Emerging Biosecurity Threats and Responses: A Review of Published and Gray Literature

Abstract

AbstractThe field of biotechnology has been rigorously researched and applied to many facets of everyday life. Biotechnology is defined as the process of modifying an organism or a biological system for an intended purpose. Biotechnology applications range from agricultural crop selection to pharmaceutical and genetic processes (Bauer and Gaskell 2002). The definition, however, is evolving with recent scientific advancements. Until World War II, biotechnology was primarily siloed in agricultural biology and chemical engineering. The results of this era included disease-resistant crops, pesticides, and other pest-controlling tools (Verma et al. 2011). After WWII, biotechnology began to shift domains when advanced research on human genetics and DNA started. In 1984, the Human Genome Project (HGP) was formerly proposed, which initiated the pursuit to decode the human genome by the private and academic sectors. The legacy of the project gave rise to ancillary advancements in data sharing and open-source software, and solidified the prominence of “big science;” solidifying capital-intensive large-scale private-public research initiatives that were once primarily under the purview of government-funded programs (Hood and Rowen 2013). After the HGP, the biotechnology industry boomed as a result of dramatic cost reduction to DNA sequencing processes. In 2019 the industry was globally estimated to be worth $449.06 billion and is projected to increase in value (Polaris 2020).