Welcome to this week’s Pandora Report! This issue highlights developments in biosecurity, emerging infectious diseases, and global health policy, including advances in chemical weapons destruction efforts, the spread of H5N1 among marine mammals, and new research and governance challenges at the intersection of AI and biotechnology.
Thinking about Getting a Master’s in Biodefense?
The George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government will host an upcoming Master’s in Biodefense information session:
Georgetown to Host Upcoming Biohazardous Threat Agents & Emerging Infectious Disease Simulation in the DMV Area
Georgetown University’s Biohazardous Threat Agents & Emerging Infectious Diseases (BHTA) program will be hosting a full-day science event called “Operation Outbreak: A Live Epidemic Simulation in the DC Metro Area,” on Friday, March 27 from 9 AM to 5 PM EDT, which will include an outbreak simulation, as part of a research study investigating societal resilience in regional outbreak response. The simulation requires 250 students and faculty from the DMV area to take on realistic societal roleplays in sectors including government, public health, healthcare, biomedical research, finance, commerce, media and the general population – to make time-sensitive decisions in outbreak scenarios. Sign up as a participant or as a virtual attendee.
Destruction of Assad-Era Chemical Weapons in Syria Advances
On March 18, 2026, Syria and its partners announced the launch of a new initiative, the Breadth of Freedom Task Force, to coordinate support for Syrian efforts to locate, secure, and safely and verifiably destroy chemical weapons left over from the Assad era. The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has identified 100 sites that need to be inspected given potential links to the former chemical weapons program. As Biodefense Program director Dr. Gregory Koblentz has written, “Chemical weapons that have not been fully and properly accounted for in Syria include 300 metric tons of the blister agent sulfur mustard, tens of tons of precursors for nerve agents such as sarin, and hundreds to thousands of chemical munitions that could be used to deliver these agents.” Syria faces a number of challenges in addressing these issues and bringing the country into compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) including “the secrecy of Assad’s defunct chemical program, the lack of institutional memory, weak national capacities, and the dangers posed by landmines and remnants of war.” The new Task Force, composed of Canada, France, Germany, Qatar, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, the United States, and Syria will solicit and provide contributions to build Syria’s national capacity, in coordination with the OPCW, by delivering training, equipment, and support for chemical weapon verification and destruction operations. The Task Force met in Ankara in February to assess the operational, technical and institutional gaps in Syria’s capacity to implement these operations and structure the support packages to be provided to Syria. For example, Turkiye “has been carrying out humanitarian demining activities in various parts of Syria, contributing to the disposal of unexploded ordnance as well as providing active political, technical and logistical support within the framework of the task force and OPCW-led international efforts.”
H5N1 Outbreak in Mammals at Año Nuevo State Park Continues
By Margeaux Malone, Pandora Report Associate Editor
An ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 at Año Nuevo State Park in San Mateo County, California has now claimed the lives of at least 18 animals, including 16 northern elephant seals, one southern sea otter, and one sea lion, according to officials.
The outbreak, which marks the first confirmed detection of H5N1 in marine mammals in California and the first detection in northern elephant seals, was first identified in late February when researchers observed seals displaying abnormal respiratory and neurological symptoms, including tremors and weakness. Since then, scientists from University of California, Davis (UC Davis), UC Santa Cruz, National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries), and several partner organizations have been conducting ongoing field surveillance and laboratory testing. Christine Johnson, the director of the Institute for Pandemic Insights at UC Davis, cautioned that the confirmed death toll likely undercounts the true impact. “There are likely more animals that we will be updating on in the coming weeks,” she said.
Despite the ongoing concern, experts say there are encouraging signs. Patrick Robinson, Año Nuevo Reserve Director at UC Santa Cruz, noted that thousands of apparently healthy animals remain on the beach, and new cases are appearing at a relatively stable and low rate, averaging roughly two newly dead and two newly symptomatic animals per day. Every year thousands of elephant seals migrate to Año Nuevo to birth and raise their pups before breeding again. Fortunately, almost 80% of the adult female seal population had already migrated away from the park before the outbreak began, which likely reduced the impact of the outbreak. In 2023, Argentina reported catastrophic mortality in southern elephant seals following a confirmed outbreak of HPAI, as well as deaths of thousands of sea lions and other seal species along the Argentine Patagonia coastline.
Public access to seal-viewing areas at the state park remains closed, and guided elephant seal tours have been canceled for the remainder of the season. Health officials are urging visitors to avoid all contact with sick or dead marine mammals and birds, and to keep pets leashed while on the beach. “The risk to the general public remains very low, and there is no evidence of seal-to-human transmission,” said Dr. Catherine Sallenave of San Mateo County. Weekly updates are being provided by the UC Davis Institute for Pandemic Insights as monitoring continues.
Further Reading:
- “Emergence of a novel reassorted high pathogenicity avian influenza A(H5N2) virus associated with severe pneumonia in a young adult,” Joel Armando Vázquez-Pérez, et al. Scientific Reports
- “Georgia declared free of bird flu, but officials warn farmers to remain vigilant,” Dan Raby, CBS News
- “H5N1 avian influenza: Cambodia reports 2nd human case of 2026,” Robert Herriman, Outbreak News Today
In Other News
AI, Emerging Tech, and Biosecurity Risks
- “A Labour of Harm: Artificial Intelligence and Biological Weapons Acquisition,” Alexander Ghionis, Nancy Connell, Tom Hobson, Richard Armitage, and Lalitha Sundaram, SSRN
- “AI companies are hiring chemical weapons experts for safety — while embedded in military systems,” Lachlan Brown, Silicon Canals
- “AI-designed experiments run by robots hint at a new approach to biology,” Deni Ellis Bechard, Edited by Eric Sullivan, Scientific American
- “Brief of the Scientific Advisory Board on: Mirror Life,” United Nations
Chemical and Biological Weapons, Deterrence and Strategic Threats
- “Commemoration of the 1988 Halabja Chemical Weapons Attack,” OPCW
- “A Framework for Biological Weapons Deterrence,” INSS CSWMD
- “Biodeterrence in an Era of Convergent Threats,” James Giordano, INSS
- “The Rising Threat of Bioterrorism: Challenges and Responses for Law Enforcement and First Responders,” Martin Kurzhals, João Simões, and Jasmin Kluge, Police Chief Magazine
- “The PRC Bioweapons Threat: How the PRC Doctrine and Civil-Military Fusion Create Anthrax Bioweapons Risk & How Policymakers Must Pivot to Fix America’s Anthrax Vulnerabilities,” American Biodefense Action Coalition
Biosecurity Governance and Regulatory Gaps
- “Forging a New Paradigm for Biosecurity Governance,” Featuring Sam Weiss Evans, Consortium for Science, Policy and Outcomes at Arizona State University
- “Two Illegal Biolabs Reveal Gaps in U.S. Biosecurity,” Sam Howell, Lawfare
- “We study pandemics, and the resurgence of measles is a grim sign of what’s coming,” The Conversation
U.S. Health Policy and Institutional Politics
- “Federal judge stalls health secretary RFK Jr.’s overhaul of vaccine policy,” Anil Oza, Chelsea Cirruzzo, and Daniel Payne, StatNews
- “White House lifts hold on NIH research spending,” Jocelyn Kaiser, Science
- “NIH chief calms nerves on grants, hiring,” Megan R. Wilson, WP
- “2026 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community,” Office of the Director of National Intelligence
- “U.S. Considers Withholding H.I.V. Aid Unless Zambia Expands Minerals Access,” Stephanie Nolen
NEW: The New Bio Frontier: Creating an Ecosystem for a Healthy and Secure Future
From the Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET): “From CRISPR innovations fueling medical advances to biomanufacturing critical materials to AI-enabled tools unlocking new discoveries at the forefront of health science, biotechnology sits at the center for the next generation of U.S. innovation. Building robust innovation hubs and supporting the field’s foundational infrastructure will fuel U.S. global competitiveness and security.
Join us for a fireside chat with IQT’s Vice President of Technology, Dr. Jessica Dymond, to discuss the current state of emerging biotechnology, the promises it holds, and the steps that policymakers, investors, and practitioners can take to build a robust biotechnology sector.”
This event will be held in-person at Georgetown University’s Capital Campus, 500 First Street NW, Room 900, on Wednesday, March 25, 3:00 – 4:00 PM ET. Learn more and register here.
NEW: Game Changers: Cures for 21st Century Biological Threats
From the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense at the Atlantic Council: “The Commission will host its latest meeting, focused on assessing strategies for strengthening biodefense science and technology. They will conceptualize the successes of and challenges facing biodefense technology innovators in an ever-changing threat environment.
Biotechnology has accelerated at a rapid pace, driven in part by federal investment and policy. Advances in biological sciences create new opportunities for addressing biological events, and the public and private sectors at all levels have a role to play in bolstering these efforts. This meeting of the Commission will discuss the biological threat to food and agriculture, and the international perspective on the threat. The discussions will also touch upon the state of biotechnology innovation and federal regulation, research and development activities.”
This event will be hybrid (in-person and online) and will be held on Friday, April 10, at 9:00 AM ET. Learn more and register here.
Prioritizing Biological Risks: The Case for AMR
From Effective Altruism Austria: “Biological threats represent some of the most pressing global risks of our time, yet they remain significantly under-prioritized compared to their potential impact. In this talk, participants will learn 1) What biosecurity encompasses and why it should be a priority within the EA community; 2) How antimicrobial resistance (AMR) fits into the broader biosecurity landscape and why it deserves special attention; and 3) Why AMR represents a “silent pandemic” with massive intervention opportunities when analyzed through EA frameworks of importance, neglectedness, and tractability, plus how it connects with other cause areas like global health and development.”
This event will be held virtually on Tuesday, March 24, 1:30 – 3:00 PM ET. Learn more and register here.
CBRNe Convergence Canada 2026
CBRNe World is hosting its fourth CBRNe Convergence Canada event this year in Toronto! This event will focus on a range of topical issues, including responding to potential CBRN incidents in the High North, response to terrorist attacks at major sporting events, and presentations on Canadian response capabilities, and the largest CBRN/Hazmat exhibition in Canada.
This event will take place April 13-15 at the Double Tree by Hilton Hotel, Toronto Downtown. Learn more here, and stay tuned for forthcoming information about CBRNe Convergence this November in Knoxville, TN!
International Conference CBRNe Research & Innovation
From CBRNE: “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. The CBRNE Research & Innovation Conference includes workshops and demonstrations of innovative materials, technologies and procedures, according to the following themes: Detection (identification), Protection (decontamination, medical countermeasures), and risk & crisis management.
This event will take place in Arcachon, France, from May 19 – 21, 2026. Learn more and RSVP here.
GHS 2026
From GHS: “We’re excited to officially announce that the 4th Global Health Security Conference (GHS2026) will be held in Kuala Lumpur on the 9 – 12 June, 2026!”
“Building on the incredible momentum of GHS2024 in Sydney, we look forward to bringing together the global health security community once again – this time in one of Southeast Asia’s most vibrant and dynamic cities.”
“Registration and Call for Abstracts are now live!”
Learn more, submit abstracts, and register here.
NEW: Bio-Leadership Summit (BLISS) – Submit your Nominations
From the Hoover Institution: “Bio-Strategies & Leadership at the Hoover Institution will convene ~300 action-oriented leaders at Stanford for the inaugural Bio Leadership Summit, a one-day event designed to elevate biotechnology culturally and politically, and to speak frankly regarding what biotech leadership looks like across the most important domains of strategic impact. We are looking for leaders—up and coming or established, with or without a biotechnology background—who have a track record of turning ideas into outcomes to participate.”
The summit will occur on April 14. Learn more and submit your nominations here.
NEW: Council on Strategic Risks Mid-Career Biodefense Bootcamp Fellowship – Call for Applications
From CSR: “The Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) is announcing an open call for applications for our 2026 Mid-Career Biodefense Bootcamp, a unique fellowship opportunity that we will host in the United States.
Whether arising naturally, by accident, or through a deliberate effort to weaponize infectious diseases, biological threats pose grave risks to international security and stability. This is a highly dynamic time for biological risks, as we are witnessing an incredible pace of technological change against the backdrop of a shifting, dangerous global security landscape. Biological risks are as concerning as ever—and we are entering a new era in terms of the tools and approaches available to mitigate them. Informed by the unique experiences of its staff and years of collaboration across its expert networks, CSR’s work related to biological threats ties to a bold vision: making biological weapons the first category of weapons of mass destruction to be rendered obsolete in terms of their mass-destruction potential; and preventing any future infectious disease outbreaks from reaching pandemic scale. To achieve this goal, CSR is continuing to develop and cultivate creative solutions to address biological threats, including ways countries can effectively prepare for them.”
Applications are due on April 24. Learn more and apply here.
NEW: Bio-attribution Challenge
From DARPA: “Translate your bio-attribution research into national security impact. In an era of unprecedented biological data generation, the ability to rapidly determine the origin of a biological event — whether natural, accidental, or intentional — is a critical component of national security and public health. To meet the challenge of finding the “needle in a haystack” within this data deluge, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has launched the Bio-Attribution Challenge.
This virtual competition calls on innovators to develop a new generation of tools capable of analyzing petabyte-scale datasets in near real-time, far exceeding the capacity of current systems. The goal is to revolutionize how we identify and trace the source of biological sequences, ensuring a faster, more effective response to potential threats. Register for virtual competition to win a share of $180,000 in Prizes.”
The deadline to register is June 15. Learn more and register here.
Bio-Responsibility Future Leaders Programme from the Indian Institute of Science
From the Centre for Society and Policy: “The Bio-responsibility Future Leaders Programme (BFLP) is a year-long, part-time training programme focused on building the future leaders to promote safe, secure and responsible research and innovation in life sciences in India. The programme is run by the Centre for Society and Policy, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. The programme will strive to create national capacity at the intersection of life sciences, security, and policy by training and supporting emerging leaders through interactive workshops, seminars, and high-level policy roundtable discussions.”
The application to apply is March 22. Learn more and submit your application here.
Institute for Science and International Security Hosts Two-Day Course on Nuclear Non-Proliferation at George Mason University!
From ISIS: “The Institute for Science and International Security, a non-partisan NGO based in Washington D.C., focused on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, is bringing its free technical course on nuclear weapons and their proliferation to the GMU. David Albright and Sarah Burkhard will provide a solid foundation of the scientific and technical aspects of nuclear weapons, including the key facets of developing nuclear weapons, including fissile material production – uranium enrichment, plutonium production and separation – and nuclear weaponization and delivery. It will include how we have learned about secret nuclear weapons programs in Iran, Pakistan, North Korea, South Africa, and other countries.
The course will be taught in two half-day sessions, March 31st and April 6th, at George Mason University, Van Metre Hall, Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA. Attendees will receive a certificate of attendance. The course is free, but registration is required by sending an email with your full name and affiliation to bitaraf@isis-online.org.”
ICGEB Fellowships for Scientists in Biosecurity
From the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology: “With the co-funding of the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation through the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), BWC ISU, the ICGEB offers early-career scientists from OECD/DAC countries a fellowship at ICGEB laboratories in Italy, India, South Africa and at the ICGEB Regional Research Centre in China, to receive hands on training in life sciences and detection and response to biological threats.”
The closing date for applications is March 31, 23:59 CET. Learn more and apply here.
9th World One Health Congress – Calls for Abstracts
From Global One Health Community: “The One Health Congress invites abstracts, session concept notes, and workshop proposals addressing innovative research, policy, and practice across human-animal-plant-environment interfaces. Submissions are welcomed under the following themes: 1) Climate change, environment, and ecosystems health; 2) Biodiversity, wildlife, and pathogen interfaces; 3) Food systems, agriculture, and plant health; 4) Pathogens, microbiome, and intervention strategies; 5) Antimicrobial resistance (AMR); 6) Data, technology and innovative analytics; 7) Knowledge, education and communities; 8) Governance, policy and legal frameworks, 9) One Health implementation and financing; 10) Preparedness, resilience and economic evaluation; 11) Biosecurity, biosafety and global health security; 12) The critical role of the private sector in One Health policy.
Learn more and submit here.
The Pandora Report 