Every day, scientists at UW research biological agents-from influenza to botulinum-that would have serious impacts if they were ever released. But the forces of safety are ever ready, with plans for response as well as technology that would reduce the consequences of bioterrorism.
The Department of Homeland Security requires research institutions to prepare for bioterrorist attacks. The major concern for the university, however, is that labs prevent leaks and infections.
The campus Biological Safety Office reviews department projects to make sure they comply with campus and national guidelines before giving its go-ahead.
\We've got two major lines of responsibility,"" Biological Safety Officer Jan Klein said. ""One of them is to ensure safe handling of biological materials in laboratories, and the other is compliance for biological material.""
Throughout her seven-year tenure as an officer, Klein said she was never called to clean a biohazards spill, but her department ""maintain[s] preparedness,"" including in the event of a theft.
""We can be called 24/7/365 and work closely with the UW Police Department,"" Klein said. ""They would be notified and take the lead if there were a theft of an agent.""
In 2002, the federal government passed the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act, which requires universities to follow instructions for handling ""select agents""-including anthrax and ebola.
The Daily Cardinal reported in November that federal agencies had been slow in enforcing the law and in communicating with universities.
But laboratory researchers themselves have taken this directive quite seriously. John Yin, associate professor of biomedical engineering, said his laboratory follows strict policies to make sure agents are not transmitted to researchers and are discarded safely.
""We make sure that all the biological materials we use, we autoclave-that means steam-sterilize-following use, so no cells or any biological materials get thrown out without being completely killed or disinfected,"" he said.
The university, however, has historically been involved with biological warfare research. Former university President E.B. Fred chaired the nation's first biological warfare response committee in 1942.
Though most documents from the committee are classified, one report read, ""The value of biological warfare will be a debatable question until it has been clearly proven or disproven by experience.""
Today, the University Research Park houses a number of companies that continue to research responses to bioterrorism and biological warfare, according to Marketing Specialist Heather Kelly.
MetaBiologics, a company located at the research park, manufactures toxins for national companies to use developing vaccines, according to its president, Terry Sivesind.
His company is routinely inspected by the Centers for Disease Control, he said, and has policies to prevent infection from toxins, which are locked up to prevent theft.
""Everyone that works there has vaccinated themselves against anything that's worked with, so there's really no chance ... to be infected,"" Sivesind said.
Platypus Technologies, another research-park company, researches biological and chemical agent detection technology.
""During war you'd have a badge on, and it would turn a different color if you were exposed to biochemicals,"" Kelly said.
Students do not risk exposure on campus because researchers must comply with federal guidelines or lose funding.
""My experience is that people want to do the right thing to protect themselves, co-workers and the environment,"" Klein said.
