Scientists concerned boom in labs handing deadly germs not matched by regulation
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Loading... - Christopher ROBINSON
- 16 Mar 2023
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There are more than 100 labs around the world working with dangerous pathogens, according to a new report.
The number of labs handling deadly germs has risen to more than 100 globally, raising concerns among scientists that this boom is not being matched by security and safety regulations.
A report published by Kings College London has found that the number of BSL4 (biosafety level 4) labs – which handle pathogens of the higest risk – in operation, under construction or planned has grown by 10 in two years, from 59 across 23 countries in 2021 to 69 across 27 countries, it said.
But this boom has not been accompanied by sufficient oversight, raising biosafety and biosecurity concerns, the Global BioLabs Report 2023 added.
Dr Filippa Lentzos, who is the author of the report, said: “We’re seeing rapid expansion of max containment labs in Asia but many of these countries score poorly on biorisk management.
“We found biosafety governance to be stronger than biosecurity, while the weakest component is the management of dual-use research of concern.”
She added: “There has been a global boom in construction of labs handling dangerous pathogens, but this has not been accompanied by sufficient biosafety and biosecurity oversight.
“Our new report documents for the first time the current picture around the world and sets out clear recommendations to help address current shortcomings that need to be implemented at the local, national and international level.”
The report also found that three-quarters of these labs are in urbanised areas, which increases the risk of any accidental releases of pathogens having a more devastating impact. Read More…
