Special Issue: Biosafety and Biosecurity for Potential Pandemic Pathogens and Dual Use Research of Concern

The fields of biosafety and biosecurity are crucial to managing risks associated with Potential Pandemic Pathogens (PPPs) and Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC), particularly as novel and reemerging pathogens increasingly impact global health. The Editors of Applied Biosafety are pleased to announce a forthcoming Special Issue focused on the myriad of risks associated with handling, transporting, and researching PPPs and DURC, as well as the measures needed to mitigate these risks effectively. This special issue aims to review and scrutinize existing and forthcoming government policies and regulations to identify gaps in addressing these concerns. It will also explore the integral role played by biosafety and biosecurity professionals in shaping policy and guidance.

Manuscript contributions are invited on a variety of topics, including, but not limited to:

•    Anticipating the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on future PPP and DURC research and approaches for using technology to identify and manage risks.
•    Balancing scientific freedom, security concerns and implementing effective biosafety and biosecurity measures in PPP and DURC activities.
•    Best practices for preparing for PPP and DURC regulatory oversight and managing communication and public engagement to raise awareness of research risks and benefits.
•    Challenges with obtaining approval to conduct PPP and DURC experiments at the institutional, national, and regional level.
•    Comparative analysis of national, regional, and international regulatory approaches and practices to mitigating the risks associated with PPPs and DURC.
•    Developing evidence-based frameworks for risk assessment in PPP and DURC applications and empirically validating biosafety and biosecurity measures.
•    Elements of personnel reliability programs for conducting PPP and DURC activities.
•    Engagement with biosafety and biosecurity practitioners in the development of new policies, regulations, guidelines, and risk mitigation strategies.
•    Essential elements of biosafety and biosecurity training programs for students, researchers, biosafety professionals, and IBC members engaged in PPP and DURC activities.
•    Global perspectives on managing biosafety and biosecurity when performing field collection or field research with PPPs and experiments with DURC potential.
•    Institutional screening procedures and oversight strategies for the review and approval of individuals and experiments involving PPPs and DURC.
•    Overview of biosafety and biosecurity risks posed by PPPs and DURC activities.
•    Results from surveys and interviews on the perceptions and real risks associated with PPP and DURC activities, especially among the scientific, biosafety, and biosecurity communities.
•    Review and comparison of key guidance documents and policies affecting PPP and DURC activities, such as governmental, regional, global, and peer-reviewed biosafety and biosecurity guidelines.

Submissions will undergo a double-blinded, expert peer-review process in the Special Issue on Biosafety and Biosecurity for Potential Pandemic Pathogens and Dual Use Research of Concern. The deadline for submissions to the special issue is October 31, 2024. Accepted articles may be published online ahead of the print release.

Please refer to the Instructions for Authors before submitting your manuscript for consideration. Please select “Special Issue on Biosafety and Biosecurity for Potential Pandemic Pathogens and Dual Use Research of Concern” as the type when submitting your manuscript.

If you have any questions or pre-submission queries, please contact David Gillum at dgillum@unr.edu.

About the Journal:
Applied Biosafety (APB) is a peer-reviewed, scientific journal committed to promoting global biosafety awareness and best practices to prevent occupational exposures and adverse environmental impacts related to biohazardous releases. APB provides a forum for exchanging sound biosafety and biosecurity initiatives by publishing original articles, review articles, letters to the editors, commentaries, and brief reviews. APB informs scientists, safety professionals, policymakers, engineers, architects, and governmental organizations. The journal is committed to publishing on topics significant in well-resourced countries as well as information relevant to underserved regions, engaging, and cultivating the development of biosafety professionals globally.

Applied Biosafety is under the editorial leadership of Coeditors-in-Chief Karen B. Byers, MS, CBSP(ABSA), Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Barbara Johnson, PhD, RBP(ABSA), Biosafety Biosecurity International, and Associate Editors David Gillum, MS, RBP(ABSA), and Scott Patlovich, DrPH, CBSP(ABSA), CIH, CSP, CHMM, CPH.

Applied Biosafety is indexed in the following databases:

•    PubMed Central
•    Web of Science: Emerging Sources Citation Index™ (ESCI)
•    Scopus
•    Biological Abstracts
•    BIOSIS Citation Index™
•    SafetyLit
•    BenchSci

Visit the Instructions for Authors: HERE

Submit your paper for peer review online: HERE