Page "Biosafety level" Paragraph 3

Over the next ten years, the biological safety conferences grew to include representatives from all federal agencies that sponsored or conducted research with pathogenic microorganisms.

By 1966 it began to include representatives from universities, private laboratories, hospitals, and industrial complexes.

Throughout the 1970s, participation in the conferences continued to expand and by 1983 discussions began regarding the creation of a formal organization.

The American Biological Safety Association ( ABSA ) was officially established in 1984 and a constitution and bylaws were drafted the same year.

As of 2008, ABSA includes some 1, 600 members in its professional association.