PHLT 415- Exam 2
Toxins - ANSWER-nonliving poisons produced by living entities, such as plants, fungi, insects, and animals
-Chemical by-products of biological agents
-Gray area between chemical and biological weapons
-Nonliving poisons: plants, fungi, insects, animals
Biosecurity - ANSWER-a process to reduce or eliminate the ability of a biological agent to adversely affect
a human, animal, or plant health, as well as the economy or the environment.
Bioterrorism - ANSWER-the threat or use of a biological agent to harm or kill humans, plants, or animals
-The target is typically the civilian population or resources that might affect the civilian economy
Biosafety - ANSWER-the process used to prevent people and the environment from being exposed to
hazardous biological agents
Biorisk - ANSWER-the chance that any type of adverse event leading to potential harm will occur- be it
an accidental infection within the lab or the loss, theft, unauthorized access, or intentional release of an
agent.
Biobank - ANSWER-Balance of storing pathogens for research purposes and potential threat these
facilities may cause
Agroterrorism - ANSWER-refers to the knowing or malicious use of biological agents to affect the
agricultural industry or food supply
Synthetic Biology - ANSWER-the design and creation of biological components and systems that do not
naturally exist
-Potential for misuse
, -Important for scientific development, w/ potential applications for the advancement of health and
technology.
Gain of Function - ANSWER-Refers to any modification of biological agent that confers new or enhanced
activity
-Oct. 16, 2014: White House announced USG process to assess risks and benefits of certain gain of
function (GOF) experiments
oMoratorium to hold press release of federal funding for GOF studies that enhance pathogenicity or
transmissibility by respiratory viruses
Dual Use - ANSWER-research, agents, technologies, equipment, or info that can be used both for
legitimate scientific purposes and for malevolent use to threatened public health or security.
Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) - ANSWER-Research that, based on current understanding, can be
reasonably anticipated to provide knowledge, products, or technologies that could be directly
misapplied by others to pose a threat to public health and safety, agricultural crops and other plants,
animals, the environment, or materiel
The mousepox study - ANSWER-Purpose: Try to alter the mousepox virus so that it would make mice
infertile, and thus become a pest control method
Recombinant DNA
Demonstrated how to increase lethality of *smallpox*
Dual use research could be used by terrorists to make biological weapon
Series of questions for scientific community
Led to guidelines for reviewing journal articles; potential harm of publication outweighs benefits
Scientists around the world voiced concerns that the researchers had published a road map for
increasing lethality of mousepox by showing how to kill mice even after immunization.
The importance of scientific publication and review - ANSWER-It advances science and, thus, mankind; it
saves lives; and in order to grow and develop, there must be open communication among researchers
The World Health Organization R&D Blueprint for potentially epidemic disease - ANSWER-Ebola outbreak
in 2015
Toxins - ANSWER-nonliving poisons produced by living entities, such as plants, fungi, insects, and animals
-Chemical by-products of biological agents
-Gray area between chemical and biological weapons
-Nonliving poisons: plants, fungi, insects, animals
Biosecurity - ANSWER-a process to reduce or eliminate the ability of a biological agent to adversely affect
a human, animal, or plant health, as well as the economy or the environment.
Bioterrorism - ANSWER-the threat or use of a biological agent to harm or kill humans, plants, or animals
-The target is typically the civilian population or resources that might affect the civilian economy
Biosafety - ANSWER-the process used to prevent people and the environment from being exposed to
hazardous biological agents
Biorisk - ANSWER-the chance that any type of adverse event leading to potential harm will occur- be it
an accidental infection within the lab or the loss, theft, unauthorized access, or intentional release of an
agent.
Biobank - ANSWER-Balance of storing pathogens for research purposes and potential threat these
facilities may cause
Agroterrorism - ANSWER-refers to the knowing or malicious use of biological agents to affect the
agricultural industry or food supply
Synthetic Biology - ANSWER-the design and creation of biological components and systems that do not
naturally exist
-Potential for misuse
, -Important for scientific development, w/ potential applications for the advancement of health and
technology.
Gain of Function - ANSWER-Refers to any modification of biological agent that confers new or enhanced
activity
-Oct. 16, 2014: White House announced USG process to assess risks and benefits of certain gain of
function (GOF) experiments
oMoratorium to hold press release of federal funding for GOF studies that enhance pathogenicity or
transmissibility by respiratory viruses
Dual Use - ANSWER-research, agents, technologies, equipment, or info that can be used both for
legitimate scientific purposes and for malevolent use to threatened public health or security.
Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) - ANSWER-Research that, based on current understanding, can be
reasonably anticipated to provide knowledge, products, or technologies that could be directly
misapplied by others to pose a threat to public health and safety, agricultural crops and other plants,
animals, the environment, or materiel
The mousepox study - ANSWER-Purpose: Try to alter the mousepox virus so that it would make mice
infertile, and thus become a pest control method
Recombinant DNA
Demonstrated how to increase lethality of *smallpox*
Dual use research could be used by terrorists to make biological weapon
Series of questions for scientific community
Led to guidelines for reviewing journal articles; potential harm of publication outweighs benefits
Scientists around the world voiced concerns that the researchers had published a road map for
increasing lethality of mousepox by showing how to kill mice even after immunization.
The importance of scientific publication and review - ANSWER-It advances science and, thus, mankind; it
saves lives; and in order to grow and develop, there must be open communication among researchers
The World Health Organization R&D Blueprint for potentially epidemic disease - ANSWER-Ebola outbreak
in 2015
