Biosekuriti

Biosekuriti is the field focused on preventing the intentional or accidental release of harmful biological agents and the misuse of biological information, materials, or technologies. It aims to protect human health, animals and crops, ecosystems, and the economy by reducing biological risks while enabling safe scientific and medical progress.

The scope includes policy development, risk assessment, laboratory biosafety and facility design, biosecurity measures, surveillance and early warning, and incident response. It also covers governance, ethics, education, and international cooperation to manage cross-border risks.

Core components are biosafety, which focuses on preventing exposure to biological agents; and biosecurity, which minimizes theft, diversion, or misuse of agents or information. Other important elements include dual-use research of concern (DURC) considerations, personnel reliability, access controls, inventory management, and training.

Internationally, biosecurity guidance is shaped by frameworks such as the Biological Weapons Convention, the International Health Regulations, and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540. WHO and national agencies issue standards on laboratory safety, risk communication, and incident reporting. National systems typically integrate risk assessment, licensing, and oversight.

Emerging technologies such as synthetic biology, gene editing, and computational biology create new opportunities and risks. Balancing responsible innovation with security requires capacity building, ethical norms, transparent governance, robust surveillance, supply-chain controls, and ongoing education of researchers, clinicians, and policymakers.