2026 Webinar: The Microbial World of Tissue Banking (Part 1)

Includes a Live Web Event on 06/10/2026 at 2:00 PM (EDT)

Description: This session will provide a foundational overview of microbial environments commonly encountered in tissue banking, including materials, clean rooms, technicians, and donors, with a primary focus on human-associated microorganisms. Attendees will learn about microbial survival strategies that challenge the industry and the controls and best practices used to support tissue quality and patient safety. *This webinar is Part 1 of a two-part series. While each session can be attended independently, participants may also benefit from Part 2, “Categorizing Positive Pre- and Post-Processing Cultures and Developing Relevant SOPs.”

Target audience: This webinar is designed for tissue bank professionals involved in donor recovery, processing, quality assurance, microbiology, infection prevention, and regulatory compliance seeking a foundational understanding of microbial risks and controls in tissue banking.

Kevin Wheeler

Research Microbiologist

AlloSource

Kevin Wheeler is a Research Microbiologist at AlloSource. He has over thirty years of experience in microbiology and microbial ecology. He earned his undergraduate degree at DePauw University and a Master of Science at the University of Dayton. Kevin worked in clinical and environmental laboratories before joining the tissue banking community. Kevin has been at AlloSource for over 19 years working on environmental monitoring, clean room design, microbial detection strategies and the development of novel methodologies for improving tissue quality. He has collaborated with numerous private and university institutions with multiple publications. He is a Certified Tissue Bank Specialist from AATB and a NRCM Pharmaceutical and Medical Device specialist from the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). He is a member of the NIST Rapid Microbial Testing Methods consortium and volunteers time training high school teachers and students through the Colorado Biosciences Association (CBSA). He is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hikes, kayaking and the cool stuff growing on rocks and rotting wood.