Bacillus anthracis: Balancing innocent research with dual-use potential

Michael J. Hudson; Wolfgang Beyer; Reinhard Böhm; Antonio Fasanella; Giuliano Garofolo; Robert Golinski; Pierre L. Goossens; Ulrike Hahn; Bassam Hallis; Annemarie King; Michèle Mock; Cesare Montecucco; Amanda Ozin; Fiorella Tonello; Stefan H.E. Kaufmann

doi:10.1016/j.ijmm.2007.09.007

Bacillus anthracis: Balancing innocent research with dual-use potential

Michael J. Hudson, Wolfgang Beyer, Reinhard Böhm, Antonio Fasanella, Giuliano Garofolo, Robert Golinski, Pierre L. Goossens, Ulrike Hahn, Bassam Hallis, Annemarie King, Michèle Mock, Cesare Montecucco, Amanda Ozin, Fiorella Tonello, Stefan H.E. Kaufmann^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research & Technical Project Managers

Research output: Contribution to journal › Short survey › peer-review

34 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Anthrax Euronet, a Coordination Action of the EU 6th Framework Programme, was designed to strengthen networking activities between anthrax research groups in Europe and to harmonise protocols for testing anthrax vaccines and therapeutics. Inevitably, the project also addressed aspects of the current political issues of biosecurity and dual-use research, i.e. research into agents of important diseases of man, livestock or agriculture that could be used as agents of bioterrorism. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the biology of Bacillus anthracis, of the pathogenesis, epidemiology and diagnosis of anthrax, as well as vaccine and therapeutic intervention strategies. The proposed requirement for a code of conduct for working with dual-use agents such as the anthrax bacillus is also discussed.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	345-364
Number of pages	20
Journal	International Journal of Medical Microbiology
Volume	298
Issue number	5-6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmm.2007.09.007
Publication status	Published - 1 Jul 2008

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This work received generous financial support from the EU FP6 Coordination Action “Anthrax Euronet” (SSPE-CT-2003-503616). We are grateful to Dr. M.L. Grossman for editorial help.

Funding Information:
There are several similar European projects continuing from the work of the Anthrax Euronet under the auspices of the “Scientific Support to Policies” and “Preparatory Action for Security Research” funding lines of the Directorate-General (DG) Research in FP6 as well as projects funded through DG SANCO's Public Health Programme (2003–2008). An expected outcome from the combined work of these projects will be a draft code of conduct for working with high-risk pathogens to be developed by scientists and biosafety experts. Such a draft document will be a key tool for informing policy makers, raising awareness amongst the key stakeholders in the research fields and providing significant input to a balanced approach to potential global biosecurity measures in the future – an approach that should emphasise the need to foster a culture of responsibility and to make biosecurity a routine part of the overarching safe procedure (biosafety) for working in microbiology laboratories and of general good laboratory practices and management.

Keywords

Anthrax
Bacillus anthracis
Bioterrorism
Diagnosis
Dual-use research
Therapeutics
Vaccine

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.ijmm.2007.09.007

Cite this

Hudson, M. J., Beyer, W., Böhm, R., Fasanella, A., Garofolo, G., Golinski, R., Goossens, P. L., Hahn, U., Hallis, B., King, A., Mock, M., Montecucco, C., Ozin, A., Tonello, F., & Kaufmann, S. H. E. (2008). Bacillus anthracis: Balancing innocent research with dual-use potential. International Journal of Medical Microbiology, 298(5-6), 345-364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmm.2007.09.007

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abstract = "Anthrax Euronet, a Coordination Action of the EU 6th Framework Programme, was designed to strengthen networking activities between anthrax research groups in Europe and to harmonise protocols for testing anthrax vaccines and therapeutics. Inevitably, the project also addressed aspects of the current political issues of biosecurity and dual-use research, i.e. research into agents of important diseases of man, livestock or agriculture that could be used as agents of bioterrorism. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the biology of Bacillus anthracis, of the pathogenesis, epidemiology and diagnosis of anthrax, as well as vaccine and therapeutic intervention strategies. The proposed requirement for a code of conduct for working with dual-use agents such as the anthrax bacillus is also discussed.",

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author = "Hudson, \{Michael J.\} and Wolfgang Beyer and Reinhard B{\"o}hm and Antonio Fasanella and Giuliano Garofolo and Robert Golinski and Goossens, \{Pierre L.\} and Ulrike Hahn and Bassam Hallis and Annemarie King and Mich{\`e}le Mock and Cesare Montecucco and Amanda Ozin and Fiorella Tonello and Kaufmann, \{Stefan H.E.\}",

note = "Funding Information: This work received generous financial support from the EU FP6 Coordination Action “Anthrax Euronet” (SSPE-CT-2003-503616). We are grateful to Dr. M.L. Grossman for editorial help. Funding Information: There are several similar European projects continuing from the work of the Anthrax Euronet under the auspices of the “Scientific Support to Policies” and “Preparatory Action for Security Research” funding lines of the Directorate-General (DG) Research in FP6 as well as projects funded through DG SANCO's Public Health Programme (2003–2008). An expected outcome from the combined work of these projects will be a draft code of conduct for working with high-risk pathogens to be developed by scientists and biosafety experts. Such a draft document will be a key tool for informing policy makers, raising awareness amongst the key stakeholders in the research fields and providing significant input to a balanced approach to potential global biosecurity measures in the future – an approach that should emphasise the need to foster a culture of responsibility and to make biosecurity a routine part of the overarching safe procedure (biosafety) for working in microbiology laboratories and of general good laboratory practices and management. ",

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Hudson, MJ, Beyer, W, Böhm, R, Fasanella, A, Garofolo, G, Golinski, R, Goossens, PL, Hahn, U, Hallis, B, King, A, Mock, M, Montecucco, C, Ozin, A, Tonello, F & Kaufmann, SHE 2008, 'Bacillus anthracis: Balancing innocent research with dual-use potential', International Journal of Medical Microbiology, vol. 298, no. 5-6, pp. 345-364. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmm.2007.09.007

TY - JOUR

T1 - Bacillus anthracis

T2 - Balancing innocent research with dual-use potential

AU - Hudson, Michael J.

AU - Beyer, Wolfgang

AU - Böhm, Reinhard

AU - Fasanella, Antonio

AU - Garofolo, Giuliano

AU - Golinski, Robert

AU - Goossens, Pierre L.

AU - Hahn, Ulrike

AU - Hallis, Bassam

AU - King, Annemarie

AU - Mock, Michèle

AU - Montecucco, Cesare

AU - Ozin, Amanda

AU - Tonello, Fiorella

AU - Kaufmann, Stefan H.E.

N1 - Funding Information: This work received generous financial support from the EU FP6 Coordination Action “Anthrax Euronet” (SSPE-CT-2003-503616). We are grateful to Dr. M.L. Grossman for editorial help. Funding Information: There are several similar European projects continuing from the work of the Anthrax Euronet under the auspices of the “Scientific Support to Policies” and “Preparatory Action for Security Research” funding lines of the Directorate-General (DG) Research in FP6 as well as projects funded through DG SANCO's Public Health Programme (2003–2008). An expected outcome from the combined work of these projects will be a draft code of conduct for working with high-risk pathogens to be developed by scientists and biosafety experts. Such a draft document will be a key tool for informing policy makers, raising awareness amongst the key stakeholders in the research fields and providing significant input to a balanced approach to potential global biosecurity measures in the future – an approach that should emphasise the need to foster a culture of responsibility and to make biosecurity a routine part of the overarching safe procedure (biosafety) for working in microbiology laboratories and of general good laboratory practices and management.

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AB - Anthrax Euronet, a Coordination Action of the EU 6th Framework Programme, was designed to strengthen networking activities between anthrax research groups in Europe and to harmonise protocols for testing anthrax vaccines and therapeutics. Inevitably, the project also addressed aspects of the current political issues of biosecurity and dual-use research, i.e. research into agents of important diseases of man, livestock or agriculture that could be used as agents of bioterrorism. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the biology of Bacillus anthracis, of the pathogenesis, epidemiology and diagnosis of anthrax, as well as vaccine and therapeutic intervention strategies. The proposed requirement for a code of conduct for working with dual-use agents such as the anthrax bacillus is also discussed.

KW - Anthrax

KW - Bacillus anthracis

KW - Bioterrorism

KW - Diagnosis

KW - Dual-use research

KW - Therapeutics

KW - Vaccine

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U2 - 10.1016/j.ijmm.2007.09.007

DO - 10.1016/j.ijmm.2007.09.007

M3 - Short survey

C2 - 18375178

AN - SCOPUS:44449088312

SN - 1438-4221

VL - 298

SP - 345

EP - 364

JO - International Journal of Medical Microbiology

JF - International Journal of Medical Microbiology

IS - 5-6

ER -

Bacillus anthracis: Balancing innocent research with dual-use potential

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

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