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News & Events
Institut Pasteur Korea selected as “2021 Excellent Institution for LMO Safety Management” by the Ministry of Science and ICT
2021-12-28
Institut Pasteur Korea selected as "2021 Excellent Institution for LMO Safety Management"
by the Ministry of Science and ICT
– Distinguished by systematic education, in-house developed safety measures, andby the Ministry of Science and ICT
regular monitoring of physical containment laboratories –
On Dec 28, Institut Pasteur Korea (IPK) announced that it was named the “Excellent Institution for LMO Safety Management” and received a Minister’s Award of Science and ICT of Korea.
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Dr. Youngmee Jee, CEO of IPK (right), and Mr. Euiseong Kang, Head of IPK Safety Management Team, took a photo holding the “2021 Excellent Institution for LMO Safety Management” award given by the Ministry of Science and ICT.
Amongst the research institutions and facilities using LMOs for research and experiments, the Ministry of Science and ICT selected those with outstanding scores based on the evaluation of overall safety management. As a result, three excellent institutions were chosen for 2021, with IPK being one of them.
IPK’s ▲routine operation of safety education, ▲regular monitoring of BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratories, ▲implementation of in-house developed safety measures, and ▲establishment of biosafety through active operation of the Biosafety Committee were listed as key differentiating features in terms of performance.
Notably, as part of the safety management of BSL-2 and BSL-3 labs, IPK enforces continuous lab monitoring and conducts education and evaluation of researchers prior to the initial entry to the labs so they can fully familiarize themselves with safety rules and accident response measures. The institute also received high scores for proactively developing and implementing its own safety measures to prevent accidents, such as installing liquid nitrogen tank safety guards, medical waste cover handles to prevent cross-contamination, and posting safety signs.
Furthermore, the IPK Biosafety Committee meetings, held 14 times in 2021, supported researchers in safely using and handling the LMOs and class 2 or higher infectious substances, as well as contributed to accelerating its COVID-19 therapeutics research.
IPK CEO Dr. Youngmee Jee said, “Putting the researchers’ safety first, we are making every effort to create a safe research environment that allows researchers to actively study hazardous infectious substances in BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratories.” She added, “Based on strict compliance with regulations and constant safety awareness, we will maintain and develop a safe research environment by means of thorough operation management, monitoring, and frequent inspection.”
Institut Pasteur Korea became the first institution to obtain national certification for its BSL-3 research facility in 2008. For over 10 years it has been pioneering the spreading of safety cultures through exemplary operation and management of specialized infectious disease research facilities. For such efforts, it was awarded Minister’s commendations for laboratory safety and security by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (2019), the Ministry of Health and Welfare (2013), and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2009).
View the 2021 Excellent Institution for LMO Safety Management Video >>
IPK’s ▲routine operation of safety education, ▲regular monitoring of BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratories, ▲implementation of in-house developed safety measures, and ▲establishment of biosafety through active operation of the Biosafety Committee were listed as key differentiating features in terms of performance.
Notably, as part of the safety management of BSL-2 and BSL-3 labs, IPK enforces continuous lab monitoring and conducts education and evaluation of researchers prior to the initial entry to the labs so they can fully familiarize themselves with safety rules and accident response measures. The institute also received high scores for proactively developing and implementing its own safety measures to prevent accidents, such as installing liquid nitrogen tank safety guards, medical waste cover handles to prevent cross-contamination, and posting safety signs.
Furthermore, the IPK Biosafety Committee meetings, held 14 times in 2021, supported researchers in safely using and handling the LMOs and class 2 or higher infectious substances, as well as contributed to accelerating its COVID-19 therapeutics research.
IPK CEO Dr. Youngmee Jee said, “Putting the researchers’ safety first, we are making every effort to create a safe research environment that allows researchers to actively study hazardous infectious substances in BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratories.” She added, “Based on strict compliance with regulations and constant safety awareness, we will maintain and develop a safe research environment by means of thorough operation management, monitoring, and frequent inspection.”
Institut Pasteur Korea became the first institution to obtain national certification for its BSL-3 research facility in 2008. For over 10 years it has been pioneering the spreading of safety cultures through exemplary operation and management of specialized infectious disease research facilities. For such efforts, it was awarded Minister’s commendations for laboratory safety and security by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (2019), the Ministry of Health and Welfare (2013), and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (2009).
View the 2021 Excellent Institution for LMO Safety Management Video >>