This interactive half-day course is designed for biosafety professionals and researchers involved in the transfer of biological materials. We’ll begin with a refresher on the fundamentals of biological shipping, including shipping regulations and USDA permitting requirements. From there, we’ll take a deeper dive into a commonly misunderstood area: the difference between shipping regulations and export controls.

While both involve the movement of biological materials across borders, export controls are governed by entirely separate regulations and agencies, with different implications for research institutions. We’ll clarify these distinctions and explore how biosafety officers can support institutional compliance, particularly when biological materials intersect with sensitive technologies or data. The session will include a discussion with a biosafety officer experienced in export control, as well as a look at how integrated software solutions can help streamline compliance across shipping, permitting, and export control processes.

This course is ideal for lab safety and biosafety professionals,research administrators, and compliance officers seeking to strengthen their understanding of the regulatory landscape around biological materials transfer.