bio2010

Reuters is reporting that the US Strategic National Stockpile will begin acquisition of a new smallpox vaccine.  The new product, Imvamune, promises reduced side-effects and potentially improved protection for patients who are treated after exposure to the virus.  These traits could make the vaccine much more effective as a countermeasure against a biological attack using smallpox.

Though the story of Imvamune ultimately demonstrates that improved countermeasures to biological threats can be developed, the story also illustrates some of the challenges involved in the process.

Our complete coverage of the Biotechnology Industry Organization(BIO)’s 2010 Biosecurity Conference, which occurred in Chicago on May 5-6th, can be found in the FAS Biosecurity Blog archives at: http://fas.org/blog/bio/tag/bio2010

Several recurring themes emerged in the presentations by the world’s experts in fields like public health, national security, food defense, biological weapons, and new advances in research.  Here is our analysis of some of the trends observed at the conference.

Tim Hortons @ BIO Canada (Credit: Allen Dodson)

The 2010 Biosecurity convention concluded with a round table discussion of the dual use risks associated with novel technologies, such as synthetic biology and nanotechnology.

Our complete coverage of the convention here at the FAS Biosecurity blog can be found at:
http://fas.org/blog/bio/tag/bio2010

In the interest of full disclosure, the Biosecurity blog acknowledges the free Tim Horton’s coffee shop, imported by the BIO Canada pavilion on the exhibition floor; this generous caffeinated support has been instrumental in ensuring the quality of our coverage of the convention.

Without further ado, the summary of the final panel follows:

Personnel reliability refers to programs intended to reduce the “insider threat”; the prospect that researchers who are permitted to work on hazardous biological agents might misuse that access.  This has been a major topic in biosecurity since the 2001 Anthrax attacks, which have been attributed to a researcher at Fort Detrick.  They were also the focus of a 2009 NSABB report, which did not recommend that a formal personnel reliability program be instituted for research.  This panel sought to evaluate whether these measures are sufficient.

Representatives from industry, NGO’s and the government gathered to discuss ways to manage biological threats at the second day of the 2010 Biosecurity convention.  The session focused on the coordination that would be required to respond to biological incidents.