A5102726384- Biomedical and Engineering Education
- Bacillus and Francisella bacterial research
- Law, AI, and Intellectual Property
- Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Education
- Global Public Health Policies and Epidemiology
- Zoonotic diseases and public health
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Viral Infections and Outbreaks Research
- Public Health Policies and Education
- CRISPR and Genetic Engineering
- Biosensors and Analytical Detection
- Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
- SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
- Bacteriophages and microbial interactions
- Quality and Safety in Healthcare
- Neuroethics, Human Enhancement, Biomedical Innovations
- Bacterial Identification and Susceptibility Testing
- Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Biomedical Research
- Influenza Virus Research Studies
- Occupational Health and Safety Research
- Cell Image Analysis Techniques
- Data-Driven Disease Surveillance
- Misinformation and Its Impacts
- Transgenic Plants and Applications
- Healthcare Systems and Reforms
University of Oxford
2019-2023
Oxford Research Group
2021-2022
Stan Cassidy Foundation
2020
Act Health
2019
The COVID-19 pandemic powerfully demonstrates the consequences of biothreats. Countries will want to know how better prepare for future events. Global Health Security Index (GHSI) is a broad, independent assessment 195 countries' preparedness biothreats that may aid this endeavour. However, be useful, GHSI's external validity must demonstrated. We aimed validate GHSI against range metrics assess it could utilised by countries.Global aggregate communicable disease outcomes were correlated...
Horizon scanning is intended to identify the opportunities and threats associated with technological, regulatory social change. In 2017 some of present authors conducted a horizon scan for bioengineering (Wintle et al., 2017). Here we report results new that based on inputs from larger more international group 38 participants. The final list 20 issues includes topics spanning political (the regulation genomic data, increased philanthropic funding malicious uses neurochemicals) environmental...
The biological risk landscape continues to evolve as developments in synthetic biology and biotechnology offer increasingly powerful tools a widening pool of actors, including those who may consider carrying out deliberate attack. However, it remains unclear whether is the relatively large numbers low-resourced actors or small handful high-powered pose greater biosecurity risk. To answer this question, paper introduces simple chain model biorisk, from actor intent event, where can...
Rapid developments are currently taking place in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology, applications arising from convergence these 2 likely to offer immense opportunities that could greatly benefit human health biosecurity. The combination AI biotechnology potentially lead breakthroughs precision medicine, improved biosurveillance, discovery novel medical countermeasures as well facilitate a more effective public emergency response. However, is case with many...
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for rapid novel diagnostic strategies. Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing (mNGS) may allow detection of pathogens that can be missed in targeted assays. goal this study was to assess performance nanopore-based Sequence-Independent Single Primer Amplification (SISPA) and characterization SARS-CoV-2.We performed mNGS on clinical samples designed a classifier corrects barcode crosstalk between specimens. Phylogenetic analysis genome...
A large gap remains between sequencing a microbial community and characterizing all of the organisms inside it. Here we develop novel method to taxonomically bin metagenomic assemblies through alignment contigs against reference database. We show that this workflow, BugSplit, bins metagenome-assembled species with 33% absolute improvement in F1-score when compared alternative tools. perform nanopore mNGS on patients COVID-19, using database predating demonstrate BugSplit's taxonomic binning...
Smallpox was declared eradicated in 1980, with known seed stock retained two high security Biosafety Level 4 laboratories the United States and Russia. Experts agree likelihood of theft from these is low, that synthetic creation smallpox a theoretical possibility. Until 2017 it believed technically too complex task to be serious threat. However, 2017, Canadian scientists synthesised closely related orthopoxvirus, horsepox, using mail order DNA $100,000. Simultaneously, terrorist groups have...
The 2021 Global Health Security (GHS) Index Report was published on 8 December 2021. With an average country score of 38.9 out a possible 100 points, global scores are essentially unchanged from 2019. Despite experience with the COVID-19 pandemic, no is adequately prepared for future biological threats. No scored above 75.9 and bottom 11 States have all fallen since Aotearoa New Zealand, however, has substantially improved its score, rising to 13th in world at 62.5/100. This gain partly...
Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for rapid novel diagnostic strategies to detect and characterize pathogens from clinical specimens. MinION sequencing device allows rapid, cost-effective, high-throughput sequencing; useful features translation laboratory settings. Metagenomic Next-Generation Sequencing (mNGS) approaches provide opportunity examine entire genomic material of a sample; allowing detection emerging clinically relevant that may be missed in targeted assays....
Background: Pandemics caused by novel pathogens produce devastating global effects. Early detection is critical, and the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR[2005]) require countries to report outbreaks of unknown causes. However, extent disease surveillance unclear. Establishing baseline information vital for guiding new preparedness initiatives like Pandemic Treaty. This study aimed determine number that consider diseases in their national public health infrastructure.Methods: We...
Societal biosecurity - measures built into everyday society to minimize risks from pests and diseases is an important aspect of managing epidemics pandemics. We aimed identify societal options for reducing the transmission spread respiratory viruses. used SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute syndrome coronavirus 2) as a case study meet immediate need manage COVID-19 pandemic eventually transition more normal conditions, catalog similar pandemics in future. 'solution scanning' approach. read literature;...
Before modern times, only nature was capable of engineering pathogens. This ability by no means unimpressive: evolution has repeatedly demonstrated a formidable capacity for producing vast array infectious agents. Pathogens such as Variola major and Yersinia pestis, which cause smallpox plague respectively, wielded enough destructive power to shape parts human history. However, recent advancements in biotechnology mean it is now possible engineer new viruses bacteria. Developments the field...
Infectious disease surveillance in Victoria, Australia is based upon a legislated requirement for doctors and laboratories to notify suspected or diagnosed cases of specific conditions the Department Health Human Services (DHHS). The department undertakes regular audits notification practices Victoria typically every two years. objective this particular audit was describe 2016 2017, assess effect enhanced programs (ESPs) on Indigenous status data completeness provide baseline assessment that...