ASTM International, at the request of the Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates (SOCMA), will hold an organizational meeting to explore the establishment of a new ASTM standards development activity for industrial biotechnology. The no-fee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, April 15, 2014, and will take place at ASTM’s headquarters in West Conshohocken, Pa. Key stakeholders are invited to participate with the goal of charting a path toward the development of a consensus standardization program for industrial biotechnology. Virtual participation is available upon request.
 
The meeting will commence at 9:00 a.m. EST and adjourn at approximately 12:00 p.m. EST. To register, please contact Pat Picariello, ASTM International (ppicariello@astm.org).

Full consensus standards will benefit stakeholders throughout the entire industrial biotechnology value chain, which begins with the genome and proceeds to the supply chain. The objectives of the meeting are to:

• Bring industry experts together;
• Identify specific standards needs;
• Develop and approve title, scope and structure; and
• Determine if ASTM should organize activity.
 
An overview of ASTM International, background on the request for this activity and review of areas to be considered for consensus standards will be covered during the meeting.
 
ASTM is ready to accommodate this new standardization initiative. Involvement from all interested parties is critical to guide the direction of this new activity. ASTM’s neutral forum allows the private and public sectors to work together to develop a consensus standards program.
 
ASTM provides a management system for the development of standards and related information for materials, products, systems and services used internationally as well as nationally.  All segments of an industry (producers, users, consumers, government and academia) participate in the development of this information to ensure that all technical points of view are represented. Finally, ASTM provides leadership and management support for 143 standards developing committees. These committees have produced more than 12,000 standards for a diverse collection of industries.

ASTM International welcomes participation in the development of its standards. For more information on becoming an ASTM member, visit www.astm.org/JOIN.

ASTM Industrial Biotechnology Meeting: April 15, 2014, ASTM International Headquarters, West Conshohocken, Pa.
ASTM Staff Contact: Pat Piacariello, Phone: 610-832-9720; ppicariello@astm.org 
ASTM PR Contact: Barbara Schindler, Phone: 610-832-9603; bschindl@astm.org

Release #9619