An introduction to NIMFFAB - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Title: An introduction to NIMFFAB


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An introduction to NIMFFAB Basic elements of an
Agricultural Biosecurity Forensics
System Francisco M. Ochoa Corona Assistant
professor Department of Entomology Plant
pathology/NIMFFAB Oklahoma National Guard
Training Program Applied Agricultural Sciences in
Afganistan May 31 - June 7, 2009
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Seminar Outline

• NIMFFAB Objectives and Mission.
• Basic concepts in Agricultural Biosecurity
  Forensics
• Elements of a balanced Biosecurity System.
• Examples of Ag biosecurity and forensics issues
  regarding military and defense systems.

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NIMFFAB Mission
To identify, assess, prioritize and facilitate
research, education and outreach related to
national needs in microbial forensic science with
respect to pathogens of crops, forests,
rangelands and food products. The NIMFFAB will
build on, connect and enhance existing state
programs that support and address issues of crop
and food security.
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NIMFFAB Ojectives

• Assess national capabilities in microbial
  forensics related to plant pathogens and food
  safety.
• Provide strategic planning, a long-range vision
  and prioritization of needs and resources.
• Conduct focused and outcome-oriented research in
  priority areas of microbial forensics.
• Establish a coalition of investigators conducting
  research on crop and food biosecurity and
  forensics issues.

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NIMFFAB Ojectives, continued

• Be a focal point for communication, cooperation,
  funding, and outreach related to crop and food
  biosecurity and microbial forensics
• Deliver outputs to end users including the FBI,
  Department of Homeland Security, and USDA
• Develop educational and training opportunities
  for students and stakeholders
• Communicate and work in parallel, locally and
  nationally, with microbial forensics and food and
  ag biosecurity programs related to animal and
  human pathogens

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Contacts and collaborations

• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• FBI Scientific Working Group on Microbial
  Genetics and Forensics
• OK Agroterrorism Working Group (OK FBI)
• Intelligence Community
• - Biological Sciences Advisory Committee
• US Department of Homeland Security
• National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures
  Center
• National Bioforensic Analysis Center
• NATO European Union
• International Coalition for Agricultural
  Biosecurity
• USDA
• Office of Homeland Security
• CSREES, APHIS, ARS
• Oklahoma Office of Homeland Security
• OCES Agricultural Bioterrorism Task Force

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Contacts and faculty
NIMFFAB Asst. Prof. Food Safety Microbiologist -
Fresh Produce
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Basic concepts in Ag
Biosecurity Forensics
Issues with Biosecurity concepts Numerous terms
and few meanings agro,
bio, terror and security wording roots
are creating unwanted
analogies, expectations and

misunderstanding among governments, scientists
and general public

• Biosecurity
• Agricultural biosecurity
• Biosafety
• Biodiversity/Invasive species
• Forensics
• Microbial forensics/bioforensics
• Terrorism
• Bioterrorism
• Agroterrorism

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Basic concepts in Ag
Biosecurity Forensics
Biosecurity encompasses science, policy and
regulatory frameworks (including instruments
and activities) to react and manage
risks associated with food, agriculture,
and relevant environmental risks including
fisheries and forestry. Biosecurity is
therefore embracing three main sectors food
safety, plant health, and animal health
(1) (1) Biosecurity in food and agriculture
scope and relevance. Report of the Expert
Consultation on Biosecurity in Food and
Agriculture (TC/BRM 03/2), FAO, Rome, Italy,
September 10-13, 2002
Human health, Justice Defense ARE SECTORS TO
BE INCLUDED
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Basic concepts in Ag
Biosecurity Forensics
Biosafety (among other similar definitions)
The application of practices, knowledge,
techniques and equipment to prevent personal,
laboratory and environmental exposure to
potentially infectious agents or
biohazards. Webster's New World Medical
Dictionary. 2004.
Biosafety and Biosecurity are different terms.
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Basic concepts in Ag
Biosecurity Forensics
Biodiversity (among other similar
definitions) had been defined as the variety
of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to
ecosystems, and the ecological and
evolutionary processes that sustain it (3). 3.
Harrison et al. 2004. Definition of Biodiversity.
Connexions module m12151. http//cnx.org/content/
m12151/1.2/
The overlapping of these disciplines is
creating new scientific and communication
challenges among scientists and policy makers.
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Basic concepts in Ag
Biosecurity Forensics
Invasive species Non native organisms that
cause or have the potential to cause harm/damage
to the environment, economy, human health (NISC,
2001)
The overlapping of these disciplines is
creating new scientific and communication
challenges among scientists and policy makers.
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Basic concepts in Ag
Biosecurity Forensics
Microbial forensics/more recently
Bioforensics also a scientific discipline,
but dedicated to analyzing microbial activity
as evidence for attribution purposes and/or back
tracking. Functioning into a rigid legal frame
and demands a rigorous (accredited) and unbiased
performance (2). 2. Microbial forensics.
Breeze,Budowle and Schtzer Eds. Elsevier Academic
Press. 2005. Pag xix. 425pp.
Bioforensics, a new term same definitions ?
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Basic concepts in Ag
Biosecurity Forensics

• Terrorism
• Threat and intimidation of governments and
  societies by
• sorpresive mass destruction of life (humans,
  animals, plants
• and/or cultural heritage).
• Bioterrorism
• Threat or use of biological agents to cause
  harm by individuals or groups motivated by
  political, religious, ecological or other
  ideological objectives (Carus 2001)
• Agroterrorism
• Threat or use of biological agents to cause harm
  to agriculture and the economy and eventually
  cause starvation.

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Elements of a Biosecurity System
Policy
Analysis Profiling Risk analysis
Pre-clearance
Post-clearance
Post Entry Quarantine Transitional Facilities (P.
E. Q.)
Border
Border
Outside a country
Inside a country
- Investigation Diagnostic Centers - - Natl.
Diagnostic Networks -
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Elements of a Biosecurity System
How this work ?
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Ag-biosecurity issues regarding
military and defense systems
Case study New Zealand Country with an advanced
Ag Biosecurity System and overseas deployments
co-ordinated and run by Joint Forces New Zealand.
Royal New Zealand Air Force C130 over Kiwi Base,
Bamyan Province, Afghanistan.
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Ag-biosecurity issues regarding
military and defense systems
Currently  New Zealand Defense Force personnel
are deployed on 14 operations, Peace keeping UN
missions and defense exercises in 10 countries
around the world, includingA -  Sudan B - 
Sinai C -  Middle East D -  Iraq E -
 Afghanistan F -  Korea G -  Timor-Leste H -
 Solomon Islands I -  Antarctica (no personnel
at present)
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Ag-biosecurity issues regarding
military and defense systems

• Seed of the invasive Siam weed (Chromolaena
  odorata) is one of the
• most carefully checked-for items on the
  clothing and equipment of
• New Zealand troops returning from duty in
  Timor Leste (East Timor).
• Every six months, (MAF-BNZ) Quarantine
  Inspectors travel to Timor
• Leste with New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF)
  personnel to pre-
• inspect the returning troops gear.

Inspection area within the Timor Lodge Compound
on the outskirts of Dili.
Quarantine Inspectors at Auckland Wharf.
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Ag-biosecurity issues regarding
military and defense systems

• Contaminant Type1 Threshold Levels Per
  Vehicle/Unit of Machinery
• Dead invertebrates presence permitted
• Road film presence permitted
• Plant material2/soil not detectable
• through physical inspection presence
  permitted
• Inorganic non-risk material, sand and
• other material free of plant residues
• or other organic materials presence permitted
  
• Fungi in rotten decks presence permitted
• Seeds - in air filters presence permitted
• - not in air filters (except below), none
• - associated with radiator/exhaust presence
  permitted
• Soil 20 grams
• Dead desiccated plant material 5 units
• Pine needles none
• Animal products/by-products3 none
• Water none
• Green or fresh plant material (including fruit)
  none

• Located anywhere in/on the vehicle/unit of
  machinery including
• contained structures.
• 2. Includes dessicated leaves, twigs, bark,
  sawdust, seeds.
• 3. Includes blood, bones, fibre, meat,
  secretions, excretions, etc,
• but excludes moderate amounts of pet
  fur trapped in upholstery .
• 4. Includes arthropods, mammals, birds, reptiles,
  amphibians,
• molluscs etc.
• May require further action where deemed
  necessary by a n inspector.

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Ag-biosecurity issues regarding
military and defense systems
Exercise tests to test and improve communication
between defense-customs-biosecurity
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) and other
government agencies were put to the test by a
recent international exercise based on the
premise that a vessel carrying materials for
weapons of mass destruction was attempting to
enter New Zealand.
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Ag-biosecurity issues regarding
military and defense systems
Hydroides elegans (Haswell, 1883) Image and
information NIMPIS (2002a)
Cutleria multifida (Js.Smith) Grev. Image
University of the Azores
Diver sampling organisms on pier piles.
Limaria orientalis (Adams Reeve, 1850) Image
www.femorale.com.
Bugula neritina (Linnaeus, 1758) Image and
information NIMPIS (2002b)
Box trap Opera house trap Starfish trap
Watersipora subtorquata (d'Orbigny, 1842) Image
California Academy of Sciences.
Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793) Image and
information NIMPIS (2002c)
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Ag-biosecurity issues regarding
military and defense systems

• Need for aligning concepts and definitions
• biosecurity/forensics goes beyond bioterror
  and human
• settings
• Understanding how biosecurity systems function
• and/or biosecurity zones
• Domesticated crops vs biodiversity/ecology
• Migration of micro-organisms from natural
  ecosystems
• to agricultural systems and among different
• geographical agricultural scenarios.
• Diversity of diagnostics requirements vs
  single tool
• NIMFFAB, your biosecurity reference and advise

Wrap Up-
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THANKS !
MAF_BNZ
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