.

Neepa Choksi, Principal Toxicologist at ILS (contractor supporting NICEATM), is first author of the 2021 SOT Ocular Toxicology Specialty Section Paper of the Year. The paper describes validation of OptiSafe, a non-animal method to assess eye irritation hazard. The award was presented at the specialty section’s virtual reception on March 15.

Choksi et al. 2020. Validation of the OptiSafe™ eye irritation test. Cutan Ocul Toxicol 39(3):180-192. https://doi.org/10.1080/15569527.2020.1787431

Because specific positive control materials are often written into testing standards for in vitro assays, selection of appropriate positive control materials can aid in ensuring the long-term relevance and usability of these standards. A recent publication in the journal ALTEX describes characteristics that should be considered when selecting a positive control material for an in vitro assay. Authors of the paper include Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer and ICCVAM members John Gordon. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, and Elijah Petersen and John Elliott, both of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Petersen et al. 2021. Characteristics to consider when selecting a positive control material for an in vitro assay. ALTEX. https://doi.org/10.14573/altex.2102111

Estimates of dermal absorption used in dermal toxicity hazard assessments are currently derived using both in vitro and in vivo data. NICEATM and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency retrospectively evaluated agrochemical formulations to assess the feasibility of using in vitro data alone for these estimates. The comparisons presented support potentially using in vitro data alone to derive these estimates for human health risk assessment of pesticides.

Allen et al. 2021. Retrospective analysis of dermal absorption triple pack data. ALTEX. https://doi.org/10.14573/altex.2101121

• Acting NICEATM Director Kleinstreuer coauthored a summary of a symposium titled “Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS): Challenges and Opportunities,” hosted by the Yale School of Public Health. The meeting focused on the current state of the science on these chemicals, highlighted the challenges unique to PFAS, and explored promising opportunities for addressing them.
  Hagstrom et al. 2021. Yale School of Public Health Symposium: An overview of the challenges and opportunities associated with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Sci Total Environ. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146192
• A report is now available of the November 2018 workshop “FutureTox IV: Predictive Toxicology for Healthy Children.” Report coauthors include Acting NICEATM Director Kleinstreuer; ICCVAM members Suzanne Fitzpatrick and Donna Mendrick, both of FDA; and K. Nadira De Abrew, current chair of SACATM.
  Knudsen et al. 2021. FutureTox IV Workshop Summary: Predictive Toxicology for Healthy Children. Toxicol Sci. https://doi.org/10.1093/toxsci/kfab013

The following sessions during the second week of the virtual SOT meeting, March 22-26, feature presentations by NICEATM and ICCVAM scientists. Please consider adding them to your itinerary.

Monday March 22:

• Poster Session - 1:00-2:45 p.m. EDT: Computational Toxicology I
• Poster Session - 1:00-2:45 p.m. EDT: Risk Assessment

• Symposium Session - 11:15 a.m.-2:00 p.m. EDT: Opportunities for Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Neurons in In Vitro Neurotoxicity Safety Testing
• Symposium Session - 11:30 a.m.-2:45 p.m. EDT: Mind the Gap: Finding Practical Ways to Fast-Track the Future of Animal-Free Toxicology Testing
• Poster Session - 1:00-2:45 p.m. EDT: Computational Toxicology II
• Poster Session - 1:00-2:45 p.m. EDT: Alternatives to Mammalian Models I
• Poster Session - 1:00-2:45 p.m. EDT: DNA Damage and Repair
• Platform Session - 2:45-4:00 p.m. EDT: Biological Models for In Vitro-In Vivo Extrapolation

• Workshop Session - 11:45 a.m.-2:30 p.m. EDT: Applicability Domains and Future of Nonanimal Tests for Skin Sensitization
• Poster Session - 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. EDT: Alternatives to Mammalian Models II

• Continuing Education Course 11 - 11:00 a.m.-2:45 p.m. EDT: Establishing Confidence in Organ-on-a-Chip Systems for Toxicity Testing: Lung-on-a-Chip as an Example
• Continuing Education Course 14 - 11:00 a.m.-2:45 p.m. EDT: Understanding Tox21/ToxCast High-Throughput Screening Data and Applications to Modeling

Scientists planning to attend QSAR 2021 are invited to nominate themselves or their colleagues for awards to be presented at the workshop. Nominations are due by April 30.

• Students or postdocs who have submitted an abstract to QSAR 2021 are eligible for the Student/Post-Doc Best Abstract Awards. Three awards will be presented, one each to applicants from North America, Europe, and Japan. Winners will receive complementary registration to QSAR 2021 and the next international QSAR conference.
• Scientists who have made substantial and seminal scientific contributions to the field of in silico non-animal testing methods are eligible for the International QSAR Lifetime Achievement Award. Nominees should be active scientists involved in relevant research and must have worked at least 30 years in the field after receiving their highest degree. The winner will be honored during the QSAR 2021 awards luncheon and recognized in the meeting program and website.
• Scientists who have made significant scientific contributions to the field of in silico non-animal testing methods are eligible for the International QSAR Mid-career Achievement Award. Nominees should be active scientists involved in relevant research and must have worked 15-30 years in the field after receiving their highest degree. The winner will be honored during the QSAR 2021 awards luncheon and recognized in the meeting program and website.
• Scientists who have made significant scientific contributions to the field of in silico non-animal testing methods and show promise in continuing to have a meaningful role in the field are eligible for the International QSAR Promising Early Career Award. Nominees should be active scientists involved in relevant research and must have worked 5-15 years in the field after receiving their highest degree. The winner will be honored during the QSAR 2021 awards luncheon and recognized in the meeting program and website. They will also receive a £250 monetary award, courtesy of the journal ATLA (Alternatives to Laboratory Animals).

The 11th World Congress on Alternatives and Animal Use in the Life Sciences will be held as a virtual meeting from August 23-September 2. Registration will open soon. Those who registered to attend World Congress in 2020 will not need to re-register to attend the virtual World Congress. Frequently Asked Questions about the virtual World Congress can be viewed on the meeting website.

World Congress organizers are accepting new abstracts. Abstracts previously submitted can be updated. The deadline for submitting, updating, or withdrawing abstracts is April 1. Abstracts should cover original work that may have been published recently; there is no abstract submission fee.

On March 12, NICEATM released the version 3.3 update of the Integrated Chemical Environment (ICE). ICE provides data and tools to help develop, assess, and interpret chemical safety tests. This release adds two new tools, new features including expanded activity visualization, and new datasets to existing ICE resources.

New tools:

• Curve Surfer: allows users to view and interact with concentration-response curves from curated high-throughput screening data.
• PBPK tool: this tool, based on the EPA httk package, allows users to generate predictions of tissue-specific chemical concentration profiles following a dosing event.

Updates to existing tools:

• Search tool: users can get detailed visualization of query results.
• IVIVE tool: users can now upload their own in vivo data to overlay on the results.
• Chemical Characterization: new visualizations include bioactivity PCA plots and Consumer Use Explorer, which allows users to view chemical use categories from EPA's CPDat.

New data:

• Cancer data from multiple sources, including detailed data from NTP two-year cancer bioassays and in vivo and in vitro genotoxicity studies.
• DART in vivo bioassays from EPA’s ToxRefDB.
• Updated in vivo human predictive patch test data set for skin sensitization characterization compiled by NICEATM and the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR).

ICE is available at https://ice.ntp.niehs.nih.gov/.

The PETA Science Consortium International e.V. is co-organizing a webinar series with EPA and PCRM. The eighth webinar in the series, “Use of Computational and AOP-based Approaches to Inform Carcinogenicity Assessments,” will be Wednesday, March 10 at 11:00 a.m.

This webinar features two presenters:

• Susanne Stalford from Lhasa Limited will present on the development of an adverse outcome pathway (AOP) framework being developed for carcinogenicity risk.
• Martin Philips from the EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics will present an overview of OncoLogic® Version 9, a system for predicting carcinogenicity concerns.

The Birth Defects Research and Prevention Society annual meeting will be held virtually from June 24-July 1. The theme for this year’s meeting is “Building Bridges in Birth Defects Research and Prevention: From Innovation to Application”.

Abstract submissions are due March 31. More information about the annual meeting and abstract submission, including a list of topics for potential abstracts, visit the Society's website.

The 11^th World Congress on Animal Use and Alternatives in the Life Sciences will be held virtually in late August 2021. More information will be posted as it becomes available on the World Congress website.

PETA Science Consortium International e.V. (PETA-SCI) is teaming up with MatTek Life Sciences to offer EpiAlveolar™ and EpiAirway™ tissues that can be used to test chemicals, drugs, nanomaterials, and pathogens. EpiAlveolar models the lower respiratory tract and includes primary human alveolar epithelial cells, pulmonary endothelial cells, and fibroblasts, while EpiAirway models the upper respiratory tract and comprises normal, human-derived tracheal/bronchial epithelial cells.

The awardee will be selected based on their proposal’s scientific merit and impact on replacing animal tests, and will receive $10,000 U.S. redeemable for EpiAlveolar or EpiAirway tissues. Researchers from any sector are encouraged to apply, and the competition is open to applicants worldwide. More information is available on the PETA-SCI website; apply by April 9

Dori Germolec, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, has been elected to serve as SOT Vice President-elect for 2021-2022. The Vice President-elect serves on the SOT governing council and transitions to the role of Vice President and then President in subsequent years. Germolec will begin her term on May 1. A blog post on the SOT website summarizes Germolec's work with SOT and her vision for the future of SOT.

For several years, Germolec has led or participated in NICEATM immunotoxicity projects. She coordinated testing in three in vitro assays of over 200 chemicals nominated by ICCVAM member agencies to expand the potential applicability of defined approaches to identification of skin sensitizers. Some of these data were used to support the use of non-animal defined approaches for skin sensitization hazard assessment of isothiazolinone compounds, the basis for a recent draft U.S. Environmental Protection Agency risk assessment for these substances. Germolec is a member of the ICCVAM Skin Sensitization Expert Group and the ICCVAM Developmental Immunotoxicity Expert Group.

Slides and video are now available from the January 26 ICCVAM Communities of Practice Webinar on "Non-animal Approaches for Mixtures Assessment." The purpose of this webinar was to present key insights and ongoing activities in the area of mixtures toxicity testing. The webinar included presentations from staff of three ICCVAM agencies, including Cynthia Rider from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Patricia Ruiz from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, and Kristin Isaacs from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The discipline of computational toxicology encompasses the use of computational tools to support integrative approaches to toxicological research and chemical safety assessments. Computational approaches can be applied to predictive modeling, analyses of complex data sets, and extrapolation and translation among evidence streams, particularly those from new approach methodologies that rely upon alternatives to animal testing.

Chemical Research in Toxicology has published a special issue focusing on computational toxicology. The issue includes 38 contributions from experts in the field, as well as three reviews and perspectives, 34 research articles and one ToxWatch. Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer is a co-editor of the special issue and co-author of three research articles. Other co-authors of articles appearing in the issue include Brian Berridge, principal representative to ICCVAM from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, and Suzanne Fitzpatrick, principal representative to ICCVAM from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

In order to maintain full engagement with the European Union, the UK-based PETA International Science Consortium Ltd. announced that it will cease operations and that their activities will now be conducted as the Germany-based PETA Science Consortium International e.V. (PETA-SCI). PETA-SCI will continue to engage with NICEATM and other organizations to advance robust non-animal methods.

NCATS is seeking an exceptional scientist to apply genomic tools to toxicology and pharmacology as a postdoctoral student in the Genomic Toxicology Lab. The Genomic Toxicology Lab participates in the U.S. federal Tox21 Consortium by developing methods to assess the effects of chemicals on human health.

The selected candidate will complete development and implement a novel high-throughput screening method that quantifies expression of selected genes in cultured mammalian cells. They will work with collaborators who have developed iPSC-derived endothelial cells, as well as 3-D endothelial cell models that incorporate shear flow and co-culture with vascular smooth muscle cells.

Applicants should be U.S. citizens and have a Ph.D. in a relevant field of molecular or medical biology, a strong publication record, molecular biology and mammalian cell culture skills and strong communication skills in written and spoken English. Familiarity with vascular biology, or high-throughput screening is an advantage.

To apply, please send a cover letter, that specifically addresses why you're interested in this position, a CV with bibliography, and names and contact information for three references to David Gerhold at [email protected].

EPA has updated the list of NAMs that the agency will consider for the purpose of satisfying information requirements under TSCA. Updates reflect changes made to OECD test guidelines. Other updates consider guidance on acute systemic toxicity testing waivers issued by the EPA Office of Pesticide Programs, and availability of a new expert system to predict carcinogenicity of organic chemicals, fibers, metals, and polymers.

A 2016 update of TSCA required EPA to issue a list of methods and approaches that do not use vertebrate animals to develop new data or information required under TSCA. EPA also developed the “Strategic Plan to Promote the Development and Implementation of Alternative Test Methods Within the TSCA Program.” Information about the NAMs list and the Strategic Plan is available on the EPA website.

Microphysiological systems (MPS) provide human cell-based platforms that enable the study both of normal organ function and effects on organ function by toxicants or pathogens. On January 29, NICEATM and the National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement, and Reduction of Animal Research (NC3Rs) co-hosted the first meeting of the Microphysiological Systems for COVID Research (MPSCoRe) working group.

Meeting attendees were individuals and organizations that represent MPS stakeholders as well as COVID researchers. The agenda included three presentations and a time for open discussion. To view a recording of the presentations and other materials from the meeting, visit the NICEATM MPS webpage.

ICCVAM Member Elijah Petersen, NIST, is recipient of the 2020 Young Investigator Award from Chemical Research in Toxicology. The journal has published an interview with Petersen about the award.

Petersen played a key role in NIST becoming an ICCVAM member agency in 2016 and has been NIST’s alternate principal agency representative since NIST joined ICCVAM. His work focuses on developing robust, reproducible standard methods, and he has a particular interest in the effect of nanomaterials contamination on living organisms. He is a lead investigator for an ongoing validation study of the electrophilic allergen screening assay that is being conducted by four ICCVAM member agencies.

EMGS is now accepting submissions for their 2021 Bioinformatics Challenge. Abstracts are solicited for following areas:

• Novel computational approaches, including machine learning and artificial intelligence, on high-throughput, high-content, exposure-risk assessment, and/or clinical data classification.
• Genetic/genomic toxicological applications of model organism databases, including EcoCyc E. coli database, Saccharomyces genome database, WormBase, wFleaBase, Xenbase, and ZFIN.
• Predictive modeling with genomic/mutation/epimutation datasets, and/or toxicology databases, including Tox21/ToxCast, Drug Matrix, TG-Gates, Comparative Toxicogenomics Database, and SeqAPASS.

Submissions should include a 250-word abstract and a data visualization or conceptual workflow pipeline. Submissions are due by February 28 to [email protected]. Selected participants will receive a $100 monetary award and present their work in the preliminary round of the competition, which will be held as a virtual symposium in Spring 2021. The finalist teams will be invited to present during the 2021 EMGS Virtual Annual Meeting and compete for the grand prize of $1000.

Read-across is a computational technique that uses toxicity data from data-rich chemicals to predict toxicity for an untested or data-poor chemical. The use of NAMs in support of read-across approaches for regulatory purposes is a main goal of the European Union’s EU-ToxRisk project. At a 2019 workshop, scientists from regulatory agencies, industry, and academia met to discuss this issue and consider case studies in which read-across had been applied to specific regulatory problems. Grace Patlewicz, EPA, chair of the ICCVAM Read Across Workgroup, is a co-author of the workshop report.

Rovida et al. NAM-supported read-across: from case studies to regulatory guidance in safety assessment. ALTEX. https://doi.org/10.14573/altex.2010062

EURL ECVAM has issued its 2020 “Status Report on the Development, Validation and Regulatory Acceptance of Alternative Methods and Approaches.”

The status report describes research, development, and validation activities, as well as initiatives that promote the regulatory and international adoption and use of alternative approaches and their dissemination. Activities described in the report include:

• Developing guidance for moving from traditional animal tests to non-animal assays for vaccine quality control.
• Validating methods to identify substances with the potential to affect the thyroid signaling pathway, damage DNA, induce skin and respiratory sensitization, or harm fish.
• Exploring how to apply existing toxicity information to predicting different toxicity endpoints.
• EURL ECVAM, which is part of the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, coordinates research and validation studies on alternatives to animal testing within the European Union. EURL ECVAM also shares knowledge about and promotes use of alternative methods.

Frontiers in In Vitro Toxicology has launched a new research topic, Chemical Testing Using New Approach Methodologies (NAMs). The journal is actively looking for research contributions on this topic for an upcoming special issue. Contributions should be related to the use of NAMs to meet or support regulatory requirements for chemical toxicity testing. Submissions will be put online as they are accepted and the journal will also put together a special e-book of the issue after the deadline.

The optional deadline to submit an abstract is March 31, 2021. Manuscripts are due by July 31, 2021. To submit your abstract or manuscript and for more information about this research topic visit the journal website.

NIST has an opening for a postdoctoral position in their Biosystems and Biomaterials Division. This postdoctoral opportunity will feature comprehensive examination of in vitro or other assays relevant to the biocompatibility of dental materials to improve the repeatability, comparability and interlaboratory agreement of the assay results. The position is located in the Gaithersburg, MD office.

Applicants should be U.S. citizens and have Ph.D.s in engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, or a related field. Applicants should also have experience in cell and tissue culture, cell-assay development and execution, and using other biological laboratory assays.

Applications are being received now and will continue to be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filed. To apply, applicants should send an updated CV and contact information to Elijah Petersen [email protected].

EPA has openings for experienced biologists in the Health Effects Division and the Environmental Fate and Effects Division within the Office of Pesticide Programs. Successful candidates for these positions will:

• Interpret, evaluate, analyze, and synthesize scientific data and other information for the development of human health and/or environmental assessments on the effects of pesticides from both hazard/toxicology and exposure studies.
• Determine the general approach necessary to accomplish the review and evaluation of data.
• Prepare reports that include evaluation of available data and assessments of exposure, hazard, and/or risk from exposure to pesticides.
• Review and make recommendations on the exposure analyses for pesticides in various environments concerning the retention or cancellation of pesticides.

Applicants should have at least a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, agriculture, natural resource management, chemistry, or related area and at least one year of relevant experience. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, and a pre-employment background check will be required. All positions are currently located in Arlington, Virginia. Applications must be submitted by Wednesday, February 17. For more information, contact Chelsea Vaughn at 919-541-4215 or [email protected].

A publication coauthored by Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer describes computational models that use a variety of multitask approaches to predict acute systemic toxicity. The accuracy of the new models improves upon previous models. The new models also provide toxicity predictions for species such as dog, chicken, and rabbit.

Jain et al. 2021. Large-scale modeling of multispecies acute toxicity end points using consensus of multitask deep learning models. J Chem Inf Model. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jcim.0c01164

A video recording and other materials are now available from the workshop “Microphysiological Systems (MPS): Bridging Human and Animal Research,” presented by National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research on January 19-20. Topics covered in the webinar included:

• MPS for toxicology testing
• Data and developmental tools
• Public health and COVID-19
• Commercialization
• Integrated multi-organ systems
• Animal cell and chip banks

Materials are now available from the second annual EPA conference on the “State of Science on Development and Use of NAMs for Chemical Safety Testing,” which was held October 19-20, 2020. The conference highlighted the state of the science on the development and use of NAMs for chemical safety testing. A summary of the conference including the agenda, presentations, conference recording, transcript, and conference summary report (which includes questions received during the conference and responses) can be found at the EPA’s NAMs website.

Minutes from the September 2020 meeting of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Alternative Toxicological Methods (SACATM) are now available. SACATM, a federally chartered advisory group, meets annually to advise ICCVAM, NICEATM and the Director of NIEHS and NTP regarding the statutorily mandated duties of ICCVAM and NICEATM activities.

Recognizing the occasion of ICCVAM’s 20th anniversary, SACATM members and commenters praised ICCVAM’s work to advance alternatives to animal testing and identified opportunities for further progress. Specific areas mentioned included genotoxicity and carcinogenicity and replacement of animal use for antibody production. One day of the meeting was devoted to considering sources, management, and quality of data that are needed to evaluate new methods, as well as computational tools that can both support evaluation of new methods and predict toxicity. Presentations covered the variability in animal data, applications of machine learning, and in vitro human-based models that incorporate genetic diversity.

NIEHS is offering grants to small businesses to support development of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning approaches to advance environmental health research and decisions. When further developed and validated, these approaches should improve the accuracy of toxicity prediction, help in prioritizing chemicals for more relevant or targeted testing, identify and/or fill data or knowledge gaps in toxicity assessment, and promote more comprehensive understanding of human exposure effects, susceptibility and adverse health outcomes.

Letters of intent to apply for the grants are due February 28, with applications due March 29. Only U.S. small businesses are eligible to apply. Applicant organizations may submit more than one application provided that each application is scientifically distinct. NIEHS intends to commit $2 million to this program in the 2021 fiscal year that will fund up to eight awards. More information is available on the National Institutes of Health website:

• Small Business Innovation Research grants
• Small Business Technology Transfer grants

PETA-ISC is hiring a scientist for its Regulatory Testing Department. With the goal of replacing animal tests required by regulatory agencies, the successful candidate will conduct independent research, attend scientific conferences, collaborate with companies and regulatory agencies, review and write technical reports, and maintain expertise in non-animal testing approaches and international regulatory requirements.

Applicants should have at least three years of experience with FDA, EPA, USDA’s Center for Veterinary Biologics, or a chemical, pharmaceutical, or medical device company regulated by one of these agencies.

To apply for this position and see other available positions at PETA-ISC visit their website.

The SOT Computational Toxicology Specialty Section is soliciting applications for the Yves Alarie Diversity Award, which recognizes a motivated trainee or young investigator from an under-represented group who is working in the field of computational toxicology. The award provides $2,500 to support professional development, including travel or registration to attend a scientific meeting or training.

Applications for the award have been extended to February 10, 2021. Applicants should be enrolled in a doctoral or postdoctoral program or have completed their training within the past five years. Only current SOT members are eligible, and preference will be given to Computational Toxicology Specialty Section members or applicants. Applicants should have had an abstract accepted and be planning to attend the SOT 2021 annual meeting.

To apply for this award, please send your abstract and all other required documents to David Szabo at [email protected].

A webpage summarizing NICEATM and ICCVAM activities at the March 12-26 virtual SOT annual meeting is now available. Please refer to this page as you plan your SOT itinerary.

NICEATM and ICCVAM will have a strong presence at SOT. NICEATM is presenting ten posters and four platform presentations. ICCVAM members are coauthors on seven posters and four talks. ICCVAM members Warren Casey (NIEHS) and Suzanne Fitzpatrick (FDA) will speak at a continuing education course on “Establishing Confidence in Organ-on-a-chip Systems for Toxicity Testing: Lung-on-a-chip as an Example”.

A report is available from a 2019 workshop that reviewed developments in the prediction of acute oral lethality for chemicals and mixtures, as well as progress and needs in the understanding and modeling of mechanisms of acute lethality. The workshop was co-organized by NICEATM and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Workshop participants concluded that a variety of approaches will be needed to fully replace the use of animals for acute systemic toxicity testing. In the near term, non-testing approaches could be used for some assessments. These approaches, which include waiving tests, computational models for single chemicals, and calculating the acute lethality of mixtures based on the LD50 values of mixture components, may be particularly useful for chemicals in the very toxic or non-toxic classification ranges. Other needs identified in the workshop include development of agency policies indicating contexts under which mathematical approaches for mixtures assessment are acceptable; improved understanding of the variability of in vivo approaches; and mechanistically based in vitro or in silico models developed to support non-testing approaches.

Sullivan et al. 2021. Mind the gaps: Prioritizing activities to meet regulatory needs for acute systemic lethality. ALTEX. https://doi.org/10.14573/altex.2012121.

On January 19, EPA published final guidance that will allow researchers to forego testing chemicals on animal skin in certain circumstances. The “Final Guidance for Waiving Acute Dermal Toxicity Tests for Pesticide Single-Active Ingredient and Supporting Retrospective Analysis” allows for data waivers for acute dermal studies for single active ingredients used to develop end-use products. The document includes a policy statement to waive all acute lethality dermal studies for single active ingredients.

The new final guidance supports EPA efforts to identify opportunities for test waivers that can reduce animal use for testing required for pesticide registration. It also supports the broader EPA goal of eliminating the use of mammals for chemical safety testing by 2035.

A link to the guidance and more information about EPA waivers of animal tests are available on the EPA website.

The FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research is offering grants to support development of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models for bioequivalence studies for new generic drugs. Proposals should include scientifically justified in vitro to in vivo extrapolation strategies. They should also discuss how the models will address population variability and a plan for how to verify and validate models. Applications are being accepted now and are due by January 29. One or two awards will be made under this opportunity, with total funding of $600,000 over two years. FDA invites applications from a broad range of institutions for this opportunity, including U.S. and foreign for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

The SOT In Vitro and Alternatives Methods Specialty Section is presenting a webinar titled “Big Data and Toxicology – Future is Now” on January 29 at 11:00 a.m. EST.

The first speaker is Thomas Hartung from the Center for Alternatives to Animal Testing, Johns Hopkins University. His talk, titled “A.I. and Big Data-New Kids on the Toxicology Block,” will focus on how machine learning (A.I.) and big data have impacted developments in toxicology and chemical assessment over the last several years.

The second speaker is Thomas Luechtefeld from Insilica LLC. His talk, titled “Smart Chemistry – Algorithms for Chemical Classification and Clustering,” will discuss how transfer learning approaches leverage models that are trained on one task to accelerate learning on other tasks.

The European Commission is organizing a February 2-3 conference on “Towards Replacement of Animals for Scientific Purposes.” The conference aims to advance progress in reducing the use of animals in science and testing. It is open to a wide and diverse audience of those working with animal models or alternative approaches in any field of basic or applied science. The main objectives of the conference are to:

• Provide an update on the Commission’s strategic work towards the ultimate goal of replacing animals in science by advancing non-animal alternatives.
• Illustrate how increased transparency on current animal use can help speed up the transition to non-animal approaches.
• Showcase the most recent scientific advances in replacing animal models.

Registration is free, and a draft program is available; please note that presentation times are Central European Time (subtract six hours for U.S. Eastern Time).

The SOT Carcinogenesis Specialty Section will host a series of webinars titled “Fundamentals and Frontiers in Carcinogenesis” as part of a month-long trainee workshop. This workshop will introduce foundational aspects of carcinogenesis to SOT trainees including undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and those who may not directly work in the field of carcinogenesis but wish to expand their knowledgebase. The webinars will be presented every Friday in February 2021.

• Molecular mechanism of carcinogenesis – February 5 from noon-1:00 p.m. EST. Speaker: Udayan Apte – Department of Pharmacology, Toxicology and Therapeutics, University of Kansas Medical Center.
• Cancer risk assessment – February 12 from noon-1:00 p.m. EST. Speaker: Bette Meek – McLaughlin Centre for Risk Science, University of Ottawa.
• New tools for carcinogenicity assessment – February 19 from noon-1:00 p.m. EST. Speaker: Scott Auerbach – Division of the NTP, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.
• Cancer biomarkers – February 26 from noon-1:00 p.m. Speaker: Jia-Sheng Wang – Department of Environmental Health Science, College of Public Health, University of Georgia.

ASCCT and the European Society of Toxicology In Vitro are hosting a joint webinar on February 25, 10:00-11:30 a.m. EST. The first presentation, "Quantitative in Vitro to in Vivo Extrapolation (QIVIVE) for Predicting Reduced Anogenital Distance produced by Anti-Androgenic Pesticides in a Rodent Model for Male Reproductive Disorders," will be given by Martin Scholze, Centre for Pollution Research and Policy, Brunel University London, UK. The second presentation, "A Web-based Toolbox to Support Quantitative In Vitro-to-In Vivo extrapolations (QIVIVE)," will be given by Ans Punt, Wageningen Food Safety Research, The Netherlands.

The International Foundation for Ethical Research (IFER) is accepting applications for graduate fellowships. These one-year grants of approximately $12,500 support projects by master’s and Ph.D. students in the sciences. Relevant projects address development, acceptance, and implementation of innovative methods that advance science and refine, reduce, or replace the use of animals in research, testing, or education. Grants are renewable for up to three years, depending on student progress and availability of funds. Special consideration may be given to proposals that are likely to replace the use of animals in research, and for projects that are likely to refine, reduce, or replace the use of nonhuman primates or dogs in research. Applicants must be beginning or beyond their second year of graduate school as of September 2021. Applications are due Friday, April 30.

Two papers describing NICEATM research are now available online from Chemical Research in Toxicology. Both papers will be included in a special issue of the journal co-edited by acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer.

• A cardiotoxicity profile was developed for the Tox21 chemical library focusing on high-throughput screening assays having targets related to cardiovascular failure modes. The profile was able to identify drugs with known cardiotoxic effects. This approach may enable development of new hypotheses around environmental chemicals of potential interest for adverse cardiovascular outcomes using Tox21/ToxCast data. Krishna et al. 2020. High-throughput screening to identify chemical cardiotoxic potential. Chem Res Toxicol. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.0c00382
• Saagar is a novel set of extensible chemistry-aware substructures that support interpretable predictive models and read-across protocols. Saagar features are interpretable and efficiently characterize diverse chemical collections, making them a better choice for building interpretable predictive in silico models and read-across protocols. Sedykh et al. 2020. Saagar – a new, extensible set of molecular substructures for QSAR/QSPR and read-across predictions. Chem Res Toxicol. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.0c00464

Environmental Health Perspectives (EHP) is seeking input from a diverse group of leaders in the field of environmental health science and scientific publishing. Participants in the upcoming EHP Strategic Planning Summit will explore the future of environmental health sciences and scholarly publishing, map a strategy for EHP, and cultivate a more connected and collaborative EHP community.

The summit will be held virtually on January 28, February 2, and February 5. Those interested in participating must register online. Registrants will be asked about their background and their perspectives on EHP and the field of environmental health sciences. Space in the summit is limited; participants will be notified about their selection by 6:00 p.m. EST this Friday, January 15.

EHP is a monthly journal of environmental health research and news published with support from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. Since its launch in 1972, EHP has established itself as a high-impact, reliable, and trustworthy source of scientific information connecting the environment and human health.

ASCCT and the European Society for Toxicology In Vitro will hold a webinar featuring presentations by authors of 2020 ASCCT award winning posters on Thursday, January 14, 10-11:15 a.m. EST.

The Ed Carney Predictive Toxicology Award recognizes the first author of an outstanding poster or platform presentation that will advance predictive toxicology. The 2020 award was presented to Eva C.M. Vitucci from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for her presentation "Identifying the Molecular Mechanisms of Air Pollution-Induced Cardiovascular Disease".

The Ray Tice Tox21 Student Award recognizes the best student presentation during the ASCCT meeting. The 2020 winner was Sherri Bloch from Université de Montréal for her presentation "Using in Vitro Data to Derive Acceptable Exposure Levels: A Case Study on PBDE Developmental Neurotoxicity”.

Abstracts are now being accepted for the 19th International Workshop on (Quantitative) Structure-Activity Relationships in Environmental and Health Sciences (QSAR2021), which will take place on June 7-10, 2021 as a virtual event. The theme for this year’s workshop is “From QSAR to New Approach Methodologies (NAMs)”. This workshop aims to bring scientists from around the world together with developers and users of predictive models and their underlying data to foster discussion and debate around the practical implementation of NAMs.

Abstracts of original work must be submitted online by January 30. Presenters can indicate preference for an oral or poster presentation and up to two theme categories. Participants who submitted last year for QSAR2020 will need to update and resubmit their abstracts. User credentials for accessing the abstract submission system will still be valid. For more information and to register for QSAR2021 visit the workshop website or contact [email protected].

A FDA report provides updates on activities to advance development of alternatives to animal use and their application to regulatory decision-making. The report, “Advancing New Alternative Methodologies at FDA,” is available on the FDA website.

This report was developed by the FDA Alternative Methods Working Group to highlight the progress FDA scientists have made in laying the groundwork to integrate alternatives to animal testing into FDA regulatory programs. The report describes activities within eight FDA offices and centers, as well as FDA working groups and interagency partnerships such as ICCVAM and Tox21. The report also summarizes FDA engagement to advance alternatives to animal testing in international venues such as the International Cooperation on Cosmetic Regulation and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Registration is open for the ICCVAM Communities of Practice webinar “Non-animal Approaches for Mixtures Assessment.” The webinar is scheduled for Tuesday, January 26, at 9:00 a.m. EST. Information about the webinar and a link to register are available on the webinar information page.

While most available toxicity data are for single chemicals, humans are often exposed to chemicals as mixtures. Assessing the safety of a mixture is a complex process that requires consideration of both the toxicity of each chemical component of the mixture and the potential for interaction among the components to affect toxicity of the overall mixture. Additionally, most alternative methods and approaches used for assessing chemical safety are developed and evaluated using single chemicals. This can result in lack of clarity about whether a method is appropriate to use for assessing toxicity of a particular mixture.

This webinar will discuss new approach methodologies for assessing exposure to, and potential hazards associated with, chemical mixtures. Key insights and ongoing activities will be described in three presentations featuring speakers from U.S. federal research and regulatory agencies.

NLM's ALTBIB literature search tool has moved to the NICEATM website.

ALTBIB is the Bibliography on Alternatives to the Use of Live Vertebrates in Biomedical Research and Testing. NLM developed ALTBIB to provide access to PubMed citations for users seeking information on alternatives to animal testing. Many citations provide access to free full text.

The search strategy on the new ALTBIB site has been updated to capture key topics of current interest such as microphysiological systems and quantitative structure activity relationship models. The content has been reorganized to provide additional user support, and more links have been added to the “Additional Resources” list. Users can still edit the ALTBIB search strategy to broaden or narrow searches. The list of keywords related to specific topics that was available on the NLM ALTBIB site is not yet available on the new NICEATM site. This list is being updated and revised and will be added to the NICEATM site in early 2021.

A link on the NLM site will temporarily redirect users looking for ALTBIB on the NLM site to its new home at NICEATM. However, ALTBIB users should update any bookmarks to reflect the new location.

Materials are now available from the September 30 webinar “Opportunities and Challenges in Using the Kinetically Derived Maximum Dose Concept to Refine Risk Assessment.” These include abstracts, slides, and video recordings of all presentations, as well as questions submitted to speakers and speakers’ responses.

The kinetically derived maximum dose (KMD) refers to the dose at which a departure from dose proportionality or linear pharmacokinetics is observed. Toxicity findings at doses above a KMD may not be relevant to human health risks when potential exposure levels are orders of magnitude lower. However, consideration of the KMD in the design or interpretation of animal toxicity studies for environmental chemicals is rare, and many technical and scientific issues hinder its proper use. The purpose of this symposium was to highlight these commonly raised issues and provide the background information needed to develop more consistent, transparent approaches to support broader KMD application in risk assessment. The symposium was organized by NICEATM, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pesticide Programs, and the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute

The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research are hosting a virtual webinar “Microphysiological Systems (MPS): Bridging Human and Animal Research” on January 19-20. MPS are in vitro platforms comprised of 3D constructs from human or animal origin that mimic properties of organs or tissue function. They are developed with the goal of reducing the use of whole animal studies in research. The webinar will cover:

• MPS for toxicology testing
• Data and developmental tools
• Public health and COVID-19
• Commercialization
• Integrated multi-organ systems
• Animal cell and chip banks

NIEHS is offering grants to small businesses to support development of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning approaches to advance environmental health research and decisions. When further developed and validated, these approaches should improve the accuracy of toxicity prediction, help in prioritizing chemicals for more relevant or targeted testing, identify and/or fill data or knowledge gaps in toxicity assessment, and promote more comprehensive understanding of human exposure effects, susceptibility and adverse health outcomes.

Letters of intent to apply for the grants are due February 28, with applications due March 29. Only U.S. small businesses are eligible to apply. Applicant organizations may submit more than one application provided that each application is scientifically distinct. NIEHS intends to commit $2 million to this program in the 2021 fiscal year that will fund up to eight awards. More information is available on the National Institutes of Health website:

• Small Business Innovation Research grants
• Small Business Technology Transfer grants

A webinar organized by ASCCT and the European Society for Toxicology In Vitro will describe “Medical Device Assessment: Updates for Thrombogenicity and Skin Irritation”. The webinar will be presented Thursday, December 17, from 11:00 a.m. - 12 noon EST.

Interest is growing in the use of alternatives to animal testing for safety assessments of medical devices. In this webinar, two speakers from Medtronic will describe evaluations of in vitro tests for two endpoints. Michael Wolf will describe use of human blood to evaluate a device’s potential for thrombogenicity, the tendency of a material to induce blood clotting. Kelly Coleman will provide a progress update on the use of in vitro tests as alternatives to the rabbit skin irritation tests for medical devices. He will discuss the update of International Organization for Standardization standard 10993-23 on irritation testing for medical devices, which states that the use of reconstructed human epidermis test methods is preferable to animal use for this endpoint.

Previously recorded ASCCT webinars are available on their website.

The SOT Carcinogenesis Specialty Section has extended the deadline to January 15 for nominations for the James A. Swenberg Carcinogenesis Merit Award. This award has been established to encourage junior faculty members to conduct transformative mechanistic research in the field of carcinogenesis. The award will recognize outstanding individuals for their cumulative contribution to advancements in understanding the mechanisms of environmental agent-associated carcinogenesis.

Candidates can self-nominate or be nominated by their peers. They must be members of the Carcinogenesis Specialty Section, hold tenure- or research-track assistant professor positions in an academic institution, and have earned their highest degree within the last 15 years. Applications should be sent to Chris Corton at [email protected] by January 15.

ASCCT's 9th annual meeting was held online on October 20-23. A summary of the meeting is available on the ASCCT website, and a link to a downloadable program, which includes all presentation abstracts, is also on this page.

During the meeting, Suzanne Fitzpatrick, FDA, was honored with the William and Eleanor Cave Award for her significant contributions to Tox21 and advancing alternative approaches. The award recognizes achievements in development and implementation of alternatives to the traditional use of animals in testing, research, or education. Fitzpatrick is the primary FDA representative to ICCVAM.

EMGS is now accepting submissions for their 2021 Bioinformatics Challenge. Abstracts are being solicited for following areas:

• Novel computational approaches, including machine learning and artificial intelligence, on high-throughput, high-content, exposure-risk assessment, and/or clinical data classification.
• Genetic/genomic toxicological applications of model organism databases, including EcoCyc E. coli database, Saccharomyces genome database, WormBase, wFleaBase, Xenbase, and ZFIN.
• Predictive modeling with genomic/mutation/epimutation datasets, and/or toxicology databases, including Tox21/ToxCast, Drug Matrix, TG-Gates, Comparative Toxicogenomics Database, and SeqAPASS.

Abstracts should be 250 words and include a data visualization or conceptual workflow pipeline. Submissions are due by February 28th, 2021, to [email protected]. Selected participants will receive a $100 monetary award and present their work in the preliminary round of the competition, which will be held as a virtual symposium in Spring 2021. The finalist teams will be invited to present at the 13th International Conference on Environmental Mutagens in Ottawa, Canada from August 28–September 2, 2021, and compete for the grand prize of $1000. For more information visit the EMGS Bioinformatics Challenge website.

On November 30, FDA announced establishment of the Innovative Science and Technology Approaches for New Drugs (ISTAND) pilot program. This program is designed to encourage innovation of drug development tools (DDTs) that are out of scope for existing DDT qualification programs but may still be useful for drug development. DDTs are methods, materials, or measures that have the potential to facilitate drug development. Approaches that could be considered under ISTAND include using tissue chips (also known as microphysiological systems) to assess safety or efficacy questions; developing novel nonclinical pharmacology/toxicology assays; or using artificial intelligence-based algorithms to evaluate patients, develop novel endpoints, or inform study design.

CAAT is accepting proposals for the 2021 Reduction and Refinement Award. The grant is intended for scientists who conduct:

• Systematic reviews, meta-analyses, or citation analyses of animal studies or similar work with the goal to reduce animal use in science.
• Projects with the potential to improve animals’ living situation in the laboratory.

The 2021 award will provide a prize of up to $6,000. Preference will be given to studies that have broad applicability. Applications are due January 31, 2021. Applications should be submitted electronically to Kathrin Herrmann at [email protected].

Applied In Vitro Toxicology is calling for original research and review manuscripts that address the use of integrated strategy approaches to investigate and/or assess toxicological effects, to be published in its next special issue. Integrated approaches combine two or more information sources such as in vitro methodologies, computerized and in silico systems, artificial intelligence, exposure and/or kinetics modeling, systematic reviews, clinical data, etc. The integrated strategy approaches can represent a combination of existing and newly generated data, a sequential testing strategy, a parallel testing battery, or a defined approach leading to the prediction of a certain mechanism of action or toxicological effect. The deadline to submit manuscripts has been extended to February 15, 2021.

The Toxicology Forum will present a virtual workshop on “Assessing Carcinogenicity: Hazard Identification, Classification, and Risk Assessment” on December 7-10. Interested persons are encouraged to register as soon as possible to allow time for review of premeeting materials. For more information and to register, visit the workshop webpage or contact Kevin Merritt at [email protected].

As understanding of chemical carcinogenesis has grown significantly over the last several decades, it is appropriate to look at whether long-standing test methods and risk assessment approaches should be updated based on new understanding. EPA is updating its guidelines for risk assessment, including the 2005 Guidelines for Carcinogen Risk Assessment, that are used by EPA and other federal and state agencies to aid regulatory decision-making and set research priorities. This workshop will provide an opportunity for national and international experts and stakeholders to exchange information regarding these revisions. Outcomes will guide next steps toward the modernization of carcinogenicity identification and risk assessment.

This virtual workshop is planned as two parts. Immediately upon registration, registrants will have access to recorded speaker presentations that provide background on the subject matter. During the scheduled virtual workshop in December, attendees will be able to ask questions and participate in the panel and group discussions on the day's topics. To accommodate registrants from across the world, each day’s live virtual workshop will last 3 hours.

Warren Casey, former NICEATM Director, and Suzanne Fitzpatrick, U.S. Food and Drug Administration principal representative to ICCVAM, are members of the workshop organizing committee; ICCVAM co-chair Anna Lowit, EPA, is a presenter.

EPA hosted the Second Annual “Conference on the State of the Science on Development and Use of New Approach Methods (NAMs) for Chemical Safety Testing” virtually on October 19-20. The virtual conference was presented in response to the September 2019 directive by EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to reduce the EPA’s use of mammalian studies. Conference topics included:

• Implementation of animal testing reduction at EPA.
• State of the science in development of NAMs.
• Current limitations of NAMs.
• Developing scientific confidence in NAMs.

To view the conference presentations and recordings, visit the conference website. If you attended the conference and would like to submit feedback on the EPA New Approach Methods Work Plan, email [email protected].

OECD will hold two interactive webinars to discuss opportunities for expanding the community of trainers to meet current needs for training on AOP-based approaches. Webinar participants will also discuss opportunities for engaging a broader range of communities who may benefit from such training. The webinars are particularly targeted to researchers who are engaged in developing innovative approaches based on mechanistic knowledge of toxicity pathways, have given or attended training on AOPs, or used AOP-based hypotheses for research, test development, or safety assessment purposes.

The same 90-minute webinar will be presented at two different times:

• Monday, November 23, 11:00 a.m. EST (5:00 p.m. Central European Time).
• Monday, November 30, 4:00 a.m. EST (10:00 a.m. Central European Time).

FDA has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Emulate, Inc. to enable multiple studies using Emulate’s Organ-Chips across FDA offices in priority research areas. Organ-Chips are in vitro systems that recreate the natural physiology of specific human tissues and organs. Some projects will evaluate COVID-19 vaccines or investigate human immune response against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Under the CRADA, FDA will use a range of Organ-Chips to study the safety, efficacy, and mechanisms of action of drugs regulated by the FDA. This new CRADA agreement follows the successful completion of the first Emulate CRADA with the FDA initiated in 2017 that focused on toxicity studies using Emulate's Liver-Chip. Details on the CRADA are provided in Emulate’s October 29 press release.

A webinar organized by ASCCT and the European Society for Toxicology In Vitro will describe “Development of a Bayesian Network Model for Predicting Fish Acute Toxicity from Fish Embryo Toxicity Data”. The webinar will be presented Monday, November 30, from 10:00-11:00 a.m. EST.

To reduce animal testing, the fish embryo toxicity test has been proposed as an alternative to the juvenile acute fish toxicity test. However, data from the fish embryo toxicity test are not yet accepted as a replacement to the juvenile acute fish toxicity test for certain regulatory purposes such as REACH. Adam Lillicrap of the Norwegian Institute for Water Research will describe a Bayesian network model for predicting toxicity of substances to juvenile fish from embryo toxicity data in combination with other relevant information. The goal is to use the model in a weight-of-evidence approach to support replacing juvenile fish toxicity testing with embryo toxicity testing.

Previously recorded ASCCT webinars are available on their website.

OSHA and the Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) will hold virtual public meetings on Thursday, November 19. The purpose of the November 19 meetings is to consider public comments and gather information in advance of:

• The 57th session of the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods (UNSCETDG) on November 30-December 8.
• The 39th session of the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (UNSCEGHS) on December 9-11.

The PHMSA public meeting will be held on November 19 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. EST. The OSHA public meeting will be held November 19 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. EST. General information about the OSHA meeting can be found in an October 22 Federal Register notice. Specific information regarding each meeting will be available on the OSHA website as it becomes available.

These meetings will be open to the public on a first-come, first served basis. Attendees must pre-register for all meetings; links to registration will be available on the PHMSA website.

The Extended Advisory Group on Molecular Screening and Toxicogenomics of OECD is seeking information on currently available training courses on AOPs. Those involved in developing or conducting training courses that focus on or incorporate AOPs are invited to complete a brief survey. Completion of the survey will allow OECD to:

• Understand the current training courses available, including the different materials, formats, and target audiences.
• Enable better support of existing activities
• Identify gaps where new content is needed.

The survey has 18 questions and should take 10 minutes or less to complete. Please respond by Friday, October 30.

The Carcinogenesis Specialty Section of SOT is accepting nominations for the James A. Swenberg Carcinogenesis Merit Award. This award has been established to encourage junior faculty members to conduct transformative mechanistic research in the field of carcinogenesis. The award will recognize outstanding individuals for their cumulative contribution to advancements in understanding the mechanisms of environmental agent-associated carcinogenesis.

Candidates can self-nominate or be nominated by their peers. They must be members of the Carcinogenesis Specialty Section, hold tenure- or research-track assistant professor positions in an academic institution, and have earned their highest degree within the last 15 years. Applications are due December 11.

HSUS is seeking a Science Adviser for its Animal Research Issues department. The Science Adviser offers scientific advice to HSUS on programs that seek to replace the use of animals in testing and research through regulatory, legislative, and corporate reforms. Duties include researching and analyzing areas of testing and research that involve the use of animals, staying up to date on scientific advances and technologies that seek to replace the use of animals, and contributing scientific expertise to legislative and regulatory efforts. The applicant must have at least a master's and preferably a Ph.D. in a relevant field, at least two years' experience related to the use of animals in laboratories and alternatives to animal testing, and excellent communication and interpersonal skills. The position will be based in Gaithersburg, MD, or Washington, DC, and applicants should be willing and able to travel. 

On October 20, NICEATM released an update of the Integrated Chemical Environment (ICE). ICE provides data and tools to help develop, assess, and interpret chemical safety tests. This update adds the following features to these ICE tools.

• In Vitro to In Vivo Extrapolation (IVIVE): a new inhalation model from the EPA httk package is available that allows estimation of an equivalent administered dose based on a gas exposure. The IVIVE tool also now allows the user to specify whether experimental or predicted data are used for ADME parameters.
• Chemical Characterization: query results are now displayed using two principal component analysis plots: a static plot that compares query chemicals to a background of a larger chemical set and a dynamic plot that compares query chemicals to one another based on physicochemical properties or molecular descriptors.

Other new resources in ICE 3.2 include:

• Links from chemical identifiers in the Chemicals Search results to information on chemicals in the NTP Chemical Effects in Biological Systems database as well as the EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard.
• Improved user help for graphics tools.
• A new “Genotoxicity” reference chemical list.

Laulima Government Solutions, LLC, is looking for a qualified molecular virologist to support the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick, MD. Duties will include:

• Designing and implementing in vivo, ex vivo, in situ, and in vitro test systems to address molecular virology objectives.
• Advising program leadership on important advances in molecular virology theories and practices.
• Managing and coordinating molecular virology support for ongoing studies.

Applicants must have a PhD in molecular virology or related field and at least five years’ specialized training and research experience. They should be proficient in techniques including reverse genetics and genomics, organs/organoids-on-a-chip, mechanism of action, viral life cycle surrogate systems, protein-protein interactions, gene knock in/knock out, and enzymatic assays. They must also be U.S. citizens, eligible for Centers for Disease Control Select Agent Program approval, and willing to work under BSL-2, BSL-3, and BSL-4 conditions.

EPA has several openings for postdoctoral fellows at their Office of Research and Development laboratory in Duluth, MN. Projects are focused on applications of NAMs for characterization of PFAS. Successful candidates will have interest or experience working with PFAS chemicals. For information about each of the openings, visit the linked webpages or contact the principal investigators listed below. Application deadlines begin October 26.

Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education Postdoctoral Positions:

• Ecological Effects of Per- and Poly-Fluorinated Alkyl Substances (PFAS) Fellowship
  Contact: [email protected]
• Toxicokinetic PFAS Chemical Assessments Fellowship
  Contact: [email protected]
• Effects of PFAS Chemicals in Amphibians Fellowship
  Contact: [email protected]
• PFAS Thyroid Toxicity Fellowship
  Contact: [email protected]

University of Wisconsin-Madison Postdoctoral Position:

• Ecotoxicology of PFAS Fellowship
  Contact: [email protected]

FDA has an opening for an early career scientist with cell and molecular biology lab experience. The successful candidate will support current projects including investigating microphysiological systems and the potential of human cells to model different tissues for predicting clinical drug adverse effects. Specific duties will include:

• Culturing human cells and induced pluripotent stem cells and participating in their differentiation.
• Assembling, operating and cleaning microphysiological systems.
• Performing experiments with the microphysiological systems.
• Maintaining the laboratory for work with the microphysiological systems.
• Properly documenting data and results from experiments, assays, and analysis following established guidelines.

Applicants should have an undergraduate or master’s degree in engineering, microphysiology, cell biology, biology, or a related field, and at least one year’s laboratory experience in academia or industry. The application has no closing date. Additional details are in the attached PDF. For more information please contact Alexandre Ribeiro at 301-796-0126 or [email protected].

Registration is open for the “International Symposium on Alternatives Assessment: Current Practices and Future Prospects.” This meeting will be held virtually on October 27-29. It is organized by the Association for the Advancement of Alternatives Assessment (A4), a professional association dedicated to advancing the science, practice, and policy of alternatives assessment and informed substitution. The vision of A4 is that every essential function performed by a chemical, material, process, or product is achieved with safe and sustainable solutions.

In conjunction with the symposium, A4 is partnering with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine to offer two short courses on “New Approach Methodology (NAM) Use for Regulatory Application.” The session on Monday, October 26, will introduce applied approaches to incorporate and customize read-across strategies for chemical assessments. The session on Friday, October 30, will be a deep dive into case-study illustrations of in vitro tools and next-generation risk assessment. Registration for the short courses and other symposium sessions is free.

Winners have been announced for EMGS Bioinformatics Challenge 2020. The Challenge encouraged EMGS members and bioinformatics/data science experts to work together to develop novel tools and approaches that harness publicly available data resources such as Tox21 and DrugMatrix to identify signatures of genotoxic hazards and provide insight into their mechanisms of action.

The first place award went to Maximillian Soltysiak for the project “Machine learning-based analysis of genome sequences for studying the impact of extreme environments on genomic signatures.” Second place went to David Chen for the project “SomaticSim: a somatic mutational signature simulator for benchmarking alignment-free machine learning analyses.” Both projects were conducted by teams with members from the University of Western Ontario and the University of Waterloo in Canada.

The Bioinformatics Challenge will be conducted again next year, with winners to be announced at the International Conference on Environmental Mutagens in August-September 2021.

Lush Cosmetics sponsors a global prize fund to support initiatives to end or replace animal testing. The 2020 Lush Prize Conference and Awards Ceremony will be held as a free virtual event November 11-12. The Conference theme is “Can Big Data Replace Animal Testing?” and will include discussions on “Paving the way from big data to regulatory acceptance” and “The role of big data in next-generation risk assessment”. Speakers will include winners from this year and previous years. Acting NICEATM Director Nicole Kleinstreuer, who won a Lush Young Researcher–North America Prize in 2016, will deliver a keynote address titled “From the 3Rs to the 4Cs: communication, collaboration, commitment, and confidence.”

The Conference will be presented both days from 8:00-11:00 a.m. EDT (1:00-4:00 p.m. GMT), and the Awards Ceremony will be held November 11 from 11:00 a.m-noon EDT (4:00-5:00 p.m. GMT).

OECD supports the development of integrated approaches to testing and assessment (IATA). IATA provide a means by which all relevant and reliable information about a chemical is used to answer a defined hazard characterization question. Information considered can include toxicity data, exposure routes, use cases, and production volumes.

The OECD IATA Case Studies Project allows countries to share and explore the use of novel methodologies in IATA for chemical hazard characterization within a regulatory context. Eight new case studies illustrate the use of NAMs for predicting systemic toxicity, developmental and reproductive toxicity, and neurotoxicity from chemicals such as caffeine, p-alkylphenols, and carboxylic acids. Information about the Case Studies Project and links to the new case studies are available on the OECD website.

On October 7, EPA requested public comment on draft guidance that would allow researchers to forego testing chemicals on animal skin in certain circumstances. Based on a retrospective analysis conducted by EPA, which concluded that such studies provide little to no added value in regulatory decision-making, the proposed guidance would allow waivers for studies on single active ingredients used in pesticides. This guidance, when finalized, is expected to save up to 750 test animals annually from unnecessary testing, as well as EPA, industry, and laboratory resources.

A page on the EPA website summarizes its strategic vision for adopting NAMs. Three webpages linked from this page have details of EPA activities in this area.

• EPA has implemented activities and policies that have reduced the number of animals used in testing and saved resources for the Agency and stakeholders. A page on the EPA website provides measures of cost and animal savings following these activities.
• In addition to the dermal study waivers described above, EPA has identified a number of contexts in which waivers of required studies can be considered, reducing the number of animals required for testing.
• EPA has taken steps to advance the use of computational and non-animal approaches to provide information on chemical hazard and risk assessment. Many of these, such as CATMoS and skin sensitization approaches, were developed or evaluated in collaboration with NICEATM.

NICEATM, PETA-ISC, and the European Union Reference Laboratory for Alternatives to Animal Testing are presenting a series of free webinars in which experts will address the application and benefits of recombinant antibodies. Registration for the next two webinars is available. You need only register once to attend both webinars. Both webinars are at 10:00-11:00 a.m. EDT.

• Webinar 3, “Application of Animal-free Antibodies,” is Thursday, October 15. Giulio Russo of Abcalis will discuss replacement of animal serum-derived secondary antibodies with animal-free multiclonal antibodies. Charu Chandrasekara, Canadian Centre for Alternatives to Animal Methods, will describe her experience with replacement of animal-derived affinity reagents.
• Webinar 4, “Accessibility of Recombinant Antibodies,” is Thursday, November 12. Pierre Cosson, University of Geneva, and Michael Fiebig, Absolute Antibody, will describe their institutions’ antibody production activities.

Recordings and slides from past webinars are available on the PETA-ISC website. Information about future webinars will be posted on this page when it is available.

Carnegie Mellon University is hosting two free virtual symposia in October that will be of interest to data scientists. Registration is available; you need only register once to attend both events.

• The “Artificial Intelligence for Data Discovery and Reuse” symposium will be Monday, October 19. This meeting will allow participants to explore innovative solutions to accelerate the dissemination and reuse of scientific data. The program will feature invited speakers and panel discussions from a variety of disciplines, including a focused session on COVID-19 data. Poster submissions will be accepted through October 11.
• The “Open Science Symposium” will be Tuesday, October 20. The symposium will build awareness and support for the adoption of open research practices and encourage innovative ideas about data sharing. The full day program will feature talks from researchers, tool developers, and publishers; panel discussions; and networking opportunities.

NIH will present a “Virtual Seminar on Program Funding and Grants Administration” on October 27-30, beginning at 1:00 p.m. EDT each day. This seminar will provide attendees an opportunity to learn about the NIH grants processes, programs, and policies, and will include information specific to small business programs. It is primarily aimed at persons new to the NIH grants process but also includes sessions focused on more in-depth polices and processes for more advanced participants. The event is free.

The PETA International Science Consortium is co-organizing a webinar series with EPA and PCRM. The seventh webinar in the series, “Identification of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for Placement on the TSCA Section 4(h)(2)(C) List: A Proposed NAM Nomination Form,” will be Wednesday, September 30 at 10:00 a.m. EDT.

The webinar features presenter Steve Simmons of the EPA Office of Research and Development with panelists Pam Spencer, ANGUS Chemical Company; Lauren Heine, ChemFORWARD; Kristie Sullivan, PCRM; and Patrick McMullen, ScitoVation. They will discuss the initial criteria for considering scientific reliability and relevance of NAMs to be placed on the TSCA Section 4(h)2(C) list and review a proposed nomination form.

A list of previous webinars in this series can be found on the PETA International Science Consortium website.

Presentation slides are available from the September 2-3 SACATM meeting. To view the presentations, visit the Past SACATM Meetings page on the NTP website and click on “Presentations” in the far right column of the first row. Minutes from the meeting will be posted here when they have been reviewed and approved by the committee.

In 2016, the European Commission launched the EU-ToxRisk research project to develop and promote animal-free approaches in toxicology. An editorial in Archives of Toxicology summarizes the scientific and regulatory learnings from this project. Future chemical safety science projects can draw from this experience to implement systems toxicology-guided, animal-free next-generation risk assessment.

Mone et al. 2020. Setting the stage for next-generation risk assessment with non-animal approaches: the EU-ToxRisk project experience. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-020-02866-4.

A new paper in Toxicology In Vitro summarizes validation studies of reconstructed human epidermis as alternatives for in vivo irritation testing of medical device extracts. It concludes that these models are acceptable replacements for the rabbit intracutaneous irritation test for evaluating the irritant potential of medical devices. The senior author of the paper is SACATM member Kelly Coleman, Medtronic PLC.

DeJong et al. 2020. The suitability of reconstructed human epidermis models for medical device irritation assessment: A comparison of in vitro and in vivo testing results. Toxicology In Vitro. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tiv.2020.104995.

FDA has awarded over $5 million to a global collaboration to inform the development of treatments and vaccines for coronavirus infections. The collaboration, led by the University of Liverpool, will sequence and analyze samples from humans and animals to create profiles of various coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.

As part of this three-year project, investigators will evaluate how in vitro models of coronavirus infection, including human organs-on-chips, compare to in vivo responses in animal models and humans. Ultimately, these in vitro models may be employed in the development of biologics, drugs, or devices to treat COVID-19.

For more information about the project, visit:

• The FDA website
• The University of Liverpool website

The 9th annual meeting of ASCCT will be held virtually on October 20-22 free of charge. The conference will focus on the science and policy considerations needed to enable the EPA to eliminate reliance on mammalian tests in regulatory decision making by 2035. The program will feature plenary speakers, panel discussions, oral and poster presentations drawn from submitted abstracts, and opportunities for early-career scientists through a mentoring session and poster awards. Registration and program are available on the ASCCT website.

At this year’s ASCCT annual meeting, NICEATM’s work will be featured with talks on “Providing Insight into Chemical Activity Through Data Curation and Assay Annotation” and compilation of a “Human Reference Database for Skin Sensitization.” NICEATM scientists will also present six posters, one of which will be featured in a flash presentation, a format that enables poster presenters to share their work in a 3-minute oral presentation to a broader audience.

View full list of NICEATM’s activities at ASCCT >>

HESI is co-organizing a webinar series with the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists. The first webinar in the series, “Development of Next-Generation Biomarkers for Detecting Kidney Toxicity” is Thursday, September 24, at 12:30 p.m. EDT.

In this webinar, NIEHS scientist Alison Harrill will discuss current research to identify biomarkers for kidney toxicity. While noninvasive monitoring of nephrotoxicity is challenging, there is promise in utilizing urinary biomarkers such as clusterin and renal papillary antigen-1 as indicators of nephron toxicity. Harrill is leading efforts toward developing models that incorporate host genetic susceptibility into risk assessment.

Scientists experienced in cell culture are invited to join the Scientific Advisory Committee for Good Cell Culture Practice (SAC GCCP). The SAC GCCP will evaluate and propose revisions to a recently published update to a 2005 Good Cell Culture Practice guidance document (GCCP 2.0). The review is being coordinated by the Center for Alternatives for Animal Testing. To apply, please email [email protected].

The SAC GCCP will review and revise the GCCP 2.0 document through November 2020. Members will review and vote on suggested revisions in December and review a final revision in early 2021. The goal of this public consultation is an open and scientifically intense review of GCCP 2.0 across cell culture experts in various fields of research, in vitro testing, biotechnology development, and industry. More details of the review process are available in a recent publication in ALTEX.

On September 7, OECD announced that Thailand has joined the system for the Mutual Acceptance of Data (MAD). MAD, which sets regulatory standards for chemical toxicity testing, allows participating countries to share data results from non-clinical safety tests from chemicals and chemical products. By creating standards that all the countries involved agree on, MAD reduces the number of animals tested by minimizing duplicate testing on chemicals such as industry chemicals and pesticides. Thailand joins the 37 OECD countries as well as Argentina, Brazil, India, Malaysia, Singapore, and South Africa in this initiative that creates international standards and communication for nonclinical toxicity testing.

Visit the OECD website to:

• Read the full announcement.
• Find more information about MAD.

EPA has openings for experienced biologists in the Health Effects Division and the Environmental Fate and Effects Division within the Office of Pesticide Programs. Successful candidates will: