Biosafety Issues: Importance, Levels, Rules and Advantages

The practices, guidelines, and ethical standards that must be followed to protect the environment and the human population are referred to as biosafety concerns. In order to prevent exposure to diseases and poisons, containment principles, tactics, and practices are discussed. Its main goal is to control dangerous biological agents, poisons, chemicals, and radiation. Biosafety precautions have become more crucial with the development of genetic engineering to safeguard environmental and public safety.

The public should be aware of the laws, guidelines, and oversight organizations. In order to guarantee safety at its core, researchers should be the first to fully understand biosafety challenges and procedures. The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety has been ratified by 167 nations, many of which are members of the United Nations. The procedure went into effect on September 11th, 2003. The following were its goals:

Its goal was to make sure living modified organisms could transit borders safely.

Through the Biosafety Clearing House, framing and dissemination of the principles and procedures for risk assessment is done.

Significance of Biosafety Issues

The country's regulatory authorities must first give their consent for the use of genetic modification in such sectors.

The rules must be adhered to in order to reduce biosafety. Researchers, companies that create genetically modified organisms, policymakers, administrators, and environmentalists now have a greater understanding of biosafety. The OMICS Publishing Group USA has worked to increase public awareness of biosafety problems and solutions by publishing biosafety journals and holding international conferences. Even though current science benefits the human population, it can also be risky if not employed carefully.

To protect human and environmental safety, biosecurity and bioterrorism are two recent growing challenges that need to be examined. Therefore, biosafety is crucial to ensuring the secure application of technology.

Certain biosafety thresholds have been suggested for the laboratory depending on the pathogenicity of the bacteria being worked on. This shield the surrounding area and the environment from the dangers posed by these bacteria.

Rules and Monitoring Body for Biosafety

The public should be aware of the laws, guidelines, and oversight organizations. The researcher who is fully knowledgeable about biosafety concerns and precautions should be entrusted with carrying out all of these tasks. The "Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety" is an agreement on biosafety issues that was adopted by 167 nations, including several United Nations member states, and its enforcement was completed in 2003.

The following is the protocol's primary goal:

1. Its goal is to guarantee the secure transfer of live modified organisms across borders.

2. It also serves this purpose by formulating and disseminating the concepts and procedures for risk assessment through the use of clearinghouses and other biosafety measures.

Authorities that Regulate Biosafety Measures

There are numerous organizations that oversee biosafety measures, including the State Biotechnology Coordination Committee, Institutional Biosafety Committee, and Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC). Below is a list of a handful of them along with a brief description.

A. The Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India (BRAI):

According to the regulations of the Bill submitted in Parliament in 2013, the primary goal of this regulatory body is to govern the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

B. National Technical Commission on Biosafety(CTNBio):

The Ministry of Science and Technology established CTNBio. This authority's responsibilities include developing rules and specifications to facilitate biotechnology activity at various stages while guaranteeing biosafety. so safeguarding against any unanticipated negative impacts on human health and the environment.

Advantages of Biosafety Issues

To prevent any biosafety difficulties, it is imperative to adhere to the biosafety guidelines. Below is a list of some benefits of biosafety issues:

A. Getting Rid of Risk

It prevents organisms from being directly exposed to any infections or hazardous radiation. Etc.

B. A high-efficiency particle filter is used.

Here, we use HEPA to prevent living things—including people—from coming into contact with these dangerous pollutants directly. These filters may also capture a variety of bacteria, viruses, and other microbes.

C. Internal Ventilation System

It prevents the passage of dangerous gases, which, if breathed in, can obliterate your lungs.

D. Providing a sterile setting

E. Use of rubber gloves

Significance of Biosafety

Exotic microorganisms are the subject of ongoing modern research, as are new findings. Such research procedures can, however, pose a serious threat to humanity if they are not closely regulated. In the light of current research on deadly chemicals and bacteria, two new major trending challenges have emerged: biosecurity and bioterrorism. For the sake of the protection of people and the environment, they must be kept under control. Thus, biosafety is required to ensure the secure use of science and technology.

Levels of Biosafety

A set of biocontainment safeguards known as biosafety levels is intended to safeguard lab workers as well as the community and the environment. They are ranked according to the species being studied in labs.

Following are the biosafety levels described in detail:

Biosafety Level 1

The agents that pose the least hazard to laboratory personnel and the environment are given this lowest biosafety category. These are not separate from the structure as a whole. Work is done at Biosafety Level 1 using the E. coli strain that is not pathogenic.

Without the use of any specialised contamination equipment, the investigation is conducted on the workbenches. These are the details of the biosafety level 1 facility:

• automatic pipetting

• handling sharps safely

• avoiding aerosols and splashes

• sanitising hands

• Drinking, smoking, and eating are not permitted in laboratories.

• indicators of biohazards

• protective gear, including gloves, lab coats, goggles, and gowns

Before being disposed away, all infectious materials should be decontaminated.

Biosafety Level 2

This covers elements responsible for human sickness. HIV, the encephalitis virus, and Staphylococcus aureus are a few examples. To avoid any injuries like cuts or ingesting something, the personnel working in these labs have to pay closer attention.

In a Biosafety Level 2 laboratory, the following procedures should be followed:

• wearing safety gear, such as face shields, glasses, and goggles.

• Infection-risky procedures are carried out in biological safety cabinets.

• Before disposal, the trash should be decontaminated.

• There should be a sink and an eyewash nearby.

• There should be biohazard indicators available.

Biosafety Level 3

Working on pathogenic microorganisms that can inhale their way into major illness is part of this. Viruses that cause tuberculosis include the West Nile virus, the yellow fever virus, and bacteria.

The following standards are typical for a BSL 3 laboratory:

• It is necessary to wear protective gear, including respirators.

• Every task should be carried out in a biosafety cabinet.

• Access to the door should be possible from outside the main structure.

• The researchers are protected against specific germs by vaccination and are under medical observation.

Biosafety Level 4

This includes working with unusual and highly deadly bacteria. These microorganisms can cause deadly infections that cannot be cured or protected against. Ebola and the Marburg virus, as examples.

The following specifications are typical for a biosafety level 4 laboratory:

1. While leaving, the researchers should shower and change into new attire.

2. Decontamination of all the components is necessary.

3. Every experiment ought to be conducted in a class III safety cabinet.

4. Entry to this area is limited and the laboratory is segregated in a separate building.

GMO Ethical Issues

The three moral problems with GMOs that endanger both human life and the environment are listed below.

• Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) can have unanticipated and detrimental effects when they are introduced into the natural ecosystem.

• Here, the GMO patent right claim is another problem that has obscured the fundamental goal of GMOs, which was to satisfy dietary and medicinal requirements.

• Traditional bioresource knowledge is something that developing and poor nations have, while developed nations use the same resources.