Did You Know? offers a quick look at the broad scope of activities underway within the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Federation, highlighting the people and initiatives making waves in standardization.
ATCC Chairman and CEO Delivers Keynote Address at 2013 Biotechnology and Standards Conference
Raymond Cypress, the chairman and CEO of the American Type Culture Collection (ATCC), an ANSI organizational member and accredited standards developer, delivered the keynote address at the Biotechnology and Standards Conference: The Prospects for a Life Sciences Standards Revolution, held on October 1, 2013, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
In his remarks, Mr. Cypress highlighted ATCC's leadership role in the development of biomedical and life sciences standards and its status as the first biological resource organization to become an ANSI-accredited standards developer. He also touched on the need for material and process standards to reduce waste associated with biotechnology and life science research, the role that standards can play in addressing cell misidentification, and the 2012 founding of the Global Biological Standards Institute (GBSI), a nonprofit arm of ATCC that works to bolster awareness and support for the use of standards in the field.
During the conference, which was co-sponsored by GBSI, Dr. John Masters, a professor of experimental pathology and the director of the Prostate Cancer Research Center at University College, London, discussed issues related to cell misidentification as part of a panel discussion, titled Biomaterials Standards: Challenges and Opportunities. Dr. Masters looked at the effects of the publication of ANSI/ATCC ASN-0002-2011, Authentication of Human Cell Lines: Standardization of STR Profiling, which he said had done more to address cell misidentification that 50 years of work carried out by individual scientists on the problem.
The full conference summary is available online.
Intertek Unveils New Engineering Internship and Scholarship Program
ANSI member Intertek recently announced the establishment of a new program providing scholarships and internship opportunities to college students pursuing studies in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Five individuals will receive scholarships of up to $10,000 each and will serve as interns in an Intertek office during the summer of 2014; one of the five scholarships is offered only to women, in order to support the continued advancement of women in engineering. Current full-time sophomores and juniors attending accredited U.S. or Canadian colleges or universities are eligible.
All applications must be submitted online at www.intertek.com/scholarships by Friday, January 17, 2014. Intertek will announce the five recipients in March 2014.
NFRC Releases Video on Energy Performance Ratings
The National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC), an ANSI organizational member and accredited standards developer, has released online a new video that provides consumers with useful information about the NFRC's window certification labels. Footage of an artist drawing on a whiteboard is used to illustrate how the energy efficiency information contained on the labels can help consumers make informed window purchasing decisions with the potential to reduce their energy costs and benefit the environment.
The NFRC video is available online.
The Remanufacturing Industries Council Applies to Become an ANSI-Accredited Standards Developer
ANSI organizational member the Remanufacturing Industries Council (RIC) has submitted an application to become an ANSI-accredited standards developer, and has submitted proposed operating procedures overseeing the documenting of consensus on proposed RIC-sponsored American National Standards. The RIC's proposed scope is focused on standards activities related to remanufacturing, including the development of standards establishing criteria to differentiate remanufacturing from other practices, bolstering the quality of remanufactured products, and supporting continued improvement in the remanufacturing sector.
For questions, or to offer comments, please contact Derek Guest, RIC executive director, by email at [email protected], by phone at 585-354-7010, or by mail at 1335 Jefferson Road #20157, Rochester, NY 14602-0157. Please submit your comments to the RIC by Monday, January 20, 2014, with a copy to [email protected].
The RIC's proposed operating procedures are available online.