Moderators and Speakers. Foreword. I: Blood Safety Aspects. Germs, Gels, and Genomes. A Personal Recollection of 30 Years in Blood; R.Y. Dodd. Quality Management for Blood Transfusion Services; G. Vercauteren. The Value of Donor Selection for Blood Safety; C.L.van der Poel. Blood Donation: A Risk for Prenatal Developmental Toxicity?; P.W.J. Peters. Discussion. II: Transmissible Diseases. Bacterial Contamination of Blood and Blood Products. An Underestimated Problem; J.H. Marcelis. Parasites Transmitted by Blood Transfusion; L.M. Kortbeek. Prion diseases and Blood Transfusion; M.L. Turner. Tick-Borne Diseases: recognized and Theoretical Risks Associated with Blood Transfusion; D.A. Leiby. Xeno-Transplantation and Xenozoonoses; E.J. Ruitenberg. Discussion III: Transmissible Diseases. NAT Update: Where Are We Today?; S.L. Stramer. Cost-Effectiveness of Alternatives to Allogeneic Blood Transfusion: Reviewing the Available Evidence; M.J. Postma. Hereditary Metabolic Diseases and Stem Cell Transplantation; G.P.A. Smit. Detection of Disease: Possibilities and Limitations; J.Th.M.de Wolf. Discussion. IV: Preventable Aspects. Quantitative Real-Time PCR for Detection of Parvovirus B19 DNA in Blood Plasma for Plasma Screening; H.T.M. Cuypers. Advances in Bacterial Detection Technology; W.P.A.van der Tuuk Adriani. Pathogen Inactivated Blood Components: Advancing from Theory to Practice; D.S. Wages. GCBS. ICBS and Other Initiatives: The Pars Pro Toto Phenomenon: Will There Ever Be a Totum Pro Parte?; C.Th. Smit Sibinga. Discussion. Index.