Information Hazards in Biotechnology. Issue 5 (12th November 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lewis, Gregory; Millett, Piers; Sandberg, Anders; Snyder‐Beattie, Andrew; Gronvall, Gigi
• Is Part Of: Risk analysis. Volume 39:Issue 5(2019)
• Page Start: 975
• Page End: 981
• Publication Date: 2018-11-12
• Subjects: Biotechnology -- dual‐use research of concern -- information hazards; Technology -- Risk assessment -- Periodicals; 658.403
• DOI: 10.1111/risa.13235
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0272-4332

Abstract

Abstract: With the advance of biotechnology, biological information, rather than biological materials, is increasingly the object of principal security concern. We argue that both in theory and in practice, existing security approaches in biology are poorly suited to manage hazardous biological information, and use the cases of Mousepox, H5N1 gain of function, and Botulinum toxin H to highlight these ongoing challenges. We suggest that mitigation of these hazards can be improved if one can: (1) anticipate hazard potential before scientific work is performed; (2) consider how much the new information would likely help both good and bad actors; and (3) aim to disclose information in the manner that maximally disadvantages bad actors versus good ones.