Perspectives on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) and the Cyberbiosecurity of Freshwater Systems

Abstract

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) have been observed in all 50 states in the U.S., ranging from large freshwater lakes, such as the Great Lakes, to smaller inland lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, as well as marine coastal areas and estuaries. In 2014, a HAB on Lake Erie containing microcystin (a liver toxin) contaminated the municipal water supply in Toledo, Ohio, providing non-potable water to 400,000 people. Studying HABs is complicated as different cyanobacteria produce a range of toxins that impact human health, such as microcystins, saxitoxin, anatoxin-a, and cylindrospermopsin. HABs may be increasing in prevalence with rising temperatures and higher nutrient runoff. Consequently, new tools and technology are needed to rapidly detect, characterize, and respond to HABs that threaten our water security. A framework is needed to understand cyber threats to new and existing technologies that monitor and forecast our water quality. To properly detect, assess, and mitigate security threats on water infrastructure, it is necessary to envision water security from the perspective of a cyber-physical system (CPS). In doing so, we can evaluate risks and research needs for cyber-attacks on HAB-monitoring networks including data injection attacks, automated system hijacking attacks, node forgery attacks, and attacks on learning algorithms. Herein, we provide perspectives on the research needed to understand both the threats posed by HABs and the coupled cyber threats to water security in the context of HABs.

Natural freshwater microalgae biofilm as a tool for the clean-up of water resulting from mining activities

“…This bloom produced by freshwater microalgae is extremely toxic to freshwater biota because they tend to block the gills of fishes and other freshwater micro invertebrate and also depletes the available dissolve oxygen in freshwater habitat leading to the death of freshwater organisms (Schmale et al 2019).…”

Facing the 2020 pandemic: What does cyberbiosecurity want us to know to safeguard the future?

“… CP “attackers may cause sensors to report false data or modify algorithms in control systems in ways that can jeopardize product quality, damage manufacturing equipment, and potentially induce occupational hazards.” [ 23 ] CP Regarding “smart labs” of the future: “adjustment of fan speeds in building ventilation systems… can lead to potential exposure of any building occupant to infectious microorganisms or their toxic products, contamination of the facility, or airborne release of pathogens to the surrounding external environment… changes to chemical concentration and/or holding time in liquid effluent decontamination systems which can result in premature discharge of infectious, toxic byproducts or genetically altered microorganisms to the municipal waste stream.” [ 21 ] CP “To obscure the identity and/or functional properties of the final product several biofoundries can be used, each synthesizing seemingly innocuous products representing only a portion of the final product.” [ 5 ] G, U Food, Agriculture, Water “The health and security… of agriculture and food systems is unclear from a cyberbiosecurity perspective. We reason that vulnerable critical links and nodes exist throughout this highly complex global and national ecosystem.” [ 39 ] V “a recent contamination event of an unauthorized GM Bacillus subtilis strain (Paracchini et al, 2017) in Europe could have been - or the same way could be - the consequence of exploiting gaps of prevailing DNA signatures.” “DNA signatures may intentionally be exploited to support the counterfeiting or even weaponization of GM organisms.” [ 14 ] CP,G “The identification and analysis of harmful genetic manipulations to utilize (covertly modified) plants (GMOs and non-GMOs) as an attack vector show that these concerns need to be taken seriously, raising the prospect not only of direct harm, but of the more likely effects in generating public concern, reputational harm of agricultural biotechnology companies, law-suits, and increased import bans of certain plants or their derived products.” [ 40 ] CP,G,U Water security exemplified via harmful algal blooms (HAB): “it is imperative to envision water security from the perspective of a cyber-physical system (CPS).” Attacks on HAB-monitoring systems include “data injection attacks, automated system hijacking attacks, node forgery attacks, and attacks on learning algorithms.” [ 68 ] CP a For the citations within quotations, please see the citing literature for details. …”

“…The cyber-based interface to measure and assess a bioengineered product or service creates a gap, potentially allowing a range of vulnerabilities, from falsifiable entries of biological databases and sequence errors [ 12 , 38 ] - which in a context like pathogens could lead to entry errors with rather disturbing effects - the intentional tampering of data related to forensics [ 67 ], cyber- enabled attacks on systems monitoring water security [ 68 ], to the actual exchange of the purported actual (CPS produced) entity. The latter may enable the distribution of accidentally exchanged/counterfeit products such as plasmids [ 20 ] or illicit feed additives and contaminated feed consignments [ 40 , 69 , 70 ].…”

“…These are situations where clear predictions as required for various ‘if-then’ paradigms employed in the cyber domains are inapplicable. Deterrence measures will need to consider emerging actors and their pathways of action, including interactions between synthetic and natural entities, as well as mechanisms, vesicles and actions that can be activated by various physical and mechanical forces or combinations thereof [ 50 , 68 ].…”

Whole-Genome Sequencing of Bacterial Isolates That Degrade the Cyanobacterial Toxin Microcystin-LR

“…Cyanobacteria can form large aggregations (i.e., harmful algal blooms [HABs]) that foul water bodies and threaten human health by releasing cyanotoxins, including microcystin-LR (MC-LR) ( 1 ). MC-LR causes many human health problems, including liver cancer, and its cyclic structure makes it stable in the environment ( 2 – 5 ).…”