The Biosafety Protocol to the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was adopted in January 2000, by the 176 nations that are parties to the CBD. Not having ratified the CBD, the United States participated in the negotiations as anobserver, but nevertheless was an active participant in the discussions. The Protocol addresses a major area of concern that was not resolved by the parent CBD in 1992— the safe handling, transfer and trade of biological organisms. In recent years, this issue has gained new prominence — and controversy — as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) have become widely used as agricultural crops, and have become the focus of concern by U.S. trading partners and citizens around the world. WhileGMOs are widely used in U.S. crops, citizens and governments in many countries,particularly in Europe, have questioned the environmental and health safety of such products, and have rejected them in the marketplace…
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Biosafety Protocol for Genetically Modified Organisms: Overview
- April 8, 2011
- | Filed under North America, Report, and 2001-2025
Biosecurity and Bioethics Education: A Case Study of the UK Context
Research Report for the Wellcome Trust Project on `Building a Sustainable Capacity in Dual-Use Bioethics
By James Revill
The purpose of this report is to assess the extent to which life science students and faculty members in the UK are exposed to biosecurity-related issues through social or ethical components in life science degree courses, but also through the content of text books, A-Level exam board syllabi and funders of life science research. The report suggests that biosecurity-related education is currently considered of limited relevance to many life science educators at universities in the UK. Moreover, even within bioethics-type modules linked to life science degree courses, topics such as biosecurity, dual-use and arms control remain a peripheral topic, which is only emerging as an issue within bioethics.There are however grounds for optimism, certainly funders of scientific research in the UK now obligate applicants to take dual-use issues into consideration when submitting funding proposals. In terms of the literature, although references to biosecurity, dual-use and arms control are limited, it appears that because these issues are increasingly salient in the security community discourse, authors of life science text books, in seeking to be contemporary and up to date, may be more amenable to including a reference to the illegality of biological weapons in future editions of text books. Such references, along with continued consideration of biosecurity in funding applications, will be important in building awareness of biosecurity and dual-use in the life science communities thinking.
Biosecurity Challenges of the Global Expansion of High Containment Biological Laboratories
During July 10-13, 2011, 68 participants from 32 countries gathered in Istanbul, Turkey for a workshop organized by the United States National Research Council on Anticipating Biosecurity Challenges of the Global Expansion of High-containment Biological Laboratories. The United States Department of State’s Biosecurity Engagement Program sponsored the workshop, which was held in partnership with the Turkish Academy of Sciences. The international workshop examined biosafety and biosecurity issues related to the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of high-containment biological laboratories- equivalent to United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention biological safety level 3 or 4 labs. Although these laboratories are needed to characterize highly dangerous human and animal pathogens, assist in disease surveillance, and produce vaccines, they are complex systems with inherent risks.
- December 22, 2011
- | Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, Report, and 2001-2025
Biosecurity Challenges of the Global Expansion of High-Containment Biological Laboratories
During July 10-13, 2011, 68 participants from 32 countries gathered in Istanbul, Turkey for a workshop organized by the United States National Research Council on Anticipating Biosecurity Challenges of the Global Expansion of High-containment Biological Laboratories. The United States Department of State’s Biosecurity Engagement Program sponsored the workshop, which was held in partnership with the Turkish Academy of Sciences. The international workshop examined biosafety and biosecurity issues related to the design, construction, maintenance, and operation of high-containment biological laboratories- equivalent to United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention biological safety level 3 or 4 labs. Although these laboratories are needed to characterize highly dangerous human and animal pathogens, assist in disease surveillance, and produce vaccines, they are complex systems with inherent risks.
- March 13, 2012
- | Filed under Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, Report, and 2001-2025
Biosecurity Education in Israeli Research Universities
Research Report for the Wellcome Trust Project on Building a Sustainable Capacity in Dual-Use Bioethics
By Masamichi Minehata & David Friedman
This report considered what possible tools could be employed in Israel to help promote biosecurity education and awareness amongst life scientists about dual-use issues. It attempted to investigate the current state of biosecurity education for life scientists at research universities in Israel by sampling 35 academic courses from 6 research universities, mainly in bioethics topics. The results suggested that no specific module on biosecurity was found, results consistent with other studies, however, 4 biosafety modules and 28 bioethics modules were discovered.
