Public awareness, acceptability and risk perception about infectious diseases dual-use research of concern: a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed to measure the awareness, acceptability and perceptions of current issues in biosecurity posed by infectious diseases dual-use research of concern (DURC) in the community. DURC is conducted today in many locations around the world for the benefit of humanity but may also cause harm through either a laboratory accident or deliberate misuse. Most DURC is approved by animal ethics committees, which do not typically consider harm to humans. Given the unique characteristics of contagion and the potential for epidemics and pandemics, the community is an important stakeholder in DURC. DESIGN: Self-administered web-based cross-sectional survey. PARTICIPANTS: Participants over the age of 18 in Australia and 21 in the USA were included in the survey. A total of 604 participants completed the study. The results of 52 participants were excluded due to potential biases about DURC stemming from their employment as medical researchers, infectious diseases researchers or law enforcement professionals, leaving 552 participants. Of those, 274 respondents resided in Australia and 278 in the USA. OUTCOMES: Baseline awareness, acceptability and perceptions of current issues surrounding DURC. Changes in perception from baseline were measured after provision of information about DURC. RESULTS: Presurvey, 77% of respondents were unaware of DURC and 64% found it unacceptable or were unsure. Two-thirds of respondents did not change their views. The baseline perception of high risk for laboratory accidents (29%) and deliberate bioterrorism (34%) was low but increased with increasing provision of information (42% and 44% respectively, p<0.001), with men more accepting of DURC (OR=1.79, 95% CI 1.25 to 2.57, p=0.002). Postsurvey, higher education predicted lower risk perception of laboratory accidents (OR=0.56, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.93, p=0.02) and bioterrorism (OR=0.48, 95% CI 0.29 to 0.80, p=0.004). CONCLUSION: The community is an important stakeholder in infectious diseases DURC but has a low awareness of this kind of research. Only a minority support DURC, and this proportion decreased with increasing provision of knowledge. There were differences of opinion between age groups, gender and education levels. The community should be informed and engaged in decisions about DURC.

Converging and emerging threats to health security.

Advances in biological sciences have outpaced regulatory and legal frameworks for biosecurity. Simultaneously, there has been a convergence of scientific disciplines such as synthetic biology, data science, advanced computing and many other technologies, which all have applications in health. For example, advances in cybercrime methods have created ransomware attacks on hospitals, which can cripple health systems and threaten human life. New kinds of biological weapons which fall outside of traditional Cold War era thinking can be created synthetically using genetic code. These convergent trajectories are dramatically expanding the repertoire of methods which can be used for benefit or harm. We describe a new risk landscape for which there are few precedents, and where regulation and mitigation are a challenge. Rapidly evolving patterns of technology convergence and proliferation of dual-use risks expose inadequate societal preparedness. We outline examples in the areas of biological weapons, antimicrobial resistance, laboratory security and cybersecurity in health care. New challenges in health security such as precision harm in medicine can no longer be addressed within the isolated vertical silo of health, but require cross-disciplinary solutions from other fields. Nor can they cannot be managed effectively by individual countries. We outline the case for new cross-disciplinary approaches in risk analysis to an altered risk landscape.

Do it yourself biology--committed hobbyists or dangers to the public safety?

In this article some of the concepts that undergird the Do It Yourself Bio or the "DIY Bio" movement will be explored; the challenges of citizen science will be considered; some of the public policy concerns linked to Do it Yourself Bio will be sketched; and some actionable recommendations made, especially for healthcare institutions.

The insider threat--a new aspect of biosecurity.

The need for those responsible for security at hospital research centers to take steps to counter insider threats to use biomedical and microbiological research and for perverted purposes is real, says the author. He spells out what the threats consist of suspicious behaviors to be aware of and reporting procedures for effective resolution that will enable life science researchers and law enforcement to successfully work together to thwart such threats.

An approach to security risk assessment.

Use of a brief survey instrument described in this article can be a useful means of obtaining actionable information in regards to risk assessment and crime prevention, the author points out. The survey yields data that assists in the prioritization of effort that can enhance the impact of a limited pool of qualified specialists.

Turn over folders: a proven tool in succession management planning.

The dual challenges of succession management and succession management planning are considerable. A tool, the Turn over Folder, was introduced and described in detail as a useful first step in succession management planning. The adoption of that tool will not in itself produce a succession management plan, but it will orientate the organization and its members to the reality of succession management in all important leadership and critical positions. Succession management is an important consideration in all progressive organizations and well worth the effort.

Conversations with commanders: a tool for organizational learning.

In this article the authors report on how police-developed management concepts--Compstat and Intelligence-Led Policing--were successfully applied and used to advance organizational learning in a public safety function of an academic medical center.

Verbal judo training of a security staff: a comprehensive cancer center's experience.

How a large hospital with over 250 security officers improved the communications practices of its line officers through a training program that successfully adapted the Verbal Judo Course to the specific needs and requirements of hospital security in-service training.