Biosafety Issues: Importance, Levels, Rules and Advantages

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. Biosafety is one of the topics in Biology and they carry a weightage of 2-3% in NEET and 4-5% in CBSE and other Paramedical Exams.

Importance of Biosafety Issues

Biosafety issues are important because they help in meeting the standards which are designed to protect human health and the environment from the biological risks related to biological agents. This involves the basic understanding and implementation of biosafety measures while handling it. The significance of biosafety is discussed below:

• Biosafety is important for controlling the release and impact of genetically modified organisms or biological agents in the ecosystem.

• It also becomes important when the biosafety regulations ensure that there is some kind of change in the core sector of the environment.

• Sometimes it also comes from the risk of accidental exposure or release of some hazardous material which involves risk to the environment.

• Due to the presence of biosafety, there is also a rise and biosecurity which is important for national security and the prevention of biological threats.

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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 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 clearing houses 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.

• 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).

• 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.

Levels of Biosafety

A set of biocontainment safeguards known as biosafety levels are 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:

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.

Types of Questions Asked from Biosafety Issues

During exam preparation, different types of questions about the Biosafety Issues are asked. The table below contains the different patterns of questions asked in different exams.

Tips, Tricks, and Strategies for Biosafety Issues

It takes effort to remember everything in a single go. We made the entire problem easy. Some of the tricks regarding Biosafety issues are given below which you can use to memorise the important points.

Levels of Biosafety

"BL1 to BL4: Basic to High Risk"

• BL1: Low risk (non-pathogenic organisms, basic precautions).

• BL2: Moderate risk (human pathogens, more safety measures).

• BL3: High risk (pathogens causing serious disease, strict controls).

• BL4: Maximum risk (highly infectious agents, specialized facilities).

Key Practices in Biosafety

"PEAR: Practices, Equipment, Awareness, Regulations"

• P: Practices (following standard operating procedures).

• E: Equipment (using appropriate biosafety cabinets).

• A: Awareness (being mindful of potential hazards).

• R: Regulations (complying with local and international guidelines).

Importance of Biosafety

"PS: Protection and Safety"

• P: Protection of researchers and the public from biological hazards.

• S: Safety of the environment against harmful biological agents.

Common Biosafety Equipment

"GEARS: Gear, Equipment, Area, Regulations, Safety"

• G: Gear (wearing personal protective equipment like gloves and masks).

• E: Equipment (using biosafety cabinets and autoclaves).

• A: Area (keeping work areas clean and organized).

• R: Regulations (following institutional and governmental biosafety protocols).

• S: Safety (maintaining a culture of safety in laboratories).

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