A recent conference entitled “Safe and Secure Biomaterials: Matching Resources to Reality”, on Thursday 17 May 2012 at the Chatham House (UK) presented researchers with a disturbing report regarding the lack of biosafety controls that were found in “developing countries”. A meeting summary gives details, found here. Among the findings were unreliable electricity, poor working conditions, inadequate training, and inadequate oversight. Another point mentioned included the realization that a lab studying an endemic infectious agent may not need the same biosafety and biosecurity infrastructure as a lab studying the same agent where the disease is not endemic. The World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC/P), the International Federation of Biosafety Associations, and the Asia-Pacific Biosafety Association all contributed speakers and analysis.
