Biosecurity News and Research

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Biosecurity is a set of preventive measures designed to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases, quarantined pests, invasive alien species, living modified organisms.

Cyber Vulnerabilities in Next-Gen DNA Sequencing

Next-generation DNA sequencing (NGS), a technology driving personalized medicine, cancer diagnosis, infectious disease tracking, and genetic research, is increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks.

17 Apr 2025

Lice as Models for Studying Mitochondrial Disorders

A set of genes that in humans would suggest a late-stage degenerative disease like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s disease are present in lice throughout their lives.

10 Dec 2024

CSIRO, Oxitec to Tackle Disease-Spreading Mosquitoes Threatening Mainland Australia

A new venture, Oxitec Australia, is taking on two of the deadliest virus-carrying mosquitos in the Pacific region – Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus – to fight the spread of diseases like dengue, Zika, and yellow fever, which claims hundreds of thousands of lives globally each year.

10 Dec 2024

Bird Migration and Invasive Species Fuel Parasite Spread

A single shift of a parasite from one host species to another can trigger catastrophic infectious disease outbreaks. Despite this, scientists continue to debate the role of species diversity in natural environments on the spread of these parasites.

9 Oct 2024

ERGA Pilot Project Unites Scientists to Deliver High-Quality Genomes

The European Reference Genome Atlas (ERGA) has announced the outcome of its pilot project in a new article.

18 Sep 2024

Dairy Cattle Become Hosts for Avian Flu Transmission

A new study reveals evidence that avian influenza has spilled over from birds to dairy cattle across several U.S. states, resulting in mammal-to-mammal transmission between cows and from cows to cats and a raccoon.

25 Jul 2024

‘Like a PCR Lab in Your Pocket': New Test Strips Raise Game in Gene-Based Diagnostics

Biosensing technology developed by UNSW engineers has made it possible to make portable RAT tests just as accurate as PCR tests carried out in a lab.

7 Mar 2024

Researchers Isolate Adaptable Leptospirosis Strain in Austrian Cattle

Leptospirosis is a globally distributed infectious disease that affects both animals and humans. While the infection is endemic in tropical regions, its incidence seems to increase in temperate regions.

27 Feb 2024

Dr. Bartek Rajwa of Purdue University Named Editor-in-Chief of “Cytometry Part A” Journal by the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry

The International Society for Advancement of Cytometry (ISAC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Bartek Rajwa as the new Editor-in-Chief of “Cytometry Part A – the Journal of Quantitative Cell Science.”

10 Feb 2024

ELRIG UK Announces Steve Bates and Dr Anderson Ryan as Keynote Speakers at Research and Innovation 2024

The European Laboratory Research & Innovation Group (ELRIG) UK today announced the keynote speakers for its upcoming Research and Innovation conference taking place at the University of Manchester from 20–21 March.

From ELRIG (UK) Ltd. 8 Feb 2024

Outsmarting Viruses: Scientists Rewire Bacteria for Biomanufacturing Revolution

Genome engineering allows scientists to modify the genetic code of microbes. Now, researchers have engineered the genome of the bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) to make it immune to viral infections.

6 Feb 2024

Researchers Sequence the Entire Genetic Code of Possums

In a five-year long study, just published in Nature Communications, an international group of researchers led by the University of Otago, has assembled the entire genetic code of the marsupial mammal.

18 Oct 2023

New Genome-Wide Testing Finds Greater Proportion of Pure Dingoes in the Wild Than Previously Thought

Wild dingo populations have less dog lineage, with a significantly greater proportion of pure dingoes than previously thought, according to new research, challenging the view that pure dingoes are on the decline due to crossbreeding.

31 May 2023

Extracts from two common wild plants block SARS-CoV-2 from entering human cells

Two common wild plants contain extracts that inhibit the ability of the virus that causes COVID-19 to infect living cells, an Emory University study finds.

13 Feb 2023

Experts urge to recognize the need for more rational discourse around the future of virology

The study of viruses is under renewed scrutiny, say more than 150 experts in a new commentary published today in mSphere, mBio and the Journal of Virology, journals of the American Society for Microbiology.

27 Jan 2023

New technology can help detect the activity of CRISPR gene editing tools

Detecting the activity of CRISPR gene editing tools in organisms with the naked eye and an ultraviolet flashlight is now possible using technology developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

13 Dec 2021

Robust biosecurity system essential as Australian agriculture industry set to make history

The Australian agriculture industry is set to make history this financial year with a forecast to reach $78 billion in value.

9 Dec 2021

Farmers in East African countries adapted better to the impact of COVID-19 than others

In a paper published in Advances in Food Security and Sustainability, researchers found that farmers in East Africa (Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda) were able to better adapt to the impact of COVID-19 than those in the Southern African countries of Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

11 Oct 2021

Does the Future of Farming Involve the Gene Editing of Farm Animals?

In this interview, AZoLifeSciences speaks to the RSPCA about the future of farming, and whether it involves gene-edited farm animals.

8 Oct 2021

Researchers identify new therapeutic targets for flaviviruses

In a recent study, Australian scientists used an original approach to resolve the 3D structure of flaviviruses with an unprecedented level of detail, identifying small molecules known as 'pocket factors' as new therapeutic targets.

2 Jun 2021