International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science (IBBIS)

The Biorisk Question☣❔ Asimov put out a blog post discussing biotechnology innovations that exist in a "nebulous zone of grey": they may bring great benefit, but may also inadvertently enable harm. 🔊 The post discusses case studies like AI tools that design proteins, microbes that produce opioids, and enzymes that edit the human genome, and offers a question for researchers to ask: "If successful, would this technology overcome protections that currently keep things safe?" ➡ IBBIS was happy to be recognized in the post among many organizations working towards a shared goal of safeguarding technology. 🔗https://lnkd.in/eZj7kGwU

Join us at the SBA3.0 International Synthetic Biology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Biosecurity Conference in Africa happening in Nairobi, Kenya. 📅 July 17-19 📍 Nairobi Safari Club by Swiss-Belhotel Join Piers Millett Ph.D., Executive Director of the International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science (IBBIS) who will deliver a keynote address at this event alongside many other leaders in the industry from around the world. Book your ticket today: bit.ly/SBACONF2024

At #GHSC2024, IBBIS held a workshop on "Safeguarding nucleic acid synthesis: why and how to screen customers and orders". One biologist who frequently orders synthetic DNA said the sequence screening exercise gave him new appreciation for the difficulty faced by "the other side". The two workshop groups disagreed about which sequences should receive follow-up screening, and participants highlighted the difficulty of assessing the risks of organisms they were not familiar with. According to another participant, "it was really useful to see how much screening can exist on a spectrum from box ticking to a more holistic assessment". In the customer screening exercise, participants were asked to screen flagged orders from customers including an irritable toxin researcher, an enthusiastic high school student, and a co-founder of an early-stage diagnostics startup. Discussion after the exercise focused on the importance of laboratory biosafety governance and the need for clear ways for customers to prove their legitimacy. We expect to iterate on and re-run this workshop in a virtual format ― reach out to screening@ibbis.bio if you'd like to participate.

The 2024 Laboratory biosecurity guidance from World Health Organization is now available. ➡️ This publication is the update of the document published in 2006 entitled “Biorisk management: laboratory biosecurity guidance” https://lnkd.in/gHPcMDb9

At #GHSC2024, IBBIS held a workshop on "Safeguarding nucleic acid synthesis: why and how to screen customers and orders". One biologist who frequently orders synthetic DNA said the sequence screening exercise gave him new appreciation for the difficulty faced by "the other side". The two workshop groups disagreed about which sequences should receive follow-up screening, and participants highlighted the difficulty of assessing the risks of organisms they were not familiar with. According to another participant, "it was really useful to see how much screening can exist on a spectrum from box ticking to a more holistic assessment". In the customer screening exercise, participants were asked to screen flagged orders from customers including an irritable toxin researcher, an enthusiastic high school student, and a co-founder of an early-stage diagnostics startup. Discussion after the exercise focused on the importance of laboratory biosafety governance and the need for clear ways for customers to prove their legitimacy. We expect to iterate on and re-run this workshop in a virtual format ― reach out to screening@ibbis.bio if you'd like to participate.

Exciting News! The international #BioFundersCompact has officially launched, setting new biosafety and biosecurity standards for life science research and innovation. This compact will help to ensure that rapid technological advancements in bioscience and biotechnology are used responsibly and to safeguard against their misuse. Learn more about this important initiative from NTI | bio and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations. ⬇️

We are happy to announce that International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science (IBBIS), has joined us as a Bronze #Sponsor for the SBA3.0 International Synthetic Biology, AI, and Biosecurity Conference! 🎉 Join us from July 17-19 at the Nairobi Safari Club by Swiss-Belhotel in Nairobi, Kenya, to explore groundbreaking advancements in synthetic biology, AI, and biosecurity. Don’t miss out—register now at bit.ly/SBACONF2024 before late registration begins on June 21. We are still open additional sponsors to partner with us and support the growth of synthetic biology on the continent. Interested sponsors can contact us at admin@synbioafrica.com.

Shout out to our Paris Peace Forum #SCUP Mentor Magda Robalo for her plenary session on "Strengthening the Global Health Security Architecture". 📣 We appreciated her remarks on the need to "put our money where our mouth is when it comes to global investment in prevention and response" 🌍

Attending the #GHS2024 Conference in Sydney next week❓ 🧬Join our Workshop! "Safeguarding nucleic acid synthesis: why and how to screen customers and orders" 🔹Day 1, June 18. ⏰1:30-3:30 pm 📍Room C4.9 #GlobalHealth #SecurityConference #GHS2024

🔹IBBIS Executive Director, Piers Millett, outlines 5 Things 🚫Not to Do🚫When Discovering a Biosecurity Vulnerability in a Gene Synthesis Screening Tool! 💻https://lnkd.in/dtxytuBt 📚Full Article: https://lnkd.in/dUTrNA-f