Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Biosafety refers to the principles and practices that prevent unintentional exposure to biological agents and limit their potential harm to humans and the environment. Therefore, we developed a comprehensive biosafety assessment framework for 40 microbial strains used in biotechnology, evaluating five key parameters: pathogenicity, immunogenicity, environmental persistence, genetic stability, and taxonomy. Principal component analysis showed that 84% of the risk variation was unrelated to taxonomy, emphasizing the need for strain-specific evaluations. Among the strains assessed, 76% of fungi triggered high levels of TNF-α and IL-6 in immune cell assays, and 68% persisted beyond 30 days in simulated environmental conditions. Meanwhile, 71% of gram-negative bacteria carried virulence genes (e.g., hlyA, invA) and exhibited significant cytotoxicity in human cell cultures. These findings support a data-driven, parameter-based approach for advancing biosafety standards in modern biotechnology.
Source: Bioinformation
Authors: Swati Shrivastava, Abhishek Sharma, Nidhi Sharma, Alishan Fehmina
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4411976586