Speaking on microbial contamination in pharma

Colin Booth, vice president science and technology at microbiology expert Oxoid, will be addressing delegates at Concept Heidelberg's 'Microbial Contamination in Pharmaceutical Production' event, Barcelona, Spain, 20-21 October 2005.

During the event, Booth will deliver three modules.

In the first, Basic Principles of Hygiene and Microbiology, he will address topics including the nature of micro-organisms and their growth requirements, microbial resistance, preventative hygiene, and methods employed in the microbial kill.

The second module is entitled Hygiene of Personnel, where matching hygiene to need, training in aseptic techniques, validation, monitoring and dealing with people who carry pathogens will be covered.

Microbiological Monitoring is the final module that will inform delegates about methods for monitoring non-sterile processes and lead on to how to develop a complete programme for aseptic manufacture that complies with regulatory requirements.

This module will include how to monitor air, surfaces and people and cover how to interpret the data that is gathered.

Delegates will also be able to attend a break-out workshop hosted by Booth on How to Establish an Environmental Monitoring Programme.

This course, which is aimed at pharmaceutical QA managers, is organised by the European Compliance Agency in co-operation with Concept Heidelberg.

Prior to joining Oxoid , Colin Booth was manager of pharmaceutical microbiology at Glaxo Wellcome Research and Development, where he was responsible for the microbiology associated with the development of all Glaxo Wellcome new products.

He is a member of the UK chapter of the Parenteral Drug Association, a group dedicated to building interfaces with regulatory colleagues across Europe.

In 2002 he joined Oxoid where he is now vice president science and technology, based at the company's headquarters in Basingstoke, UK.