Tag Archives: biosecurity

Science Debate 2012: Pandemics and Biosecurity

The leading U.S. science and engineering organizations developed a list of 14 science policy questions facing the U.S. in 2012. You can read these questions–and the Presidential candidates’ answers–at ScienceDebate.org.

For each of the Science Debate 2012 questions, we’re going to provide you a selection of the authoritative and unbiased resources of the National Academies to help inform your response to the candidates’ answers. Today, we’re looking at this ScienceDebate question on Pandemics and Biosecurity:

Recent experiments show how Avian flu may become transmissible among mammals. In an era of constant and rapid international travel, what steps should the United States take to protect our population from emerging diseases, global pandemics and/or deliberate biological attacks?

How would you respond? Download these reports for free at NAP.edu or purchase a print copy to read.

Biosecurity Challenges of the Global Expansion of High-Containment Biological Laboratories216 pages | Paperback | Price: $41.40During July 10-13, 2011, 68 participants from 32 countries gathered in Istanbul, Turkey for a workshop organized by the United States National Research Council on Anticipating Biosecurity Challenges of the Global Expansion of High-containment Biological… [more]

The Threat of Pandemic Influenza: Are We Ready? Workshop Summary432 pages | Paperback | Price: $44.10Public health officials and organizations around the world remain on high alert because of increasing concerns about the prospect of an influenza pandemic, which many experts believe to be inevitable. Moreover, recent problems with the availability and… [more]

Sustaining Global Surveillance and Response to Emerging Zoonotic Diseases340 pages | Paperback | Price: $42.30H1N1 (“swine flu”), SARS, mad cow disease, and HIV/AIDS are a few examples of zoonotic diseases-diseases transmitted between humans and animals. Zoonotic diseases are a growing concern given multiple factors: their often novel and unpredictable nature, their… [more]

The Impact of Globalization on Infectious Disease Emergence and Control: Exploring the Consequences and Opportunities, Workshop Summary – Forum on Microbial Threats246 pages | Paperback | Price: $40.50[more]

The Dual Use Dilemma: Biological Research and Security in an Age of Terrorism

The great achievements of molecular biology and genetics over the last 50 years have produced advances in agriculture and industrial processes and have revolutionized the practice of medicine. The very technologies that fueled these benefits to society, however, pose a potential risk as well—the possibility that these technologies could also be used to create the next generation of biological weapons. Biotechnology represents a “dual use” dilemma in which the same technologies can be used legitimately for human betterment and misused for bioterrorism.

The Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council have produced a number of reports on the subject of bioterrorism and dual use issues in life science research. All are free to download.

	Biotechnology Research in an Age of Terrorism 164 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $31.50 In recent years much has happened to justify an examination of biological research in light of national security concerns. The destructive application of biotechnology research includes activities such as spreading common pathogens or transforming them…[more]
	Challenges and Opportunities for Education About Dual Use Issues in the Life Sciences 146 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $22.50The Challenges and Opportunities for Education About Dual Use Issues in the Life Sciences workshop was held to engage the life sciences community on the particular security issues related to research with dual use potential. More than 60 participants from… [more]
	A Survey of Attitudes and Actions on Dual Use Research in the Life Sciences: A Collaborative Effort of the National Research Council and the American Association for the Advancement of Science 188 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $78.30 The same technologies that fuel scientific advances also pose potential risks–that the knowledge, tools, and techniques gained through legitimate biotechnology research could be misused to create biological weapons or for bioterrorism. This is often called… [more]
	Globalization, Biosecurity, and the Future of the Life Sciences 318 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $50.40 Biomedical advances have made it possible to identify and manipulate features of living organisms in useful ways&#8212leading to improvements in public health, agriculture, and other areas. The globalization of scientific and technical expertise also means that… [more]
	Biological Threats and Terrorism: Assessing the Science and Response Capabilities: Workshop Summary 336 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $37.80 In the wake of September 11th and recent anthrax events, our nation?s bioterrorism response capability has become an imminent priority for policymakers, researchers, public health officials, academia, and the private sector. In a three-day workshop, convened by.. .[more]

Free PDF Downloads, Audio, Video and More for January 2011

As we begin a new year, the National Academies Press offers you the following selection of books, videos, and podcasts free of charge. Start collecting free resources for your personal STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) library today.

	Implementing the New Biology: Decadal Challenges Linking Food, Energy, and the Environment: Summary of a Workshop, June 3-4, 2010 As the second decade of the 21st century begins, the challenge of how to feed a growing world population and provide sustainable, affordable energy to fulfill daily needs, while also improving human health and protecting the environment, is clear and urgent…
	The Science of Adolescent Risk-Taking: Workshop Report (Prepublication Available) Adolescence is a time when youth make decisions, both good and bad, that have consequences for the rest of their lives. Some of these decisions put them at risk of lifelong health problems, injury, or death. The Institute of Medicine held three public workshops between 2008…
	Challenges and Opportunities for Education About Dual Use Issues in the Life Sciences The Challenges and Opportunities for Education About Dual Use Issues in the Life Sciences workshop was held to engage the life sciences community on the particular security issues related to research with dual use potential. More than 60 participants from…
	Report of the Panel on Implementing Recommendations from the New Worlds, New Horizons Decadal Survey (Prepublication Available) The 2010 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey report, New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics (NWNH), outlines a scientifically exciting and programmatically integrated plan for both ground- and space-based astronomy and astrophysics in…
	Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing: Summary of a Workshop Today, scores of companies, primarily in the United States and Europe, are offering whole genome scanning services directly to the public. The proliferation of these companies and the services they offer demonstrate a public appetite for this information and…
	Avoiding Technology Surprise for Tomorrow’s Warfighter–Symposium 2010 The Symposium on Avoiding Technology Surprise for Tomorrow’s Warfighter is a forum for consumers and producers of scientific and technical intelligence to exchange perspectives on the potential sources of emerging or disruptive technologies and behaviors…
	Evaluation of U.S. Air Force Preacquisition Technology Development (Prepublication Available) From the days of biplanes and open cockpits, the air forces of the United States have relied on the mastery of technology. From design to operation, a project can stretch to 20 years and more, with continuous increases in cost. Much of the delay and cost…
	The Prevention and Treatment of Missing Data in Clinical Trials Randomized clinical trials are the primary tool for evaluating new medical interventions. Randomization provides for a fair comparison between treatment and control groups, balancing out, on average, distributions of known and unknown factors among the…
	Sex Differences and Implications for Translational Neuroscience Research: Workshop Summary (Prepublication Available) Biological differences between the sexes influence not only individual health but also public health, biomedical research, and health care. The Institute of Medicine held a workshop March 8-9, 2010, to discuss sex differences and their implications for…
	State Assessment Systems: Exploring Best Practices and Innovations: Summary of Two Workshops Educators and policy makers in the United States have relied on tests to measure educational progress for more than 150 years, and have used the results for many purposes. They have tried minimum competency testing; portfolios; multiple-choice items, brief…
	Preparing for the Future of HIV/AIDS in Africa: A Shared Responsibility (Prepublication Available) HIV/AIDS is a catastrophe globally but nowhere more so than in sub-Saharan Africa, which in 2008 accounted for 67 percent of cases worldwide and 91 percent of new infections. The Institute of Medicine recommends that the United States and African nations move toward a strategy…
	Measuring the Group Quarters Population in the American Community Survey: Interim Report Following several years of testing and evaluation, the American Community Survey (ACS) was launched in 2005 as a replacement for the census “long form,” used to collect detailed social, economic, and housing data from a sample of the U.S. population as part…

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	Lights at Night Explore images of Earth at night and compare images from 1993, 1997 and 2003 to infer changes in population, energy consumption, energy efficiency and economic activity.

	Landscapes on the Edge: New Horizons for Research on Earth’s Surface Chemical, physical, biotic, and human processes constantly reshape Earth’s surface from particles to continents, over timescales from nanoseconds to millions of years. In this video, Dr. Dorothy Merritts describes the research agenda laid out in this recent National Research Council book.

	Adolescent Health Services: Missing Opportunities Adolescence is a time when youth establish health habits, both good and bad, that often last a lifetime, yet the U.S. health care system today is not designed to help young people develop healthy routines, behaviors, and relationships to prepare them for adulthood. Learn more in this video.

	The Bone Detective Diane France loves bones. Why? Because they talk to her. Every skeleton she meets whispers secrets about the life and death of its owner. Diane France can hear those secrets because she’s a forensic anthropologist, a bone detective. Watch this video to learn about the work of this world-renowned bone detective.

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Listen to Sounds of Science podcasts on topics ranging from energy to metagenomics free-of-charge today.

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Weight Gain During Pregnancy: How Much Is Too Much?

Progress in Preventing Childhood Obesity: How Do We Measure Up?

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The podcasts above are based on books published by the National Academies Press. To receive a 20% discount on the print version of these titles, visit our Special Offers page.

MORE FREE RESOURCES

	Understanding Biosecurity: Protecting Against the Misuse of Science in Today’s World Drawing on the work of the National Academies, this booklet introduces some of the issues at the intersection of science and security. The life sciences offer tremendous promise for meeting many 21st century challenges. Read more

	What You Need To Know About Infectious Disease This publication from the Institute of Medicine examines the relationship between humans and microbes. The booklet discusses how infection works, identifies disease threats, and explores global challenges. Learn more

Engineer Your Life
This web site, designed for high school girls, promotes engineering as a career choice. It features tips on preparing for an engineering career and includes profiles of women engineers, as well as resources for teachers and counselors.

Evolution Resources
The Evolution Resources web site explains the methods of science, documents the overwhelming evidence in support of biological evolution, and evaluates the alternative perspectives offered by advocates of various kinds of creationism, including “intelligent design.” The site includes reports, publications, and resources for teaching evolution.

	Biotechnology Research in an Age of Terrorism 164 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $31.50 In recent years much has happened to justify an examination of biological research in light of national security concerns. The destructive application of biotechnology research includes activities such as spreading common pathogens or transforming them…[more]
	Challenges and Opportunities for Education About Dual Use Issues in the Life Sciences 146 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $22.50The Challenges and Opportunities for Education About Dual Use Issues in the Life Sciences workshop was held to engage the life sciences community on the particular security issues related to research with dual use potential. More than 60 participants from… [more]
	A Survey of Attitudes and Actions on Dual Use Research in the Life Sciences: A Collaborative Effort of the National Research Council and the American Association for the Advancement of Science 188 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $78.30 The same technologies that fuel scientific advances also pose potential risks–that the knowledge, tools, and techniques gained through legitimate biotechnology research could be misused to create biological weapons or for bioterrorism. This is often called… [more]
	Globalization, Biosecurity, and the Future of the Life Sciences 318 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $50.40 Biomedical advances have made it possible to identify and manipulate features of living organisms in useful ways&#8212leading to improvements in public health, agriculture, and other areas. The globalization of scientific and technical expertise also means that… [more]
	Biological Threats and Terrorism: Assessing the Science and Response Capabilities: Workshop Summary 336 pages \| Paperback \| Price: $37.80 In the wake of September 11th and recent anthrax events, our nation?s bioterrorism response capability has become an imminent priority for policymakers, researchers, public health officials, academia, and the private sector. In a three-day workshop, convened by.. .[more]