Do you have academic expertise in an area of life sciences, such as biology, bacteriology, virology, toxicology, vaccinology, nutrition or agronomy ?
Join our panel of experts and make a scientific contribution to the activities of the Service Biosafety and Biotechnology (SBB) of Sciensano and the Biosafety Advisory Council. These are the two pillars of the scientific evaluation system that has been set up in Belgium to advise the Federal and Regional authorities about the biosafety of activities involving genetically modified (GM) organisms (GMOs) and pathogens. Examples of such activities include :
- Research in the lab with human pathogens
- A field trial with GM poplars to produce bio-ethanol
- Clinical trials with GM medicinal products for cancer treatment
- Marketing of viral-vectored vaccines
- Import of GM soy for animal feed
In the frame of the scientific evaluation of regulatory dossiers and other biosafety-related matters, the Biosafety Advisory Council and the SBB can call for the scientific support of external experts. This cooperation with scientists is very important to deliver scientifically sound advices to the competent authorities. The Biosafety Advisory Council and the SBB are indeed unique interfaces between the academic and the regulatory areas in the field of biosafety.
By joining our panel of scientists, you will contribute to biosafety policy on the highest level (Belgian authorities, European Commission and Agencies, international organizations such as OECD, WHO, UN) and open the door to scientific collaborations.
For practical reasons, our list of experts is organised into different groups of expertise :
- GM plants : Includes scientists having expertise in the biology and breeding of (genetically modified) plants
- GM animals : Includes scientists having expertise in the biology and breeding of (genetically modified) animals
- GM food/feed : Includes scientists having expertise in food and feed aspects (e.g. nutrition, allergenicity, toxicology)
- Recombinant viral vectors, virosomes, vaccines, gene therapy : Includes scientists having expertise in gene therapy and/or (recombinant) viruses
- Genetically modified micro-organisms - Bacteria and Fungi : Includes scientists having expertise in micro-organisms other than viruses
A scientist can be part of several groups. Scientists with expertise in biosafety-related matters not included in the groups above may also be included in our panel.
In practice
Experts are consulted on a case-by-case basis, depending on the specific expertise needed, to assess a regulatory dossier or to contribute to biosafety recommendations or guidelines. The expertise is done in most of the cases through e-mail communication. To participate in the evaluation of a dossier, each expert must fill in and sign a code of conduct.
The experts receive a financial compensation for their scientific work (50 EUR / hour).
Are you interested ?
Please send to the SBB (bac@sciensano.be) a nomination form corresponding to the expert group(s) in which you would like to be included (see relevant documents below) together with your CV.
Your application will be considered by the Biosafety Advisory Council and the SBB and you will be notified as soon as it is validated.
Downloadable documents (Word files):
- Nomination form for the Expert Group "Genetically modified plants"
- Nomination form for the Expert Group "Genetically modified animals"
- Nomination form for the Expert Group "GM food/feed"
- Nomination form for the Expert Group "Recombinant viral vectors, virosomes, vaccines, gene therapy"
- Nomination form the Expert Group "Genetically modified micro-organisms - Bacteria and Fungi"