In vitro toxicity methods are gaining importance, in particular as a response to a number of European legislative changes that call for more mechanistically-based decision-making and limit or even prohibit the use of animal experimentation for risk assessment purposes. Hence, there is an urgent demand for toxicologists and risk assessors to incorporate data from in vitro test methods into regulatory safety evaluation of chemicals.

The ESTIV Applied Training Course aims at meeting this important need by training individuals who wish to start or pursue a career in this direction or to gain an update on the state-of-the-art of applied in vitro toxicology. This course is recognized by EUROTOX as eligible for European Registered Toxicologist (ERT) accreditation (topic B19).

TARGET AUDIENCE

This course is intended for (post)doctoral students and early-stage scientists from industry, academia or regulatory agencies who recently became active in the field of in vitro toxicology. Applicants should ideally have a background in toxicology, biology, chemistry, (bio)medical sciences, pharmaceutical sciences, veterinary sciences or equivalent. Attendees are expected to be proficient in English. A maximum of 30 participants will be enrolled in the course on a first-come/first-served basis, yet priority will be given to members of ESTIV and members of affiliated societies. An open-book exam will be organized at the end of the course.

COURSE ORGANIZATION

This 6-day course is organized by the European Society of Toxicology In Vitro (ESTIV) in collaboration with ESTIV corporate members and industrial partners and combines cutting-edge lectures by leading experts with highly interactive group exercises. The lectures cover a broad spectrum of subjects pertinent to regulatory, screening and investigative in vitro toxicology. The course offers also hands-on (practical demonstration) sessions, performed by the technology and methods developers. The group exercises consist of real-life case studies in which the participants will apply the principles of in vitro toxicology to the risk assessment of chemical substances. Course examination is based upon the presentation and discussion of the case studies and open-book exam. The participants will receive a certificate in case of a positive evaluation.

COURSE TOPICS

• European legislative framework and international guidelines for in vitro toxicity testing of chemicals.
• Use and validation of 3R-alternative methods in Europe.
• In vitro methods for assessing cytotoxicity, skin sensitization, skin/eye/lung/intestinal irritation/corrosion, immunotoxicity, genotoxicity and carcinogenicity.
• Development and application of cell lines, organ-specific models, tridimensional models, bioreactors and stem cell models in in vitro toxicology.
• Use of “omics”-based methods in in vitro toxicology.
• Good cell culture practice.
• In vitro kinetics and in vitro-in vivo extrapolation.
• In vitro aspects of pathway-based toxicology.
• In vitro models used in the field of nanotoxicology.
• Hands-on exercise in 3D printing and advanced microfuidics.

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ABOUT THE SOCIETY:

The European Society of Toxicology In Vitro (ESTIV) is the leading organisation in Europe that strengthens the scientific network of in vitro and in silico toxicologists, and promotes in vitro and in silico toxicology both scientifically and educationally in all countries of Europe. Formally established in 1994, ESTIV aims to encourage research and use of 3R-alternative methodologies, to advance education and training of in vitro and in silico toxicology, to foster scientific exchange on in vitro and in silico toxicology, to strengthen the scientific network and facilitate communication between academia, industry and regulators, and to cooperate with similar organizations and societies. The membership fee is €30 for individual members and €18 for members of affiliated societies. ESTIV membership for bachelor, master and doctoral students is 10 Euro.

Membership benefits are:

• Reduced registration fee for ESTIV congresses, workshops and courses.
• Reduced membership fee for affiliated societies.
• Reduced fee for the official journal of ESTIV Toxicology In Vitro.
• Free access to ESTIV newsletters.
• Membership of the ESTIV Facebook page and LinkedIn Group.

For membership applications, please consult the ESTIV website or contact the ESTIV secretariat: secretariat@estiv.org