Biosecurity: Risks, Responses, and Responsibilities
INTRODUCTION
Few life scientists in training are being prepared for the prospect that biology can be misused for hostile purposes. As they themselves will bear major responsibility for biosecurity maintenance, whatever nations do or international agreements require, life scientists must now educate themselves about the risk of misuse and their responsibility to help mitigate this risk.
These online educational materials have been created for life scientists by life scientists. The materials are designed primarily for use by students embarking upon their careers - advanced undergraduates and first-year graduate biology and medical students – and for their teachers. Any not-for-profit use is encouraged, including instructional use in colleges, universities, and other institutions.
Course development is an ongoing project led by the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation. The current release is a test version, and we would appreciate feedback and suggestions for improvement. Also, we encourage contributions of educational materials, especially copyright-free images complementing illustrations already in place.
Early work on these materials was made possible by generous funding from Carnegie Corporation of New York. The course is currently hosted online by Politics and the Life Sciences, a journal edited at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy.
INFORMATION FOR INSTRUCTORS
VIEW THE MODEL COURSE
FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information and guidance, please contact:
Mark Wheelis
Chair, Scientists Working Group on Biological and Chemical Weapons
Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
530-758-7568
mlwheelis AT ucdavis DOT edu
Lynn Klotz
Senior Science Fellow
Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
202-546-0795
CACNP Scientists Working Group
Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
322 4th Street, NE
Washington, DC 20002