The Changing Face of Biological Research and the Growing Role of Biosecurity

Abstract

The landscape of biological research is an ever evolving one. From the discovery of bacteriophages in 1915 to the reprogramming and assembly of organisms in 1972, the 20th century was one of the great breakthroughs that transformed the way biology is studied and applied to real-world problems. Advances in biology and biotechnology have provided new capabilities for addressing social needs in health, agriculture, energy, environment, and defense. The pace of scientific and technological advancement is accelerating rapidly with the inclusion of new scientific disciplines (e.g., material and information sciences), non-traditional practitioners (e.g., community laboratories and engineers), and new funding mechanisms (e.g., cross-over venture capital and crowdsourcing). Since the start of the twenty-first century, several discoveries and technological breakthroughs far outpace the wildest of imaginations of the twentieth century. These technology developments offer great hope for biodefense and global health security, but they also have the potential for increasing biosecurity risks. In this chapter, we explore the biotechnology landscape, including scientific communication, advances and applications, practitioners, and funders.