#biosecurity

#biosecurity

The barriers to reading, writing, and editing DNA are falling fast. A scientist can now order synthetic gene sequences from manufacturers and have them within days - soon, it could be common to produce them right in the lab using a benchtop DNA synthesizer. High school students are learning CRISPR gene-editing techniques. Artificial intelligence (AI) platforms trained on biological data are accelerating experimentation and generating sequences that don't exist in nature.

The parasite, commonly called a New World Screwworm (NWS), lays hundreds of larvae in the wounds of animals and humans, which hatch within hours and consume their victim's tissue. These infestations can lead to deep, painful wounds that become infected and often result in death if left untreated. When screwworms became a major problem in the US, it cost the US $200 million - roughly $1.8 billion today - in livestock.

Imagine the fear and dread that comes with opening that internal door into the poultry house each morning God help any poultry farmer right now. We have 100 hens, but that's ridiculously small compared to most commercial poultry units, where even the minimum-size shed holds 5,000 birds. The largest units house well over 100,000. So just imagine getting up every morning and heading down to your poultry shed.

A suspect case of notifiable avian influenza was reported on Friday October 3 and initial results suggest the presence of notifiable HPAI. The CVO has, therefore, taken the decision, as a precautionary measure, to apply appropriate disease control measures, including the humane culling of all poultry on the site and the introduction of temporary control zones (TCZ) to mitigate for onward disease spread.

On Thursday, a team of researchers led by Microsoft announced that they had discovered, and possibly patched, what they're terming a biological zero-day-an unrecognized security hole in a system that protects us from biological threats. The system at risk screens purchases of DNA sequences to determine when someone's ordering DNA that encodes a toxin or dangerous virus. But, the researchers argue, it has become increasingly vulnerable to missing a new threat: AI-designed toxins.

Agriculture Minister Martin Heydon is set to launch a new Bovine TB Action Plan today, aimed at addressing Ireland's escalating TB levels.

Australia has lifted tough restrictions on US beef imports after rigorous science and risk-based assessments indicated that the risks were being managed effectively on the US side.