Browsing by Author "Connell, Nancy D."
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- Cyberbiosecurity: A Call for Cooperation in a New Threat LandscapeRichardson, Lauren C.; Connell, Nancy D.; Lewis, Stephen M.; Pauwels, Eleonore; Murch, Randall Steven (2019-06-06)The life sciences now interface broadly with information technology (IT) and cybersecurity. This convergence is a key driver in the explosion of biotechnology research and its industrial applications in health care, agriculture, manufacturing, automation, artificial intelligence, and synthetic biology. As the information and handling mechanisms for biological materials have become increasingly digitized, many market sectors are now vulnerable to threats at the digital interface. This growing landscape will be addressed by cyberbiosecurity, the emerging field at the convergence of both the life sciences and IT disciplines. This manuscript summarizes the current cyberbiosecurity landscape, identifies existing vulnerabilities, and calls for formalized collaboration across a swath of disciplines to develop frameworks for early response systems to anticipate, identify, and mitigate threats in this emerging domain.
- Multistate Infestation with the Exotic Disease-Vector Tick Haemaphysalis longicornis - United States, August 2017-September 2018Ben Beard, C.; Occi, James; Bonilla, Denise L.; Egizi, Andrea M.; Fonseca, Dina M.; Mertins, James W.; Backenson, Bryon P.; Bajwa, Waheed I.; Barbarin, Alexis M.; Bertone, Matthew A.; Brown, Justin; Connally, Neeta P.; Connell, Nancy D.; Eisen, Rebecca J.; Falco, Richard C.; James, Angela M.; Krell, Rayda K.; Lahmers, Kevin K.; Lewis, Nicole; Little, Susan E.; Neault, Michael; de Leon, Adalberto A. Perez; Randall, Adam R.; Ruder, Mark G.; Saleh, Meriam N.; Schappach, Brittany L.; Schroeder, Betsy A.; Seraphin, Leslie L.; Wehtje, Morgan; Wormser, Gary P.; Yabsley, Michael J.; Halperin, William (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018-11-30)Haemaphysalis longicornis is a tick indigenous to eastern Asia and an important vector of human and animal disease agents, resulting in such outcomes as human hemorrhagic fever and reduction of production in dairy cattle by 25%. H. longicornis was discovered on a sheep in New Jersey in August 2017 (1). This was the first detection in the United States outside of quarantine. In the spring of 2018, the tick was again detected at the index site, and later, in other counties in New Jersey, in seven other states in the eastern United States, and in Arkansas. The hosts included six species of domestic animals, six species of wildlife, and humans. To forestall adverse consequences in humans, pets, livestock, and wildlife, several critical actions are indicated, including expanded surveillance to determine the evolving distribution of H. longicornis, detection of pathogens that H. longicornis currently harbors, determination of the capacity of H. longicornis to serve as a vector for a range of potential pathogens, and evaluation of effective agents and methods for the control of H. longicornis.
- Validation of high throughput sequencing and microbial forensics applicationsBudowle, Bruce; Connell, Nancy D.; Bielecka-Oder, Anna; Colwell, Rita R.; Corbett, Cindi R.; Fletcher, Jacqueline; Forsman, Mats; Kadavy, Dana R.; Markotic, Alemka; Morse, Stephen A.; Murch, Randall Steven; Sajantila, Antti; Schmedes, Sarah E.; Ternus, Krista L.; Turner, Stephen D.; Minot, Samuel (2014-07-30)High throughput sequencing (HTS) generates large amounts of high quality sequence data for microbial genomics. The value of HTS for microbial forensics is the speed at which evidence can be collected and the power to characterize microbial-related evidence to solve biocrimes and bioterrorist events. As HTS technologies continue to improve, they provide increasingly powerful sets of tools to support the entire field of microbial forensics. Accurate, credible results allow analysis and interpretation, significantly influencing the course and/or focus of an investigation, and can impact the response of the government to an attack having individual, political, economic or military consequences. Interpretation of the results of microbial forensic analyses relies on understanding the performance and limitations of HTS methods, including analytical processes, assays and data interpretation. The utility of HTS must be defined carefully within established operating conditions and tolerances. Validation is essential in the development and implementation of microbial forensics methods used for formulating investigative leads attribution. HTS strategies vary, requiring guiding principles for HTS system validation. Three initial aspects of HTS, irrespective of chemistry, instrumentation or software are: 1) sample preparation, 2) sequencing, and 3) data analysis. Criteria that should be considered for HTS validation for microbial forensics are presented here. Validation should be defined in terms of specific application and the criteria described here comprise a foundation for investigators to establish, validate and implement HTS as a tool in microbial forensics, enhancing public safety and national security.