Biosafety

Question 1

What is biosafety?

Answer 1

Measures to prevent exposure to (potentially) dangerous pathogens

Question 2

Which micro-organisms are subject to biosafety procedures?

Answer 2

Micro-organisms that can cause disease and their GMOs

Question 3

What are GMOs?

Answer 3

Genetically modified organisms

Question 4

Which four factors are used to classify micro-organisms?

Answer 4

1. Pathogenicity (before/after GMO)
2. Severity of disease
3. Chance of spreading into the environment
4. Availability of prophylaxis/treatment

Question 5

What are characteristics of class 1 pathogens? What are examples?

Answer 5

Non-pathogenic
Examples: yeasts, E. coli lab strains

Question 6

What are characteristics of class 2 pathogens? What are examples?

Answer 6

Pathogenic micro-organisms, but prophylaxes/treatment available & with no risk of spread into the population
Examples: HBV, measles, salmonella, legionella

Question 7

What are characteristics of class 3 pathogens? What are examples? (4)

Answer 7

Pathogenic micro-organisms with a risk of spread into the population, but with prophylaxes/treatment available
Examples: tuberculosis, SARS-CoV-2, influenza, HIV

Question 8

What are characteristics of class 4 pathogens? What are examples?

Answer 8

Pathogenic micro-organisms with a risk of spread into the population and with no prophylaxes/treatment available
Examples: Lassa, Ebola, Marburg

Question 9

For which purposes are GMOs produced? (2)

Answer 9

1. Investigation of the function of a certain gene
2. Production of substances

Question 10

Which kind of experiments are conducted to investigate the function of genes, leading to the production of GMOs? (4)

Answer 10

1. Inactivation (knock-out)
2. Overexpression
3. Mutation
4. Tracking, tracing or measuring proteins

Question 11

What are the specific risks of GMOs? (2)

Answer 11

1. Disturbances of natural balance when introduced into the environment
2. Transfer of genetically modified material to non-GMOs

Question 12

Who is in charge of overseeing procedures concerning GMOs?

Answer 12

Biosafety officers

Question 13

Which GMO-specific legislation are in place that determine how they are to be handled? (2)

Answer 13

1. Decree GMO
2. Regulation GMI

Question 14

What are the functions of the biosafety officer? (3)

Answer 14

1. Controls and guarantees activities with potentially dangerous (micro-)organisms
2. Advice & eduction
3. Acting in case of GMO incidents/calamities

Question 15

How many levels of containment of micro-organisms are there?

Answer 15

4

Question 16

Which containment is enforced when genetically modified micro-organisms are present?

Answer 16

ML-I, -II, -III, -IV -> depending on the class of pathogens

Question 17

What containment is enforced when animals + genetically modified organisms are present?

Answer 17

DM-I, -II, -III, -IV -> depending on the class of pathogens

Question 18

What containment is enforced when working with non-GMO micro-organism?

Answer 18

BSL-2, -3, -4 -> depending on the class of pathogens

Question 19

Why is there no (A)BSL-1 containment level?

Answer 19

Non-GMO micro-organisms of class 1 don’t require containment

Question 20

What containment is enforced when working with animals + non-GMO modified micro-organisms?

Answer 20

ABSL-2, -3, -4 -> depending on the class of pathogens

Question 21

Which kind of operating procedures fall under the biosafety containment procedures? (8)

Answer 21

1. Safe microbiological practice course
2. Presence of desinfection
3. Appropriate disposal of waste
4. Storage of GMOs
5. Physical seperation between GMOs and non-GMOs
6. Transport of GMOs
7. Protocols for incidents, accidents, calamities
8. Working procedures manual in the lab

Question 22

GMOs can be applied in human gene therapy (for instance modified viruses). What is the danger in this?

Answer 22

GMOs are introduced into the environment

Question 23

What kind of permit is required to be able to introduce GMOs into the environment?

Answer 23

Introductie in het Milieu, Medisch-Veterinair = IM-VM

Question 24

Who is in charge of overseeing gene therapy that could lead to introduction of GMOs into the environment?

Answer 24

Environmental safety officer (ESO)

Question 25

What is biosecurity?

Answer 25

Protection, control and accountability for biological materials within laboratories in order to prevent unauthorized access, loss, theft, misure or intentional release

Question 26

Which classes of pathogens are subject to biosecurity measures?

Answer 26

(Mostly) class 3 & 4

Question 27

Why does the BSL-level vary when working with avian influenza?

Answer 27

Depends on the pathogenicity of influenza -> high-pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) vs. low-pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI)

Question 28

What determines the difference between HPAI and LPAI?

Answer 28

Insertions in the hemagluttinin gene could lead to a multi-basic cleavage site, increasing pathogenicity

Question 29

What is the difference between pathogenicity of a monobasic vs. a multibasic cleavage site in avian influenza?

Answer 29

Monobasic can only be cleaved by trypsin-like proteases, which are present in limited amounts in birds Multibasic can also be cleaved by furin-like proteases, which are more abundant

Question 30

What is 'dual use research of concern'?

Answer 30

Research than can be reasonably anticipated to provide knowledge, products or technologies that could be directly misapplied by others to pose a threat to public health and safety

Question 31

What is an important example of 'dual use research of concern'?

Answer 31

Gain of function research

Question 32

What are examples of gain of function research? (6)

Answer 32

1. Increasing virulence of pathogens 2. Overcoming immunity against pathogens 3. Increasing transmission of pathogens 4. Changing pathogen tropism 5. Increasing host susceptibility 6. Regenerating extinct pathogens