[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 250 (Thursday, December 29, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 96024-96025]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-31438]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

National Institutes of Health


Using Informatics To Improve Data Analysis of Chemical Screening 
Assays Conducted in Zebrafish; Notice of Webinars; Registration 
Information

SUMMARY: The National Toxicology Program (NTP) at the National 
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences announces the webinar 
series, ``Using Informatics to Improve Data Analysis of Chemical 
Screening Assays Conducted in Zebrafish.'' The webinars will provide an 
overview of current issues that need to be addressed to facilitate the 
broader use of zebrafish for chemical safety screening studies and how 
data science can be applied to address some of those issues.

DATES: First Webinar: February 2, 2017, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. 
Eastern Standard Time (EST).
    Subsequent Webinars: February 16, 2017; March 2, 2017; both 
webinars will be presented from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST.
    Registration for Webinars: Registration will be open continuously; 
registration for any webinar will automatically register the 
participant for all subsequent webinars.

ADDRESSES: Web page: The preliminary agenda, registration, and other 
meeting materials are at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/zfweb-2017.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Elizabeth Maull, NTP Interagency 
Center for the Evaluation of Alternative Toxicological Methods 
(NICEATM), at telephone: (919) 316-4668 or email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Background: The small size and rapid development of the zebrafish 
make it a useful vertebrate model for assessing potential effects of 
chemicals on development in a medium to high-throughput manner. 
However, a lack of harmonization in several key protocol components 
hinders the broader adoption of the zebrafish model for toxicological 
screening. In an effort to address this issue, NTP launched the 
Systematic Evaluation of the Application of Zebrafish in Toxicology 
(SEAZIT) program.
    SEAZIT is addressing the issues of variability among laboratories 
in the endpoints measured, as well as the nomenclature used for each 
endpoint. NICEATM is organizing a webinar series in support of the 
SEAZIT program that will consider how these issues might be addressed 
by implementation of standardized nomenclature systems, also known as 
ontologies.
    Webinars in this series will (1) summarize some of the barriers to 
routine use of zebrafish in toxicological evaluations, (2) review the 
concept of ontologies, and (3) consider how ontologies could be applied 
to harmonize procedures used for zebrafish screening studies.
    Webinar Topics and Other Information: A link to registration and 
additional information about the webinar series, including topics and 
speakers for all webinars, are available at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/zfweb-2017. The webinar steering committee is

[[Page 96025]]

comprised of representatives from academia, industry, and government.
    Webinar and Registration: The webinars are open to the public, free 
of charge, with attendance limited only by available webcasting 
capacity. Individuals who plan to attend the first webinar should 
register at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/zfweb-2017 by February 2, 2017. 
Subsequent webinars will be presented on February 16 and March 2; 
registration for any webinar will automatically register the 
participant for all subsequent webinars. Interested individuals are 
encouraged to visit http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/zfweb-2017 to stay 
abreast of the most current information about the webinar series.
    Individuals with disabilities who need accommodation to participate 
in this event should contact Dr. Elizabeth Maull at telephone: (919) 
316-4668 or email: [email protected]. TTY users should contact the 
Federal TTY Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Requests should be made at 
least five business days in advance of the event.
    Background Information on NICEATM: NICEATM conducts data analyses, 
workshops, independent validation studies, and other activities to 
assess new, revised, and alternative test methods and strategies. 
NICEATM also provides support for the Interagency Coordinating 
Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM). The ICCVAM 
Authorization Act of 2000 (42 U.S.C. 285l-3) provides authority for 
ICCVAM and NICEATM in the development of alternative test methods. 
Information about NICEATM and ICCVAM is found at http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/niceatm and http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/go/iccvam, 
respectively.

    Dated: December 20, 2016.
John R. Bucher,
Associate Director, National Toxicology Program.
[FR Doc. 2016-31438 Filed 12-28-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4140-01-P