This week covers France’s arrest warrants for Bashar al-Assad and several associates in relation to CW use in Syria, the US House’s passage of a measure that would prohibit federal funding for GoF research, the discovery of a new satellite phage in Maryland, the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance’s recent rebranding, and more. As always, new publications and upcoming events are included, as well as multiple new professional opportunities, including exciting job openings with Texas A&M’s Scowcroft Institute and opportunities for publication.
French Authorities Issue Arrest Warrants for Bashar Al-Assad and Associates
Criminal investigative judges in France have formally issued arrest warrants for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and three of his associates-Maher al-Assad, the de-facto leader of an elite Syrian unit, and two generals in the Syrian military-for the use of chemical weapons against civilians. This follows an investigation focused on CW attacks in Douma and Eastern Ghouta in August 2013, which killed over 1,000 people.
Civil Rights Defenders explains that “The decision to issue arrest warrants against several high-ranking representatives of the Syrian regime follows a multi-year criminal investigation. In addition to Bashar al-Assad, President of the Syrian Arab Republic and head of the armed forces, and Maher al-Assad, de facto leader of the 4th Armored Division, warrants have been issued against General Ghassan Abbas, Director of Branch 450 of the Syrian Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), and General Bassam al-Hassan, Presidential Advisor for Strategic Affairs and liaison officer between the Presidential Palace and the SSRC. The arrest warrants refer to the legal qualifications of complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes.”
“The investigation in France was opened in response to a criminal complaint based on the testimony of survivors of the August 2013 attacks, filed in March 2021 by the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM) and by Syrian victims. The complaint was supported by the Syrian Archive and the Open Society Justice Initiative, which together with Civil Rights Defenders have joined the investigation as civil parties, as well as members of the Association of the Victims of Chemical Weapons (AVCW). “
‘“The French judiciary’s issuance of arrest warrants against the head of state, Bashar al-Assad, and his associates constitutes a historic judicial precedent. It is a new victory for the victims, their families, and the survivors and a step on the path to justice and sustainable peace in Syria.” said lawyer Mazen Darwish, founder and director general of the Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression (SCM).”’
Similar complaints have also been filed in Germany and Sweden, as CRD notes in their statement on this development. The organization explains “The principle of extraterritorial jurisdiction can be used by courts to investigate and prosecute international atrocity crimes committed on foreign territory under certain circumstances. In October 2020, SCM, Syrian Archive, and the Open Justice Initiative filed a similar complaint before the Office of the German Federal Public Prosecutor, on the Syrian government’s sarin attacks on al Ghouta in 2013 and on Khan Shaykhun in 2017.”
“A further criminal complaint was filed by the three NGOs in April 2021 in Sweden, together with Civil Rights Defenders, against high-ranking members of the Assad regime for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Together, the French, German and Swedish complaints include evidence from the most detailed investigations carried out into these attacks to date.”
The OPCW has conducted numerous fact-finding missions focused on CW use in the Syrian conflict, and there are now several fact-finding mission and Investigation and Identification Team reports on the topic available on the organization’s website. This includes a report from early 2023 finding “reasonable grounds to identify Syrian Arab Air Forces as perpetrators of 2018 Douma chemical attack.”
US House Approves Federal Funding Ban on GoF Research
The House of Representatives approved HR 5894, which includes a measure banning federal funding for studies that include gain-of-function research. Though the bill in question still requires Senate approval to have a chance to take effect, this move will likely be worrying to many in the scientific community.
Science Insider offers brief background on the bill, explaining “Sponsored by Representatives Thomas Massie (R–KY) and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R–IA), the ban was part of a slate of amendments to the 2024 House spending bill for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the parent agency of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), that came before the full chamber yesterday. It passed on a voice vote, meaning individual members did not have to register their support or opposition…”
“The GOF amendment would revise language passed into law last year that banned HHS from funding such work in China and other “adversary” countries such as Cuba. That qualifier is now gone, meaning work by HHS-funded researchers in the United States could also be banned. The amendment now reads: “None of the funds made available by this Act may be used, either directly or indirectly, to conduct or support any gain-of-function research involving a potential pandemic pathogen.”’
“Vampire Virus” Discovered in Poolesville, Maryland
Some transplants insist Maryland sucks, and it appears they may have a point. A lab at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County recently discovered a virus that latches onto the neck of another virus…Dracula style. What’s more, the discovery may potentially aid in future antiviral therapy development work.
In 2019, undergraduates in the lab found a viral satellite attached to a Streptomyces scabiei bacterium isolated from soil samples taken in Poolesville. The satellite was named bacteriophage MindFlayer. However, the same lab recently discovered that there was not just the original satellite present, but a second satellite phage as well attached to the neck of MindFlayer-satellite phage MiniFlayer. The details of this finding are included in the lab’s recent article in The ISME Journal.
The lab’s PI, Ivan Erill, recently authored a piece in The Conversation explaining his team’s findings, in which he writes in part, “MiniFlayer is the first satellite phage known to have lost its ability to lie dormant. Not being able to lie in wait for your helper to enter the cell poses an important challenge to a satellite phage. If you need another virus to replicate, how do you guarantee that it makes it into the cell around the same time you do?”
“MiniFlayer addressed this challenge with evolutionary aplomb and horror-movie creativity. Instead of lying in wait, MiniFlayer has gone on the offensive. Borrowing from both “Dracula” and “Alien,” this satellite phage evolved a short appendage that allows it to latch onto its helper’s neck like a vampire. Together, the unwary helper and its passenger travel in search of a new host, where the viral drama will unfold again. We don’t yet know how MiniFlayer subdues its helper, or whether MindFlayer has evolved countermeasures.”
“If the recent pandemic has taught us anything, it is that our supply of antivirals is rather limited. Research on the complex, intertwined and at times predatory nature of viruses and their satellites, like the ability of MiniFlayer to attach to its helper’s neck, has the potential to open new avenues for antiviral therapy.”
Stakeholder Groups Urge Congress to Reauthorize Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act
A group of more than 100 stakeholders recently sent a letter to congressional leadership, calling on Congress to reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) before the end of the calendar year. The effort, led by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, “called on Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker Mike Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to include a comprehensive 5-year PAHPA reauthorization in moving legislation this year.”
‘“Our nation’s changing health security threat landscape and the federal government’s responsibility to protect the American people demand that we work together now to find a strong bipartisan path forward to reauthorize this critical legislation,” write the signatories. “Failing to reauthorize PAHPA would have serious effects on our country’s economic well-being, national security, and health security given the rapidly changing threat landscape.”’
Read the full letter here and see the complete list of signatories here.
State Department Renames Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance to the Bureau of Arms Control, Deterrence, and Stability
Oxford comma fans, rejoice! The Department of State announced this week that it has renamed the Bureau of Arms Control, Verification and Compliance as the Bureau of Arms Control, Deterrence, and Stability (ADS). In its statement, the Department said, “This name change reflects the full scope of this Bureau’s long-standing work and its role in addressing new challenges posed by emerging security technologies and domains. ADS leads Department of State efforts on developing, negotiating, implementing, and verifying compliance with a range of arms control and disarmament agreements and arrangements; extended deterrence; missile defense; confidence- and security-building measures (CSBMs); risk reduction; and crisis communications. Working with others in the Department, ADS has grown its capacity to respond to issues relating to artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and quantum computing. Today, the Bureau is playing a key role in establishing and promoting norms of responsible behavior in outer space, cyberspace, and with artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. Diplomatic efforts advancing these issues contribute to integrated deterrence, global stability, and international security.”
“This change reflects a broader effort within the Department to address emerging 21st century national security challenges. While the core functions of ADS remain the same – to use diplomacy to reduce risks and avoid miscalculations – we recognize how we must modernize our approaches and expand our thinking to help build a more stable, peaceful world.”
“Technical Experts and International Diplomats Convened to Advance the “Joint Assessment Mechanism”‘
New from the Nuclear Threat Initiative: “NTI | bio convened two working groups of international biosecurity experts to discuss policy and institutional considerations, and technical operations for the Joint Assessment Mechanism (JAM) to identify the source of high-consequence biological outbreaks of unknown origin. These discussions were motivated by the recognition that there is a gap within the UN system in capabilities to perform this critical function. The October 19th and November 3rd discussions focused on how the JAM, best established within the United Nations Secretary-General’s office, could cooperate with partner organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Secretary Generals’ Mechanism for Investigation of Alleged Use of Chemical and Biological Weapons (UNSGM)–serving as an interface between these two mechanisms.”
“The group of experts also discussed potential functions of the JAM during periods between “activation,” when there is no outbreak of unknown origin to investigate. There was broad consensus that the JAM will need to adopt a “steady state” function during these times and that it would need sufficient technical operating capacities for both modes of operation. In response, the experts proposed that researchers within the JAM synthesize and report on biosurveillance and biosecurity data generated by partner organizations. They discussed the need for data sharing agreements and mechanisms to build trust among partners, noting that it would be important to strike a balance between drafting robust agreements and maintaining flexibility to engage necessary resources during a rapidly emerging situation.”
“To further the policy and technical conversations around establishing the JAM, H.E. Ambassador Alexander Marschik of Austria hosted NTI | bio and permanent representatives, deputy permanent representatives, and expert staff from 16 nations for a working lunch on November 7th. Discussions focused on the possibility of placing the JAM within the UN Secretary General’s Office and navigating partnerships with other UN organizations, as well as ideas for building widespread political support across UN member states to establish the JAM.”
“Read more about the JAM here.”
“The Antimicrobial Resistance Research Landscape and Emerging Solutions”
This CSET Data Brief was written by Vikram Venkatram and Katherine Quinn: “Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is one of the world’s most pressing global health threats. Basic research is the first step towards identifying solutions. This brief examines the AMR research landscape since 2000, finding that the amount of research is increasing and that the U.S. is a leading publisher, but also that novel solutions like phages and synthetic antimicrobial production are a small portion of that research.”
“Perspective: The Rise of “Wet” Artificial Intelligence”
Aneil Mallavarapu recently published this piece in proto.life, explaining in the article’s introduction that “While the public’s attention has been captured by AI chatbots, a quiet revolution has been brewing in the sciences. One of the most promising fields AI is impacting is biology—long dominated by the tradition of the “wet lab,” which favors pure experimental data over computer simulation. Deep learning is changing that. It enables computers to understand complex patterns in data and generate ideas based on those patterns, and that’s making AI more and more central to experimental biology. There is no field more complex in its patterns than biology, so AI is the perfect tool for understanding it. And—as a host of new companies are showing—engineering it.”
“Electronics in the Shahed-136 Kamikaze Drone”
David Albright and Sarah Burkhard recently published this report with the Institute for Science and International Security. They explain in their introduction, “Shahed-136 kamikaze drones, filled with Western electronics, continue to destroy Ukrainian lives and their civilian infrastructure. These drones, also known as Geran 2, are produced and assembled at JSC Alabuga facilities inside the Alabuga Special Economic Zone in Russia, with assistance from Iran. Yet, the company responsible, JSC Alabuga, and related companies are still not found on public U.S. or allied sanctions lists.”
“Report on Deterrence in a World of Nuclear Multipolarity”
This week, the State Department announced that, “the Secretary’s International Security Advisory Board (ISAB) released its study, “Report on Deterrence in a World of Nuclear Multipolarity.” The report fulfills the request from Ambassador Bonnie D. Jenkins, the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, to undertake a study on how to use the mutually reinforcing tools of deterrence and arms control to address the challenges of two future nuclear-armed strategic peers – Russia and the PRC. The recommendations, developed by a study group consisting of a subset of board members, was approved during the Board’s October 31, 2023, plenary meeting.”
“Handbook of Best Practices for Strategic Trade Control Enforcement at Ports”
King’s College London recently released this handbook that “…is designed primarily for use by government agencies responsible for enforcing STCs at ports, for example customs, border protection and policing. It will also support the work of agencies responsible for port management and governance, export licensing, trade regulation, maritime domain awareness, and industry outreach.”
“A particularly strong feature of this handbook is the large number of international experts who contributed content and expertise. Significant contributions came from consultants on STCs and sanctions in UK and Dutch Customs, and a senior advisor in the UK’s Export Control Joint Unit. Excellent contributions also came from the Manager of the Port of London, the UN Panel of Experts, and a research group at Ghent University. Based on leading voices from industry, law enforcement, international security and academia, this handbook will help governments meet the complex challenges of strategic trade control.”
What We’re Listening To 🎧
Poisons and Pestilence 18 Bonus Episode: The Clouds of Auguste Trillat with Étienne Aucouturier
“A history of the foundation of the French BW programme. You can find a list of Etienne’s publications here: https://irfu.cea.fr/Pisp/etienne.aucouturier/”
Listen here.
NEW: National Biodefense Science Board Public Meeting
“The NBSB will discuss and vote on two set of recommendations related to COVID-19 pandemic lessons; Project NextGen vaccine and therapeutic products; and disaster preparedness training. The Board is also inviting key stakeholder groups to address the Board and share their ideas on issues related to current and future chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, and other disaster preparedness and response matters.”
This virtual meeting will take place on November 30 at 1 pm EST. Learn more and register here.
NEW: HIDA-ASPR Educational Webinar Series
“HIDA has collaborated with the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) on a series of webinars designed to educate stakeholders on the role of ASPR programs as well as share insights on successful public/private partnerships. Specifically, this series focuses on a few areas of ASPR to offer you a greater understanding of what the agency does that make it so effective, and what your organization can do to improve preparedness and response AND engage with ASPR:
ASPR Technical Resources, Assistance Center & Information Exchange (TRACIE)
Friday, Dec. 1, 2:00pm ET
HIDA & Strategic National Stockpile (SNS)
Monday, Dec. 4, 2:00pm ET”
Learn more and register at the links above.
NEW: Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB) Virtual Meeting
“The Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB) provides advice, information, and recommendations to the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS Secretary). The council supports and evaluates U.S. government activities focused on fighting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in human health, animal health, and environmental health. Using this One Health approach, members of the PACCARB have expertise from a range of backgrounds, including academia, industry, public health, advocacy, veterinary, and agricultural production.”
“The PACCARB was established under Executive Order 13676 and included in the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness and Advancing Innovation Act of 2019 (PAHPAIA). Since 2019, the President has given authority to the HHS Secretary as the primary recipient of PACCARB recommendations. Additional information on the authority and activities of the PACCARB can be found on the About Us page in the charter.”
“As a federal advisory committee, the PACCARB looks to engage with the public and all AMR stakeholders. The council holds several public meetings every year both in-person and live streamed on the HHS.gov website. These meetings are open to anyone with an interest in combating AMR. See how to get involved!”
This virtual meeting will take place on December 20 from 9-4 EST. Learn more here.
Meeting the Moment: Biodefense Policy, Procurement, and Public Health
From the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense: “As the Nation continues to endure the consequences of recent pandemics, and with continued interest in biological weapons by nation states and other enemies, the federal government has an opportunity to address vulnerabilities in the biodefense enterprise. At this meeting, titled Meeting the Moment: Biodefense Policy, Procurement, and Public Health, the Commission intends to further explore : (1) biodefense policies and activities at the Department of Defense; (2) federal stockpile evaluation and decision-making for smallpox medical countermeasures; (3) needed authorities of the Department of Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; and (4) biodefense leadership.”
This meeting will take place on December 5, from 10:30 am until 4 pm ET. Register here.
2023 EPA International Decontamination Research and Development Conference-“Advancing Preparedness through Science and Collaboration”
“The clean-up of chemical, biological, or radiological (CBR) contamination incidents and natural disasters is a critical challenge for the United States. Understanding how to characterize and remediate affected areas of environmental contamination and waste is necessary for daily life to return.”
“The Decon Conference is designed to facilitate presentation, discussion, and further collaboration of research and development topics focused on an all-hazards approach to remediate contaminated indoor and outdoor areas, critical infrastructure, water distribution systems, and other environmental areas/materials.”
“This conference is free and open to the public. Content and presentations are geared towards the emergency response community, including local and state emergency managers, homeland security officials, first responder coordinators, private sector industry, risk managers, educators in the field of emergency management, and others.”
This event will take place December 5-7 in Charleston, SC. Learn more and register here.
Mitigating Arboviral Threats and Strengthening Public Health Preparedness
“Arboviruses are a broad group of viruses that are spread by arthropods, such as ticks and mosquitoes. Diseases caused by arboviruses, like dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and yellow fever, present a significant public health burden and threaten billions of people worldwide. Despite the global recognition of the devastating health and economic impacts of these diseases, the need persists for improved integration of mitigation efforts into public health systems and environmental and urban planning.”
“The National Academies Forum on Microbial Threats will conduct a two-day workshop that will identify lessons learned from previous outbreaks, outline current arbovirus surveillance capacities, and describe novel approaches to arbovirus mitigation. The workshop will include perspectives from researchers, public health practitioners, and environmental management experts from across the globe.”
This event will take place on December 12 and 13. Learn more here.
61st ISODARCO Course: Nuclear Order and International Security after Ukraine
“The war in Ukraine has had an enormous impact on global security, reviving nuclear fears, undermining the prospects for arms control, and shattering many of the norms and constraints that were the foundation of European security. ISODARCO 2024 will examine the global nuclear order in light of the Ukraine war, focusing on the states, the policies and the technologies that will shape the future in a much more difficult environment. How will we cope with this more dangerous world?”
This course will take place January 7-14, 2024, at the University of Trento. Learn more and register here.
International Conference, CBRNE Research & Innovation
“The last 40 years have demonstrated that both military and civilian populations could be exposed to highly hazardous CBRNE agents following conflicts, natural outbreaks and disasters, industrial incidents or terrorist attacks.”
“Worldwide, researchers, responders and industrial capacities have been commited to provide adapted response to these challenges.”
“Building on the success of the first 5 International Conferences « CBRNE Research and Innovation » which took place in Antibes (2015), Lyon (2017), Nantes (2019), on line (2021) and Lille (2022), we want to give you a new opportunity to build up or strengthen collaborative networks in Strabourg (March 19th – 21rst 2024).”
“The CBRNE R&I Conference is specifically devoted to scientific updates, responders’ feedbacks and expression of needs. It also includes workshops and demonstrations of innovative materials, technologies and procedures, according to the following themes: DETECTION – IDENTIFICATION, PROTECTION – DECONTAMINATION, MEDICAL COUNTERMEASURES, RISKS & CRISIS MANAGEMENT.”
“Looking forward to your proposals for communication and to welcoming you at Strasbourg in March 2024!”
Learn more here.
Registration for GHS 2024 Now Open
Registration is now open for the Global Health Security 2024 conference in Sydney, Australia. This iteration will take place 18-21 June, 2024. The call for abstracts is also still open. “The mission of the Global Health Security conference is to provide a forum where leaders, researchers, policy-makers, and representatives from government, international organisations, civil society, and private industry from around the world can engage with each other, review the latest research and policy innovations, and agree solutions for making the world safer and healthier. To that end, our mission is to help foster a genuinely multidisciplinary community of practice that is committed to working collaboratively to enhance global health security and eliminate disease, irrespective of its origin or source.”
Texas A&M Research Assistant Professor (Pandemic Preparedness/Biosecurity) Openings
Texas A&M University’s Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs is seeking up to two Research Assistant Professors with expertise in pandemic preparedness and/or biosecurity. The Research Assistant Professor will be in the Scowcroft Institute of International Affairs, Bush School of Government & Public Service, and will work with the Pandemic Preparedness & Biosecurity Policy Program. Responsibilities include teaching graduate courses, conducting research, and writing policy-relevant publications on biosecurity, global health security, bio and agro-defense, federal life sciences policy, one health, biotechnology, or related policy topics.
Learn more and apply here.
Call for Ideas to Counter Disinformation on Social Media
“Social media is being deliberately flooded with information intended to deceive and mislead. Such information has adversely affected the decision-making process for key functions of our society by impacting our ability to respond to immediate and long-term crises, in particular those related to controversial subjects such as elections, pandemic response, and climate change.”
“The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on Evolving Technological, Legal and Social Solutions to Counter Disinformation on Social Media (the “Committee”) is seeking creative ideas to detect, measure, and mitigate such disinformation. We invite you, your small team, or large collaborative to send us groundbreaking ideas (or new perspectives on conventional ideas) for countering disinformation on social media and related platforms.”
“We welcome out-of-the-box, non-linear, and/or interdisciplinary ideas. You may wonder, “If I submit my idea, what will happen?” Submissions will be considered for discussion at a public, virtual National Academies’ workshop on April 10-11, 2024.”
“If the Committee finds your submission particularly compelling, it will be discussed at the workshop (and you could be asked to present and discuss your idea[s] there).*”
“The workshop will feature two days of interactive brainstorming to foster new research and collaborations and build implementable solutions for a whole-of-society approach to mitigating disinformation and its detrimental effects. Following the event, a workshop proceedings will be published by the National Academies Press.”
Learn more here.
Request for Letters of Support for ProMED Rescue Initiative
The American Veterinary One Health Society is requesting letters of support for an initiative to save ProMED. “The Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED) was launched in 1994 as an Internet-based service to identify unusual health events related to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases and toxins affecting humans, animals, plants and all-natural life in the world. It has been a program activity of the International Society for Infectious Diseases (ISID) since 1999. ProMED is the largest and most dependable publicly available system conducting global reporting of health-related disease outbreaks. Reports are produced and commentary provided by a multidisciplinary global team of subject matter expert (SME) Moderators in a variety of fields including microbiology, parasitology, pathology, epidemiology, entomology, veterinary, environmental health, toxicology, insect/plant diseases and beyond. Historically, ProMED is in operation 24 hours a day, 7days a week to ensure timely reporting in every time zone. Tragically, the ProMED program now finds itself in grave financial troubles.”
Learn more and submit letters using the instructions here.
Call for Papers: Nuclear Threats
“Divergent Options is calling for national security papers assessing situations or discussing options related to Nuclear Threats.”
“For the purpose of this Call for Papers, a nuclear threat could range from traditional nuclear bombs and missiles to conventional explosives combined with radioactive material aka a Dirty Bomb. The context could also range from nation states to non-state actors.”
“Please limit your article to 1,000 words and write using our Options Paper or Assessment Paper templates which are designed for ease of use by both writers and readers alike.”
“Divergent Options is a non-politically aligned non-revenue generating national security website that, in 1,000 words or less, provides unbiased, dispassionate, candid articles that assess a national security situation, present multiple options to address the situation, and articulate the risk and gain of each option. Please note that while we assess a national security situation and may provide options, we never recommend a specific option.”
Learn more here.
The Pandora Report 