Biosecurity, Biosafety and Bioethics – Online Course

Who is the course for?

This course is for professionals working in public and global health, international security, politics and international relations. It may be of particular use to biosafety officers in academia, industry or government, and early-career science scholars in the life sciences.

What topics will you cover?

Introduction to biosecurity

Biological threats and challenges

Responding to biological challenges: what you can do inside the lab

Responding to biological challenges: what is done outside the lab

Responsible conduct of science: learning to critically examine security issues arising with the lab and formulate responses

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to…

Understand and explain the need for laboratory biosafety and biosecurity, and what these entail

Describe the biosecurity challenges facing the 21st century, especially as the revolution in life sciences continues

Discuss how biosecurity policies, practices and guidelines are developed at international and national levels and how to contribute to these processes

Identify areas of security and ethical concern within the life sciences and reflect on strategies and approaches to deal with them as they arise

Summarise what it means to be safe in the lab, how to apply these principles and what to expect from others to keep you and the community safe from accidental and deliberate actions