Biosecurity starts with awareness: "Don't look through your own lens, but put on someone else's."

How do you prevent knowledge or biological material from your lab from falling into the wrong hands? Iris Vennis, Global Health Security Scientist at the RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment), and Rik Bleijs, head of the RIVM's Dutch Biosecurity Bureau, advocate for greater awareness among researchers and lab technicians. "You can't eliminate many risks, but you can manage them better."

The terms biosafety and biosecurity are often confused, while there is indeed an important difference, explains Iris Vennis. "Biosafety is about protecting people from pathogens, such as preventing infections or environmental damage. Biosecurity is about protecting pathogens from people with bad intentions." Or as her colleague Rik Bleijs puts it:Biosafety is keeping bugs away from people. Biosecurity is keeping people away from bugs.”

Bad intentions can take many forms. "Think of stealing sensitive information from a laboratory and passing it on to a competing company or another country," says Vennis. "Or misusing fungi or yeasts to produce drugs like heroin or cocaine." The spectrum ranges from economic gain to terrorist motives, or even the development of biological weapons. A recent, thought-provoking example is the AI model MegaSyn, originally designed to find useful drug compounds. "When someone set the model to search for toxic substances instead of non-toxic ones, it generated 40,000 potentially lethal compounds in six hours. More toxic than known nerve agents."

Blind spot

Researchers are often driven by the desire to solve societal problems. But this very focus on the positive impact of science can create a blind spot. "Many researchers don't realize that their work can also be misused," says Vennis. Awareness is therefore essential. "It requires researchers to occasionally put on someone else's perspective, and not just look through their own lens." By considering potential risks early on, they can better assess how their work can be interpreted or used in different ways.

Besides awareness, culture plays a crucial role in strengthening biosecurity. "To truly embed this in the company culture, mutual trust is crucial," Bleijs emphasizes. "That you dare to speak up when something isn't going well. Or that you dare to be open about how you're feeling." Vennis adds that openly reporting incidents is also important. "You shouldn't be held accountable for mistakes, but rather work together to see how you can do better next time. That's the only way to build a safe environment."

Small actions, big difference

Biosecurity isn't an abstract policy; it starts with daily practice. And lab technicians play a key role in this. "Think about simple things: don't hold doors open for strangers, lock your computer, and make sure you know what's in the freezers," says Vennis. "If you don't know what's in a freezer, you don't know what's missing." Bleijs emphasizes the importance of clear protocols and a strong safety mindset: "It might feel rude to deny someone access, but safety comes first."

“You can lock a door or a computer,” says Vennis, “But people are always a risk.” That's precisely why personnel security is crucial – it's one of the eight biosecurity pillars from the Biosecurity Bureau. "We recommend periodic screening, especially for high-risk positions. People within the organization know what's where and have access to security codes. This makes the risk of an 'insider threat' real."

No obstacle

"It's much more important that we identify risks early and make them manageable than that research can't be conducted," says Bleijs. Vennis adds: "Think about biosecurity already in the design phase of your research. Then you can make adjustments, for example, by choosing a different pathogen or publishing sensitive information differently." The message from both experts is clear: biosecurity isn't an obstacle, but a prerequisite for conducting important research safely and responsibly.