What happens if an engineered virus escapes the lab?

00:05:41
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ-XXQCcXik

Résumé

TLDRThe video outlines the 1979 Sverdlovsk anthrax outbreak, which resulted from a lab worker's negligence in a biological weapons facility, leading to 64 deaths. It emphasizes the ongoing concerns of biosecurity experts regarding modern 'gain of function' research, particularly the creation of enhanced potential pandemic pathogens (ePPPs). While some scientists argue that this research is crucial for pandemic preparedness, others warn of the catastrophic risks associated with potential lab leaks. The video also highlights past incidents of human error in labs and suggests measures to minimize risks, such as developing an international database of lab incidents and improving pandemic early warning systems.

A retenir

  • ⚠️ The 1979 Sverdlovsk anthrax outbreak was caused by a lab worker's negligence.
  • 🦠 Enhanced potential pandemic pathogens (ePPPs) pose significant risks.
  • 🔬 Gain of function research is debated for its potential benefits and dangers.
  • 🛡️ Labs have safety measures to prevent leaks, but human error remains a concern.
  • 📊 An international database of lab incidents could help minimize risks.
  • 🌍 Global collaboration is essential for effective pandemic preparedness.

Chronologie

  • 00:00:00 - 00:05:41

    In 1979, a lab worker in Sverdlovsk, USSR, failed to replace a clogged air filter at a biological weapons facility, leading to a massive anthrax outbreak that caused at least 64 deaths. This incident highlighted not only the tragic consequences of mishaps in bioweapons research but also the ongoing concerns about modern biosecurity, especially related to laboratory-created pathogens. Today, the focus has shifted to 'gain of function' research, where scientists genetically modify microbes to enhance their properties, which could potentially lead to the creation of dangerous 'enhanced potential pandemic pathogens' (ePPPs). While proponents argue this research helps prepare for pandemics, critics worry about the catastrophic risks of lab leaks involving these engineered viruses. Accidents and human errors in prestigious labs, coupled with expensive safety technologies, raise significant concerns about the validity of ePPP research. Rather than banning such studies, experts suggest improving safety protocols and establishing international databases to better manage risks, ultimately emphasizing the need for global cooperation to tackle pandemic threats.

Carte mentale

Vidéo Q&R

  • What caused the Sverdlovsk anthrax outbreak?

    A lab worker removed a clogged air filter and did not replace it, leading to the release of anthrax into the air.

  • What are enhanced potential pandemic pathogens (ePPPs)?

    ePPPs are engineered variants of viruses made to be more transmissible or deadly, posing a risk of global pandemics.

  • What are the arguments for and against gain of function research?

    Proponents argue it helps prepare for pandemics, while critics believe the risks of creating dangerous viruses outweigh the benefits.

  • What safety measures are in place in labs handling dangerous pathogens?

    Labs have safety features like decontaminating ventilation systems and airtight suits to protect against leaks.

  • What can be done to minimize risks of lab leaks?

    Creating an international database of lab incidents and establishing a robust pandemic early warning system.

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Sous-titres
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Défilement automatique:
  • 00:00:06
    In the spring of 1979, a lab worker in Sverdlovsk, USSR
  • 00:00:12
    removed a clogged air filter in the ventilation system
  • 00:00:16
    and didn’t replace it.
  • 00:00:18
    His note to the supervisor was never transferred to the official logbook,
  • 00:00:22
    so when the next shift rolled in,
  • 00:00:23
    workers simply started production as usual.
  • 00:00:26
    Now, in most labs, this would have been a minor mistake.
  • 00:00:30
    But this lab was a biological weapons facility
  • 00:00:33
    producing huge quantities of anthrax—
  • 00:00:36
    which, if inhaled, can kill up to 90% of those it infects.
  • 00:00:41
    This deadly anthrax powder floated out into the sky for hours,
  • 00:00:45
    causing the largest documented outbreak of inhalation anthrax on record
  • 00:00:49
    and resulting in at least 64 deaths.
  • 00:00:52
    What happened at Sverdlovsk was a tragedy,
  • 00:00:55
    and the Soviet bioweapons program was a violation of international law.
  • 00:00:59
    But these days, it’s not just state-sponsored bioweapons programs
  • 00:01:03
    that keep biosecurity experts up at night.
  • 00:01:06
    Nor is anthrax their largest concern.
  • 00:01:09
    They’re worried about an even more dangerous kind of lab leak.
  • 00:01:14
    Since the 1970s, researchers have been manipulating the DNA of microbes
  • 00:01:18
    to give them abilities they didn’t have before.
  • 00:01:21
    This is called “gain of function” work
  • 00:01:24
    and it includes a huge body of scientific research.
  • 00:01:27
    The majority of this work helps humanity with very little risk,
  • 00:01:31
    for example, engineered viruses are used in vaccine production,
  • 00:01:35
    gene therapy, and cancer treatments.
  • 00:01:38
    But within the gain of function realm lies an intensely debated sub-field
  • 00:01:43
    where scientists engineer superbugs.
  • 00:01:46
    Officially known as “enhanced potential pandemic pathogens,”
  • 00:01:50
    these ePPPs are typically variants of well-known viruses,
  • 00:01:55
    such as Ebola or avian influenza that have been engineered to be, say,
  • 00:01:59
    more transmissible or more deadly.
  • 00:02:02
    The stakes of this kind of work are much higher:
  • 00:02:06
    if even one unusually dangerous virus escaped a lab,
  • 00:02:09
    it could cause a global pandemic.
  • 00:02:13
    Virologists developing ePPPs argue this research could help us prepare
  • 00:02:18
    for future pandemics,
  • 00:02:19
    allowing us to jump start treatments and potentially save lives.
  • 00:02:23
    For example, in the early 2010s,
  • 00:02:25
    several research teams created a deadly strain of bird flu
  • 00:02:29
    with the novel ability to spread through the air between mammals.
  • 00:02:33
    Advocates of the project argued that by creating this ePPP,
  • 00:02:37
    we could learn crucial information
  • 00:02:39
    about a worst-case-scenario virus under controlled conditions.
  • 00:02:44
    But many critics argued that it’s unclear whether bird flu
  • 00:02:47
    would ever evolve in the wild as it did in the lab.
  • 00:02:51
    Consequently, they believed the knowledge gained by studying this dangerous virus
  • 00:02:55
    wasn’t remotely worth the risk of creating it in the first place.
  • 00:02:59
    Both sides of this ongoing debate are trying to save lives;
  • 00:03:02
    they just disagree on the best way to do it.
  • 00:03:05
    However, everyone agrees that an ePPP lab leak could be catastrophic.
  • 00:03:11
    Labs that work with dangerous pathogens are designed with numerous safety features
  • 00:03:16
    to protect the scientists who work there, as well as the outside world,
  • 00:03:20
    such as ventilation systems that decontaminate air
  • 00:03:23
    and airtight “spacesuits” with dedicated oxygen.
  • 00:03:26
    Sometimes buildings are even nested inside each other
  • 00:03:30
    to prevent natural disasters from breaching the closed environment.
  • 00:03:34
    But this technology is expensive to build and maintain.
  • 00:03:38
    And even when our tech doesn't fail,
  • 00:03:40
    there’s still room for the most common kind of mistake:
  • 00:03:43
    human error.
  • 00:03:44
    Many human errors are inconsequential:
  • 00:03:47
    a researcher spills a sample,
  • 00:03:49
    but quickly disinfects the otherwise well-controlled environment.
  • 00:03:52
    Other incidents, however, are much more concerning.
  • 00:03:56
    In 2009, a researcher accidentally stuck themselves
  • 00:03:59
    with an Ebola-contaminated needle,
  • 00:04:01
    endangering their life and the lives of those treating them.
  • 00:04:05
    In 2014, six vials containing the virus that causes smallpox were found
  • 00:04:10
    in an unsecured storage room where they’d been forgotten for decades.
  • 00:04:15
    That same year, a CDC scientist unknowingly contaminated
  • 00:04:18
    a sample of relatively harmless bird flu with a deadly lab-grown variant,
  • 00:04:23
    and then shipped the contaminated sample to the USDA.
  • 00:04:27
    While these incidents did not lead to larger crises,
  • 00:04:30
    the potentially catastrophic consequences of an ePPP leak
  • 00:04:34
    have convinced many scientists that we should stop
  • 00:04:37
    this kind of research altogether.
  • 00:04:39
    But if that doesn’t happen, what can we do to minimize risk?
  • 00:04:43
    Well, first, we can work to reduce human error by examining past mistakes.
  • 00:04:47
    Some experts have suggested creating an international database of leaks,
  • 00:04:51
    near-misses, and fixes taken that would help labs adapt their protocols
  • 00:04:56
    to minimize human errors.
  • 00:04:58
    And a robust, well-funded pandemic early warning system
  • 00:05:02
    would help protect us from any disease outbreak—
  • 00:05:05
    whether it comes from a lab leak or a natural spillover.
  • 00:05:09
    Developing the kind of global standards and databases necessary
  • 00:05:12
    for these changes would be difficult—
  • 00:05:14
    requiring unprecedented international collaboration and transparency.
  • 00:05:19
    But we need to overcome these hurdles
  • 00:05:21
    because pandemics don't care about borders or politics.
Tags
  • Sverdlovsk
  • anthrax
  • biological weapons
  • gain of function
  • ePPPs
  • pandemic preparedness
  • biosecurity
  • lab safety
  • human error
  • international collaboration