Subhash Janardhan Bhore^1,2*

¹Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, AIMST University, Semeling, Kedah, Malaysia
²The National Coalition of Independent Scholars, 125 Putney Road, Brattleboro, Vermont 05301, USA

*Corresponding Author: Subhash Janardhan Bhore, Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Applied Sciences, AIMST University, Semeling, Kedah, Malaysia. Email: subhashbhore@gmail.com.

Received: June 28, 2023; Published: August 08, 2023

Abstract

Various species of plants, bacteria, fungi, insects, invertebrates, and vertebrate animals produce unique small molecules, peptides, or proteins (biomolecules) for their defensive purposes. These biomolecules, also known as toxins, are poisonous (toxic) to humans and could be misused due to relatively easy accessibility and affordability. Toxins are not contagious and replicative; their effect or symptoms depend on their concentration (dose), which can take hours to days after exposure. Furthermore, for nefarious actors, preparing low-effort homemade explosives (HMEs) using household items or easily accessible chemical precursors is not difficult. To mitigate the biosecurity risks, biological scientists, law enforcement investigators, and public health response professionals should be aware of the new threats and challenges posed by low-effort toxins and HMEs. The chemical and biological investigation, evidence, and countermeasures training program was aimed at preparing biological scientists, law enforcement investigators, and public health representatives to mitigate the biosecurity risks from low-effort toxins and HMEs. The tailor-made eight-day training program containing lectures, round table discussions, immersion scenarios, practical exercises, practical assessment, and tabletop exercises helped participants to understand and close their skill gaps. The training also covered various elements associated with chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) threats from nefarious individuals and groups. Some highlights of the training are reported in this paper.

 Keywords: Biosafety; Biorisk; Biosecurity; Biosecurity Engagement Program; Bioterrorism; CBRNE; Cooperative Threat Reduction; Homemade Explosives; Southeast Asia; Sustainability; Toxins

References

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Citation

Citation: Subhash Janardhan Bhore. “Countering Biothreats from Low-Effort Toxins: Some Highlights from the Chemical and Biological Investigation, Evidence, and Countermeasures Training". Acta Scientific Microbiology 6.9 (2023): 21-37.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2023 Subhash Janardhan Bhore. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.