Date: Sat, 3 Apr 2010 21:18:37 -0500
Reply-To: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: Melinda Toumi <melindatoumi**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Reproductive Health and Safety in a Biotech
In-Reply-To: <3DA98E3E81FD474A802F175804B6B84B**At_Symbol_Here**chemical6df00a>

Wow! Very complicated subject, close to my heart, I fall in the same category as the 7 employees. Here at the University of Kansas, we had an interesting incident: three mal e graduate students were working with the same small molecule that most likel y has "hormonal properties" and all three of their girlfriend's or wife's hormonal birth control failed within 6 months of each other! The small molecule may soon be studied to boost male fertility. Yikes! We were relieved to find that I am not carrying twins or triplets, after working with follicle stimulating hormone for over a year! So, my point is, "toxicity" or teratogenic effects aren't the only issues with human reproduction and laboratory safety. Other effects on fertility are a real issue, too. Good luck! -Melinda On Sat, Apr 3, 2010 at 9:02 PM, Dr. Jay A. Young wr ote: > Danielle, > > I suggest using Google to obtain the titles of three or four of the most > authoritative reference books on the topic of terato-toxicity. Review ea ch > of the identified books and select one or more of them to obtain the > information you want to present in your seminar. > > You will find that, actually, we know very little about which chemicals a re > hazardous with respect to reproductive human health. When you think abou t > it of course, you see immediately that it not easy to obtain the necessar y > information since we cannot experiment with pregnant women or potential > fathers as our experimental subjects. We must resort to using animals an d > then figure out whether or not the results of such evaluations can be > applied directly or in modified form to humans. > > Good Luck! You'll need it. > > Jay Young > > ----- Original Message ----- > *From:* Danielle Boren > *To:* DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU > *Sent:* Wednesday, March 31, 2010 4:41 PM > *Subject:* [DCHAS-L] Reproductive Health and Safety in a Biotech > > Hello All, > > > > I=92m wondering if anyone has dealt with training scientists (chemists an d > biologists) on potential reproductive hazards in the laboratory. > > > > I work for a biotech company, and currently we have 7 pregnant employees > (110 employees total). All of these employees are in the medicinal chemis try > group. It has been my experience that the pregnant employees are very > cautious and knowledgeable about the hazards they are working with, howev er > not all of their co-workers are. > > > > My company would like me to present a training or seminar of some sort th at > educates and informs all laboratory workers of the reproductive hazards t hey > work with. > > > > Has anyone else done this before? Any resources or suggestions? > > > > Thank you. > > > > *Danielle M. Boren* > > > > Laboratory Safety Manager > > Senomyx, Inc. > > 4767 Nexus Center Dr. San Diego, Ca 92121 > > 858-646-8357 office > > 858-404-0752 fax > > 858-401-2374 mobile > > > > -- Melinda L Toumi Ph.D. Candidate University of Kansas Department of Chemistry 785-864-3896 melindatoumi**At_Symbol_Here**gmail.com

Wow! Very complicated subject, close to my heart, I fall in the same catego ry as the 7 employees.

Here at the University of Kansas, we had an interesting incident: three male graduate students were working with the sa me small molecule that most likely has "hormonal properties" and all three of their girlfriend's or wife's hormonal birth control fa iled within 6 months of each other! The small molecule may soon be studied to boost male fertility. Yikes!

We were relieved to find that I am not carrying twins or triplets, afte r working with follicle stimulating hormone for over a year!

So, my point is, "toxicity" or teratogenic effects aren't the only issues with human reproduction and laboratory safety. Other effects on fert ility are a real issue, too.

Good luck!

-Melinda

On Sat, Apr 3, 2010 at 9:02 PM, Dr. Jay A. Young <chemsafety**At_Symbol_Here**verizon.net> wrote:< br>
Danielle,
=A0
I suggest using Google to obtain the t itles of three or four of the most authoritative reference books on the topic of terato-toxicity.=A0 Review each of the identified books and select one or more of them to obtain the information you want to present in your seminar.
=A0
You will find that, actually, we know very little about which chemicals are hazardous with respect to reproductive human health.=A0 When you think about it of course, you see immediately that it n ot easy to obtain the necessary information since we cannot experiment with pregnant women or potential fathers as our experimental subjects.=A0 We mus t resort to using animals and then figure out whether or not the results of s uch evaluations can be applied directly or in modified form to humans.
=A0
Good Luck!=A0 You'll need it.
=A0
Jay Young
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 4 :41 PM
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Reproductive H ealth and Safety in a Biotech

Hello All,

=A0

I=92m wondering if anyone has dealt with training scientists (chemists and biologists) on potential reproductive hazards in the laboratory.

=A0

I work for a biotech company, and currently we have 7 pregnant employees (110 employee s total). All of these employees are in the medicinal chemistry group.=A0 I t has been my experience that the pregnant employees are very cautious and knowledgeable about the hazards they are working with, however not all of their co-workers are.

=A0

My company would like me to present a training or seminar of some sort that educates and informs all laboratory workers of the reproductive hazards they work with.

=A0

Has anyone else done this before? Any resources or suggestions?

=A0

Thank you.

=A0

Danielle M. Boren

=A0

Laboratory Safety Manager

Senomyx, Inc.

4767 Nexus Center Dr. San Diego, Ca 92121

858-646-8357 office

858-404-0752 fax

858-401-2374 mobile

=A0




--
Melinda L Toumi =A0
Ph.D. Candidate
University of Kansas
Department of Chemistry
785-8 64-3896
melindatoumi**At_Symbol_Here**gmail.com

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