Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) and Pathogens with Enhanced Pandemic Potential (PEPP)
Although biological research produce useful knowledge for health, and in creating beneficial products and technologies, some research may present biosafety and biosecurity risks or provide knowledge, information, products, or technologies that could be misapplied to do harm with no, or only minor, modification to pose a significant threat with potential consequences to public health and safety, agricultural crops and other plants, animals, the environment, materiel, or national security. Any research that may fall into the categories stated above are defined as Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) or pathogens with pandemic potential (also known as PPP or ePPP), especially those that have been modified in the laboratory for better understanding of their pathogenesis and for the study of therapeutic intervention strategies, may also have serious biosafety and biosecurity concerns that may require additional review by the BU IBC.
In May of 2024, the United States Government published policy and guidance on the implementation of specific oversight plan to increase awareness of researchers, research institutions and federal funding agencies about these biosafety and biosecurity concerns and to ensure appropriate risk mitigation measures are in place to prevent biosafety or biosecurity incidents. This revised policy merged previous Federal and Institutional DURC and Potentially Pandemic Pathogen Care and Oversight policies together to include a broader set of pathogens and toxins, including (but not limited to) biological select agents and toxins that impact or may impact humans.
Boston University Policy
View PolicyReferences
United States Government Policy for Oversight of Dual Use Research of Concern and Pathogens with Enhanced Pandemic Potential
IMPLEMENTATION GUIDANCE for the United States Government Policy for Oversight of Dual Use Research of Concern and Pathogens with Enhanced Pandemic Potential
NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules, April 2024