Marine & Freshwater Toxins

Final Call for Papers and Update*
Marine and Freshwater Toxins Analysis

*Please note that the original announcement and other details such as abstract submission, registration, sponsorship, housing, etc. are available to you on the Marine and Freshwater Toxins Task Force website at http://www.aoac.org/marine_toxins/task_force.htm or by navigation from the AOAC website ( http://www.aoac.org). This information is not repeated in this document.

Who Should Attend

Although methods development and validation is the theme of the meeting and we have an excellent technical program for you, presentations and joint meetings are not intended only for researchers (and are not restricted to current Task Force members). Seafood industries, their association representatives, government regulators, public health officials, consultants will benefit from attendance - All are professionals who are impacted by marine and freshwater toxins and who can influence and support, via participation in the meeting and in the Task Force, validation of quality analytical methods for the biotoxins. We want to hear your needs and ask us what the prospects are.

More on Stakeholder Participation The Task Force meetings are open to all who register for the meetings and participation is also sought by government and industry stakeholders with a strong interest in toxin monitoring. Validation efforts in the Task Force are based on concerns in health protection and are stakeholder-driven. In past meetings this is evidenced by direct participation by stakeholders in subgroup meetings.

Presenters

Final Call for Papers - The organizers invite contributions by analytical chemists, toxicologists, algologists, organic chemists, molecular biologists, etc. The primary topic is analytical methods - chemical, biological and biochemical, for marine and freshwater toxins. Methods for monitoring the toxins in fish, shellfish (and in some cases in other food groups and in natural waters) are sought, ultimately for validation. Toxin standards and related materials are also of special interest, as is the toxicology of marine and freshwater toxins. Symposium sessions and Task Force subgroups will emphasize: Assays, separation based methods, etc. for the saxitoxins, domoic acids, the diarrhetic toxins, yessotoxins, ciguatoxins, and cyanobacterial toxins. However, contributions on other marine and freshwater toxins are also welcomed.

Abstracts are due Sunday, January 30, 2005 For updated information regarding abstracts please consult the Task Force web site at http://www.aoac.org/marine_toxins/task_force.htm#Overview. This site also has information on the Task Force. The Task Force web page can also be found by navigating from AOAC.org site, starting from the “Analytical Communities” link, lower left.

Updates (details follow)

Keynote presentations announced
Subgroups soon to meet in online forums
Subgroup sessions to be open to all registered attendees
Subgroups on Saxitoxins, Diarrhetic toxins, Yessotoxins, Ciguatoxins
Presentations and subgroup sessions to be integrated
Preliminary scheduling information by toxin group
Intentional contamination issues to be addressed
Expert consultation for CODEX and the Task Force
Product Demonstrations

Keynote Presentations

The organizers are pleased to offer the following keynote oral presentations

Tore Aune. Conclusions of the Yessotoxins Risk Assessment for CODEX and Implications for Analytical Methods

Luis Botana. Toxicology, Pharmacology and Activity-related Assays for Azaspiracids and Okadaic Acid Analogs

Pedro Burdaspal*

Robert Dickey. Ciguatera Outbreaks: Forensic Studies using Functional Assays and LC-MS

Ana Gago Martinez. Okadaiates and Azaspiracids: Detection Methods Overview and Report from the Subgroup Chair

James Hungerford. Marine and Freshwater Toxins: New Developments and the Road to Validation

Kevin James. Applications of three Liquid Chromatography – Multiple Tandem Mass Spectrometry Methods to Study Azaspiracids in Shellfish and Phytoplankton

James F. Lawrence*** The Need for Validated Methods for International Trade Purposes: Overview of the Expert Consultation for Codex Alimentarius

Douglas McLeod**

Manuel Franco Leis**

Michael Quilliam. Advances in Chromatographic and Mass Spectral Methods for Saxitoxin and its Analogues

Jose Antonio Rodriguez-Vasquez. Biotoxins Analysis Research at the University of Vigo: 20 Years of excitement

Gian Paolo Rossini. Functional Assays for Biotoxin Detection: Advantages and Challenges

Covadonga Salgado*

Benjamin Suarez-Isla. Receptor Binding Assay for Saxitoxins: Evaluation of new radiolabeled saxitoxins and intra-laboratory comparison with mouse bioassay and electrophysiological assay for PSP

Toshiyuki Suzuki. Liquid Chromatographic MS/MS Analysis of Several Strains of Protoceratium reticulatum and Bivalves Collected in Japan

Aurelia Tubaro. Yessotoxins: Detection Methods Overview and Report from the Subgroup Chair

Takeshi Yasumoto. Challenges in Toxin Detection in a Changing World

*These keynote talks with titles to be determined.
**In Stakeholders closing session with titles to be announced
*** Will also give separate and brief subgroup report

Regarding Task Force Subgroups

Subgroups soon to meet in online forums
In late January AOAC will activate online forums for subgroup discussions. Many in the Task Force have expressed their interest and satisfaction with subgroup discussions (previously by email, now using only these new resources). Chairs of those subgroups meeting in Baiona will present short reports on these online discussions and then chair the in-person subgroup meetings.

Subgroup sessions at the conference to be open to all registered attendees
We invite participation in the Task Force and subgroups sessions by all interested attendees, researchers and stakeholders.

Subgroup Sessions planned on Saxitoxins, Domoic acids, Diarrhetic toxins, Yessotoxins, Ciguatoxins
Please note that papers are welcomed in all marine and freshwater toxins areas. There will be subgroup sessions devoted specifically to the subject areas above. These will address various assays, functional assays, LC methods, etc. with the focus on our method criteria and method applications in monitoring or issues addressing intentional contamination. Due to time limits, only the above groups are anticipated in Baiona but other in-person meetings will be held in other locations (Seattle, Orlando, etc.) later in the year.

Presentations and subgroup sessions to be integrated
In a given toxin/method area, talks will be grouped together with subgroup meetings to pull new information and ideas into the process and to provide an excellent forum

Presentations invited in all subject areas
We invite presentations in all marine and freshwater toxin areas regardless of presently existing subgroups. Suggestions will be entertained for additional subgroups to be created

Other Information

Preliminary scheduling information by toxin group
No subgroup or presentation schedule conflicts will arise since there will be no parallel sessions- This has been requested by many Task Force members with interests in multiple toxin areas. On the first day (Monday April 11) we open the conference with plenary talks and a Task Force overview and then devote two half-day sessions to saxitoxins. Tuesday (April 12) will be a half day session on okadaiates and azaspiracids (a shellfish industry study tour in the afternoon) Wednesday April 13 we will address yessotoxins and then ciguatoxins, and the final day (Thursday April 14) will be devoted to general talks, demonstrations, and our stakeholder and closeout sessions. This schedule may be revised based on papers submitted and logistics.

Intentional contamination issues
Concerns regarding intentional contamination of food and water supplies encourage such discussions, first from the standpoint of applicability projections for existing methods and then in planning validation projects. Some speakers have been asked to address this issue, at this stage by making predictions and projections of applicability.

Expert consultation for CODEX and the Task Force
There will be invited presentations, contributed presentations, and discussions dealing with the impact of this and other international committees that influence our efforts.

Product Demonstrations
Product demonstrations of test kits, etc. will be given on the last day of the conference, as will a closing session in which stakeholders will speak their views on the Task Force.