Training on Good Laboratory Practices in the context of pesticide mitigation successfully delivered online – Asia-Pacific Association of Agricultural Research Institutions (APAARI)

Training on Good Laboratory Practices was conducted virtually from 10-14 August 2020 through BlueJeans virtual platform. The training was attended by 70 participants from different countries, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Nepal, Philippines, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam. The participants were administrators and scientists associated with different government institutions. The objective was to introduce the participants to standard procedures adopted in handling the samples, conducting the analysis, and establishing the reports on pesticide analysis related to different crops.

The training was delivered by Dr. Wayne Jiang, IR4 project Michigan State University, with technical support from Michael Bravermann, IR Project, Rutgers University, as well as webinar support from Celilu Bitong, Tarathip Sanboonkrong, and Sasireka Rajendran from APAARI.

The training contained topics, such as:

Good Laboratory Practices (GLP)
Protocol (Lab portion)
Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
Amendments and deviations
Sample shipping, sample receipt,
Grinding, Storage, and disposal
Analytical Reference Substance
Instrument analysis
Data review and QC

It also included discussions on equipment handling, such as:

Freezers and temperature monitoring
Grinders
Pipets, Shakers, SPE
Analytical instrumentation
LC-MS/MS

The five-day workshop was interactive with questions and answers during the presentations. Participants were encouraged to seek clarifications on the lab methods and equipment operations related to the project.

The first day of the training covered discussions on the content for lab training, details on the sponsors, information on the testing facility, and an outline on terms related to Good Laboratory Practices.

Training on writing a protocol and making changes to the protocol was covered on the second day. Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) that would be followed in lab during the experiments were briefed and outlined. This was followed by True or False and multiple-choice questions (MCQ) sessions to engage the participants. Information on calculation of the citation index and impact factor were hinted. The participants were advised to quote the funding agencies in all the scientific articles coming out of this project.

The most important aspect of the analysis, which includes the collection of samples from the field was covered during the third day. Detailed information on the handling of volatile and deteriorating samples were covered. Shipping of the products and filling out the sample receipt were covered in detail providing information on the package material and refrigeration medium to be used to keep the samples under controlled temperature. Importance of having a real time monitoring system for the low-temperature storage systems was also discussed. Furthermore, low temperature grinding of the samples to prevent the loss of volatile material, as well as different equipment available for the low temperature grinding and cryogenic grinding were provided.

The fourth day of the training workshop covered the extraction and analysis of the samples. The session started with the True or False and Q&A session. The most important terms related to high-end instrument analysis were explained, as well as methods to detect the efficiency, performance of the instruments. Development of methods specific to the instrument available in the institute was elaborated. Ideas on reference method, working method, making changes to the available method were briefed. The participants were made aware on the importance of keeping track of the methodology (minor or major). Method validation, instrument performance analysis, sample analysis procedure, worklist, instrument usage data record, calculation sheet and lab records were advised to be used during the conduct of experiment. Data acceptance criteria was covered based on the above factors.

The last day of the training workshop focused on the importance of storing the data in digital and paper format to enable better tracking. The session followed by the set of True or False and MCQ to assess the general idea participants had on the topic. Things that are considered as the raw data including photographs, media, recorded observations from instruments that are directly recorded were elaborated and emphasized on signing the document record. Dos and Don’ts of raw data recording, golden rules and important points to be noted in documentation were taught.

The workshop attracted participants from the partner countries. They actively engaged in Q&A session to clarify on the difference in methodologies adopted in different countries and regions.

Next steps forward:

The participants were encouraged to follow the GLP in conducting pesticide analysis experiments, report, and generate outputs in the form of scientific articles. Considering the current pandemic, the samples will not be shipped internationally, and the participants are encouraged to conduct the experiments in their own lab while meeting all GLP explained in the training.

Download the Synthesis: APRMP Lab Training Synthesis (271 downloads)

Training links:

Day 1:

Presentation: https://bit.ly/3j9Ku1v

Recordings:

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaSUxPzHI3c

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNgH7vnVXVY

Day 2:

Presentation: https://bit.ly/32qoTvc

Recordings:

Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMLBp5yI2MQ

Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDx-0oqJpj8