PPCDL Workshops: Our 22nd Year of Offering Advanced Diagnostic Workshops

Karen Snover-Clift and Barb Riker, Cornell University (NEPDN); Eric Newberry, Gem Santillana, and Yazmin Rivera, USDA-APHIS-PPQ-S&T, PPCDL; Pat Shiel, USDA-APHIS-PPQ-S&T
The Communicator: Volume 5, Issue 6, June 2024


2024 marked the 22^nd anniversary of the collaboration that became the NPDN-PPCDL Advanced Diagnostic Workshops held annually at the USDA Plant Pathogen Confirmatory Diagnostic Laboratory (PPCDL). Workshop topics were offered both virtually and in-person. New in 2024, all participants were required to complete a preliminary course in best laboratory practices prior to participating in any of the workshops. This article is a review of the 2024 PPCDL workshop season.
  
Let’s begin with a summary of what we accomplished. The “we” here is a large team that includes everyone involved in the planning, participation, and execution of the 2024 workshop season. We held eleven workshops on seven different topics, including four new topics. All 47 available spaces were filled for the six in-person workshops, and 77 participants were accommodated through the four virtual workshops. For the first time, one workshop used both delivery formats starting with a single day of virtual lectures followed by three days of in-person instruction the following week. In total, the workshops covered 20 days over five weeks with a total of 124 participants. We thank everyone that contributed to the success of the PPCDL workshop season.
Four new topics were offered in 2024.

1. The ELISA Proficiency Preparation Workshop was developed to support the new methods-based proficiency testing program and covered every step of an ELISA procedure using commercially available kits. The lectures covered processing various types of samples, sample flow, good laboratory practices, results interpretation, required equipment, and provided suggestions for high-throughput workflow. This in-person workshop was offered twice.
2. The Production and Validation of Diagnostic Assay Controls Workshop discussed the need and benefit of using validated assay controls, the variety of available controls and their production, validation schemes, and maintaining document traceability.  This workshop was virtual and was offered twice.
3. The Sample Submission for Confirmatory Diagnostic Testing Workshop described how to submit suspect samples, including select agents, for regulatory confirmatory diagnostic testing at the PPCDL. The presentations focused on the steps of the diagnostic process, sample quality, shipping procedures, and who needs to be contacted at various steps. This workshop was virtual and offered twice.
4. The Citrus Health Workshop covered pathogens that in past years were presented in a variety of combinations or individually. This version focused on three harmful citrus diseases; citrus canker, Huanglongbing (HLB or citrus greening), and citrus black spot (CBS). For each disease, lectures provided background, disease characteristics, and an overview of diagnostic testing at the PPCDL. A laboratory component allowed participants to prepare samples for testing, perform screening diagnostics, and interpret results. The in-person workshop was offered once.

 
In addition to the new workshops, some old favorites returned. The Seed Pathogen Testing and Phytophthora 101 workshops were each offered once as in-person options. The Bioinformatics High-Throughput Sequencing (Module HTS) workshop was offered as a one-day virtual session followed by three days of in-person training the following week.
 
New Prerequisite Requirement
A Best Laboratory Practices (BLP) workshop providing instruction on quality management system practices and concepts was originally presented by the former PPCDL quality manager in 2023. A new policy requires workshop participants to complete this course before attending any other PPCDL workshop. To accomplish the goal of implementing the new requirement for the 2024 workshop season, the recording of the 2023 live virtual session was edited and formatted into two 30-minute sessions to create an online version offered through LearnUpon, the NPDN’s new learning management system (LMS). A frequently asked questions (FAQ) document was created and included as required reading, and pre-and post-testing questions were developed to assess participant learning.
 
The BLP workshop is the first of its kind to be converted to a LMS course by Allina Bennett, the NPDN Professional Development Coordinator. The formatting was completed by Matt Stern, an independent contractor who has been assisting with our development of materials and tools since the 2021 season when all workshops had to be offered virtually. The course was reviewed in LearnUpon by the NPDN’s Professional Development committee, and their suggestions were incorporated during the final editing of course content. Allina was able to meet our goal of implementing the new requirement before the 2024 workshop season. Between the 63 participants in the 2023 live session and the 57 people who completed the new LearnUpon version between January and February 2024, 120 NPDN members, partners and colleagues have completed the BLP workshop and cleared the requirement for attending future PPCDL workshops.
 
LearnUpon users are welcome to take the BLP course at their convenience and may choose to have new hires complete the course. Login is required to enroll in in the course in LearnUpon.
 
We hope that attendees of the 2024 network-wide professional development opportunities found them beneficial. We love to hear your feedback. You should have received the PPCDL survey forms at the end of your workshop, but if you have additional thoughts, feel free to reach out to any of the authors of this article, a Professional Development committee member, or consider adding your feedback to the PPCDL Workshop Topics Needed survey that will be sent out in September.
 
The PPCDL workshops are supported by the USDA-APHIS Plant Pest and Disease Management and Disaster Prevention Program under PPA 7721. These valuable training opportunities would not be available without this support and the commitment of the PPCDL scientists and leadership.