Biosecurity Concept: Origins, Evolution and Perspectives

Originally used in reference to the management of biological weapons and bio-terrorism, the term biosecurity was first used in the agricultural sector in the 1980s as “the sum of risk management practices in the defence against biological threats”. This term was then taken up in different strategic documents of different organisations, so multiple definitions and understandings co-exist. This short communication reviews the origins and evolution of the biosecurity concept and discusses the future perspectives of biosecurity in regard to the One Health Approach and the changing environment.

Novel Transcriptional and Translational Biomarkers of Tularemia Vaccine Efficacy in a Mouse Inhalation Model: Proof of Concept

Francisella tularensis subspecies tularensis (Ftt) is extremely virulent for humans when inhaled as a small particle aerosol (<5 µm). Inhalation of ≥20 viable bacteria is sufficient to initiate infection with a mortality rate ≥30%. Consequently, in the past, Ftt became a primary candidate for biological weapons development. To counter this threat, the USA developed a live vaccine strain (LVS), that showed efficacy in humans against inhalation of virulent Ftt. However, the breakthrough dose was fairly low, and protection waned with time. These weaknesses triggered extensive research for better vaccine candidates. Previously, we showed that deleting the clpB gene from virulent Ftt strain, SCHU S4, resulted in a mutant that was significantly less virulent than LVS for mice, yet better protected them from aerosol challenge with wild-type SCHU S4. To date, comprehensive searches for correlates of protection for SCHU S4 ΔclpB among molecules that are critical signatures of cell-mediated immunity, have yielded little reward. In this study we used transcriptomics analysis to expand the potential range of molecular correlates of protection induced by vaccination with SCHU S4 ΔclpB beyond the usual candidates. The results provide proof-of-concept that unusual host responses to vaccination can potentially serve as novel efficacy biomarkers for new tularemia vaccines.

Dual-Use Quickscan: A Web-Based Tool to Assess the Dual-Use Potential of Life Science Research

Research on pathogenic organisms is crucial for medical, biological and agricultural developments. However, biological agents as well as associated knowledge and techniques, can also be misused, for example for the development of biological weapons. Potential malicious use of well-intended research, referred to as “dual-use research”, poses a threat to public health and the environment. There are various international resources providing frameworks to assess dual-use potential of the research concerned. However, concrete instructions for researchers on how to perform a dual-use risk assessment is largely lacking. The international need for practical dual-use monitoring and risk assessment instructions, in addition to the need to raise awareness among scientists about potential dual-use aspects of their research has been identified over the last years by the Netherlands Biosecurity Office, through consulting national and international biorisk stakeholders. We identified that Biorisk Management Advisors and researchers need a practical tool to facilitate a dual-use assessment on their specific research. Therefore, the Netherlands Biosecurity Office developed a web-based Dual-Use Quickscan (www.dualusequickscan.com), that can be used periodically by researchers working with microorganisms to assess potential dual-use risks of their research by answering a set of fifteen yes/no questions. The questions for the tool were extracted from existing international open resources, and categorized into three themes: characteristics of the biological agent, knowledge and technology about the biological agent, and consequences of misuse. The results of the Quickscan provide the researcher with an indication of the dual-use potential of the research and can be used as a basis for further discussions with a Biorisk Management Advisor. The Dual-Use Quickscan can be embedded in a broader system of biosafety and biosecurity that includes dual-use monitoring and awareness within organizations. Increased international attention to examine pathogens with pandemic potential has been enhanced by the current COVID-19 pandemic, hence monitoring of dual-use potential urgently needs to be encouraged.

DISEASE BEARING INSECT RESEARCH IN MALAYA BY JAPANESE SCIENTISTS DURING WORLD WAR II AND ITS POSITION IN INTERNATIONAL LAW

Japanese scientists commissioned by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) were tasked at the Nettai Igaku Kenkyusho or Institute of Medical Research (IMR) in Kuala Lumpur and other locations in Malaya during World War II (WWII) to identify cures for malaria, dengue, and scrub typhus rampant among Japanese troops in Southeast Asia. Such research on insects could contribute to biological warfare. This study identifies the background and destiny of these few Japanese scientists in Malaya conducting research on malaria, dengue and scrub typhus while evaluating if their research could have been an offense under international law at that point of time. A qualitative historical approach relying on documentation, soft law, treaties, and secondary resources obtained from archives and national libraries online from different countries and the Fold3-Historical Military Records website were referred. These documentations were classified according to names of Japanese scientists to form a short biography and to provide background information of the IMR during WWII. The results reveal some Japanese scientists responsible for malaria research at the IMR in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, and dengue research in Malaya, Singapore and Java. Human experimentation associated with dengue was suspected in Singapore. One IMR Japanese director had links with Unit 731. Kiyoshi Hayakawa, part of Unit 9420 in Singapore, Japan’s subunit for its covert biological weapons programme conducted research on scrub typhus in Java and Malaya. These scientists continued as professors in Japan or were promoted to this position much later with one of them opening a medical company. Indeed, a gap existed in international law at the end of the 19th and early 20th century which failed to make experimentation illegal as a preparation stage rather than actual usage in warfare because of the omission to address the development, production and stockpiling of biological weapons.

Modern biotechnology tools and biosecurity in the Middle East

The global health system is under a constant threat from microbial outbreaks. The innovation in genetic engineering has created an existential threat to national, regional and international security. This threat, that can edit microbial or human genomes, requires global attention. In the current review, a comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, SCOPUS and Google Scholar to identify literature discussing modern biotechnology tools as well as relevance to biosafety in the Middle east region. This review was undertaken to provide an overview of biological threats due to advancements in genetic engineering, making it possible to insert or delete specific genes to increase the virulence of particular microbes. These pathogens or other toxic factors can be multiplied by technology, creating new biological weapons. Genome editing technologies including meganucleases (MNs), zinc finger nucleases (ZFNs), transcription activator-like effector (TALE)-nucleases (TALENs) and recently discovered clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR/Cas) induce a double strand break at specific DNA target site. Genome editing technologies lead to an irreversible and permanent alteration of the genetic code and therefore, can inevitably result in security risks. Vulnerabilities in Middle Eastern laboratories raise the prospect of high levels of pathogenic microbes potentially creating a weakness in the diagnosis and monitoring of epidemics. Furthermore, the lack of regional legislation to regulate biosafety and biosecurity may lead to biological threat at the regional level.

Investigation of Microbiological Quality Changes of Roof-Harvested Rainwater Stored in the Tanks

Rainwater has been found to be a valuable source of drinking water in Europe, especially in such crisis situations as those caused by contamination of water uptake into water supply systems, large-scale floods or terrorist attacks (e.g., biological weapons). The microbiological quality of water plays a significant role, which is directly related to the potential health risks associated with harvested rainwater (including rainwater stored in the tanks). Microbial contamination is commonly found in rainwater. However, in the literature, detailed results of qualitative and quantitative microbiological assessments are sparse and remain unexplored. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate and analyze changes in the microbiological quality of roof-harvested rainwater stored in the tanks, depending on the collection conditions (type of roof surface), storage duration and season. Authors elucidate that conditions such as storage duration, the season in which rainwater is collected, the roof-like surface types and morphology of the catchment area highly affect rainwater quality. This study showed that rainwater harvested from a galvanized steel sheet roof had the best microbial quality, regarding the lowest number of bacteria, while rainwater from a flat roof covered with epoxy resin was the worst. Further, it was detected that rainwater collected in autumn and spring obtained the best microbiological quality. Moreover, a decrease in the number of bacteria was observed in correlation to storage duration. The water became sanitary safe after six weeks of storage at 12 °C. Its use for purposes requiring drinking water quality before six weeks of storage required disinfection.

The Hermit Kingdom’s Forgotten Threat: Evaluating UNSCR 1540’s Effectiveness in Controlling North Korea’s Biological Weapons Program

Mitigating the proliferation of biological weapons remains uniquely challenging, even 48 years after the ratification of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). Suspected development of advanced biological weapons by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), despite its status as a party to both the BWC and other nonproliferation agreements, has emphasized the need for international efforts to keep biological weapons out of the hands of rogue nations and terrorist networks. Among the numerous weaponized cultures believed to be in development by the North Korean military are anthrax, botulism, cholera, plague and smallpox. With a steady decrease in resources and attention devoted to preparedness for biological attacks or outbreaks since 2001, the United States and its allies remain vulnerable to biological weapons in development by North Korea. An ongoing example of this danger is demonstrated by the international community’s struggle to respond to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. With United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1540’s expiration in 2021, this paper aims to assess its effectiveness in preventing the proliferation of biological weapons by analyzing the legal requirements UNSCR 1540 imposes on UN member nations. Using North Korea’s biological weapons program as a case study, this paper will evaluate the successes and failures of UNSCR 1540’s legal mechanisms in controlling biological weapons development in North Korea in its penultimate year of validity. This paper will also examine the overlapping roles served by the World Health Organization (WHO), the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), and UNSCR 1540, and how their administrative frameworks identify and respond to natural disease outbreaks and biological attacks. Finally, this paper will recommend actions the United Nations Security Council may take to more effectively pursue its mission of nonproliferation.