Seeking Security Pathogens, Open Access, and Genome Databases (2004) / Chapter Skim
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3 Issues in the Control of Genome Information: From Discussions of the Committee's Workshop
3 Issues in the Control of Genome Information: From Discussions of the Committee's Workshop
Pages 39-51
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From page 39... ...
At the workshop, presentations described existing databases and how they are used to advance research, the international issues that arise when one country discusses controlling data, and potential ways to classify genome data with respect to possible threats. Discussions were held on the pros and cons of unlimited or restricted access to data, and breakout sessions addressed the security effects of free release of data, the scientific effects of restricting release of data, and potential mechanisms for controlling release.
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From page 40... ...
The third section identifies potential mechanisms for controlling data, a topic that came up repeatedly during the workshop. The fourth and final section of the chapter summarizes the arguments made for and against instituting restrictions on data; it draws on discussions throughout the workshop, especially the two breakout sessions on the security and scientific effects of releasing and restricting data.
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From page 41... ...
But the growing power of biological research and technology could also work to counter any kind of human-generated threat, just as it would in response to natural infectious-disease threats. Domestic Interest Groups and Perspectives The main question before this committee concerns the degree to which access to genome sequences and related information should be restricted or left open to all.
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From page 42... ...
. Many in the security community favor retaining the current openness of biological research, arguing that openness and free exchange of information enhance security by strengthening biodefense response capabilities.
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From page 43... ...
Because biological research is a global activity, any actions taken in the United States to restrict access to genome databases would inevitably have international ramifications. Any restrictions placed on access to data generated in the United States or put into databases under U.S.
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From page 44... ...
However, the study of microbial pathogenic mechanisms, like other fields of biological research, lacks neat compartments into which data can be categorized. The committee did not see evidence that identifying data as belonging to any category would necessarily make them a greater threat.
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From page 45... ...
Human gene sequences and sequences from other "host" species are crucial data for those seeking to understand the intricacies of the interactions between the immune system and microbial pathogens, including specific immune mechanisms and vulnerabilities. The gene sequences of humans and other host species and the insights derived from them therefore would be crucial "enabling data" both for those who would work to find new ways to defeat pathogens and for those who might hope to modify pathogens to exploit immune vulnerabilities and create pathogens with unusual or particularly destructive properties.
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From page 46... ...
It should be noted that many sequences for antibiotic resistance are already in the public domain, and in some cases the molecular basis of the resistance is well understood. Others argued that withholding such information would deprive the broader scientific community of insights that might be gained from understanding how specific genetic changes affect the properties of organisms and would impede understanding of the kinds of enhanced pathogens that might one day be created and released; these participants did not see a net advantage in saddling the current dynamic and productive system of scientific discovery with regulations that would slow the communication of results and ideas among legitimate investigators and thereby slow scientific progress.
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From page 47... ...
The scientific community today does not fully understand what the transcriptional data from microarray experiments mean with respect to cellular function, and it would be hard to put the data to practical use in enhancing a pathogen. Tools for Analyzing Genome Data It might be possible to distinguish access to genome data, such as primary sequences and annotations, from access to sophisticated analytic tools that allow the assembly of biological data into a coherent picture.
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From page 48... ...
For example, there are reasons not to publicize information that might expose vulnerabilities in environmental sensors based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) or plans for practical applications of medical countermeasures.
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From page 49... ...
The qualification process would have to be set up carefully to strike the proper balance between allowing scientists reasonably convenient access and screening out users who might be suspect. Allow Unlimited Access but Require Registration The workshop participants spent considerable time in discussing the merits of requiring users of genome databases and analytic tools to register with database administrators.
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From page 50... ...
On the other hand, open access to genome information preserves a fundamental principle of scientific inquiry, namely, that scientists must reveal, in exhaustive detail, what they found and how they found it. This principle allows working scientists to verify the accuracy of published scientific information, to design experiments to confirm scientific
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From page 51... ...
Many feel that that it is safer to have results and data available to all so that others can verify or refute the results or question the propriety of continuing lines of research. Requiring registration to access genome databases might be less controversial than directly restricting access to data in that the information would be available to all who were willing to identify themselves.
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