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Plant biosecurity policy-making modelled on the human immune system: What would it look like?

Cook, David C. ; Kristensen, Nadiah LU ; Liu, Shuang ; Paini, Dean R. ; Kerr, Peter J. ; Sheppard, Andy W. ; Lonsdale, W. Mark ; McAllister, Ryan R. J. and De Barro, Paul J. (2014) In Environmental Science and Policy 41. p.1-10
Abstract
This paper takes inspiration from the field of bio-mimicry to suggest what a plant biosecurity system might look like if it was modelled on the human immune system. We suggest structural and institutional changes to current biosecurity systems that would facilitate adaptive preparation and response policies, focusing particularly on the Australian plant biosecurity system. By improving information exchanges, interpretation and managing overlapping complementary response capabilities of this system, novel policies emerge that increase resilience to harmful weeds, pests and diseases. This is achieved by adding an element of flexibility in invasion response to cope with different circumstances and contexts, rather than a 'one size fits all'... (More)
This paper takes inspiration from the field of bio-mimicry to suggest what a plant biosecurity system might look like if it was modelled on the human immune system. We suggest structural and institutional changes to current biosecurity systems that would facilitate adaptive preparation and response policies, focusing particularly on the Australian plant biosecurity system. By improving information exchanges, interpretation and managing overlapping complementary response capabilities of this system, novel policies emerge that increase resilience to harmful weeds, pests and diseases. This is achieved by adding an element of flexibility in invasion response to cope with different circumstances and contexts, rather than a 'one size fits all' approach. While we find bio-mimicry to be a potentially useful system design tool, there are key differences between the immune and biosecurity systems that the analogy makes clear. Perhaps the most important of these stems from the inability of immune systems to imagine future threats. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. (Less)
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author
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Invasive alien species, Biosecurity, Bio-mimicry, Plant pests and, diseases, Weed management
in
Environmental Science and Policy
volume
41
pages
1 - 10
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000338826100001
  • scopus:84901231658
ISSN
1462-9011
DOI
10.1016/j.envsci.2014.04.007
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
bc7dbe60-9558-4816-8199-4694637b7237 (old id 4598917)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:13:58
date last changed
2022-01-25 21:05:29
@article{bc7dbe60-9558-4816-8199-4694637b7237,
  abstract     = {{This paper takes inspiration from the field of bio-mimicry to suggest what a plant biosecurity system might look like if it was modelled on the human immune system. We suggest structural and institutional changes to current biosecurity systems that would facilitate adaptive preparation and response policies, focusing particularly on the Australian plant biosecurity system. By improving information exchanges, interpretation and managing overlapping complementary response capabilities of this system, novel policies emerge that increase resilience to harmful weeds, pests and diseases. This is achieved by adding an element of flexibility in invasion response to cope with different circumstances and contexts, rather than a 'one size fits all' approach. While we find bio-mimicry to be a potentially useful system design tool, there are key differences between the immune and biosecurity systems that the analogy makes clear. Perhaps the most important of these stems from the inability of immune systems to imagine future threats. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Cook, David C. and Kristensen, Nadiah and Liu, Shuang and Paini, Dean R. and Kerr, Peter J. and Sheppard, Andy W. and Lonsdale, W. Mark and McAllister, Ryan R. J. and De Barro, Paul J.}},
  issn         = {{1462-9011}},
  keywords     = {{Invasive alien species; Biosecurity; Bio-mimicry; Plant pests and; diseases; Weed management}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{1--10}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Environmental Science and Policy}},
  title        = {{Plant biosecurity policy-making modelled on the human immune system: What would it look like?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2014.04.007}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.envsci.2014.04.007}},
  volume       = {{41}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}