Welcome to this week’s Pandora Report! This issue highlights Syria’s ongoing chemical weapons legacy; Biodefense alumna Saskia Popescu and her work in global health security; emerging infectious disease threats, including H5N1 in Australian mammals and New World screwworm in Mexico; and the evolving landscape of AI-enabled biology and biosafety regulations.
Join the Chemical Weapons Convention Coalition and Arms Control Association for a virtual briefing, “Syria’s Chemical Weapons Legacy: Current Issues and Challenges,” on September 16 at 11:00 AM-12:30 PM ET. The event will examine Syria’s ongoing efforts to address the chemical weapons legacy of the Assad regime.
Schar School Highlights Biodefense Alumna Saskia Popescu
The Schar School of Policy and Government profiled Dr. Saskia Popescu, 2019 Biodefense PhD alumna and current adjunct professor, highlighting her work in global health security, biosecurity policy, and outbreak preparedness. Popescu currently serves as CEO of the Global Health Security Network (GHSN), an Australian-based NGO dedicated to the detection, prevention, and control of infectious disease threats, and recently led the 4th Global Health Security Conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which brought together more than 1,300 participants from 88 countries around the world. She continues to research biosecurity and resilience while teaching in the Schar School’s Biodefense program. Read the full profile here.
Bird Flu Reaches Australian Mammals
By Margeaux Malone, Pandora Report Associate Editor
Australia’s H5N1 avian influenza outbreak has hit a new milestone as mammalian cases have been confirmed. A long-nosed fur seal was found dead on South Australia’s coast last week, marking the nation’s first mammalian case. The animal had no visible injuries and did not appear to be associated with other sick or dead marine mammals. Seals are especially vulnerable to avian influenza because they share coastal habitat closely with wild birds. Only days later, a red fox in suburban Adelaide became the first suspected case in a terrestrial mammal, likely infected after scavenging a sick bird. University of Sydney veterinary public health expert Michael Ward warned foxes could serve as a “bridge species,” potentially carrying the virus far inland to livestock like sheep. Australia’s red fox population is estimated at 1.7 million animals across 80% of the continent. More than 300 infection events have now been confirmed nationwide since the virus arrived in June, including deaths among ravens, penguins, terns, and gulls. Authorities are urging residents to leash dogs and keep cats indoors, while conservation sites like Cleland Wildlife Park begin vaccinating native birds. Fortunately, the virus has not reached Australia’s commercial poultry industry.
U.S.-Mexico Cattle Trade Resumes Despite Screwworm Concerns
The U.S. reopened its border to Mexican cattle this week, ending a year-long ban imposed due to concern for the spread of New World screwworm. Nearly 700 cattle crossed into Douglas, Arizona, on Monday, following a rigorous inspection procedure which includes RFID tagging and screening by specially trained screwworm-sniffing dogs. USDA chief veterinary officer Alan Huddleston called it a proof-of-concept protocol that could expand to more border crossings if successful. The reopening came just days after Sonora, the exporting state, reported its first screwworm case, though officials maintain the cattle pose no risk. Import volumes will scale gradually from 700 to 1,300 cattle daily. The ban previously pushed U.S. beef prices to record highs while forcing Mexican ranchers to sell domestically at steep discounts. Mexico currently has nearly 2,000 active screwworm cases nationwide, less than half of the infections reported a year ago, which authorities say shows progress in containing the outbreak.
Further Reading:
- “Avian Flu Variant Spread Months Before Detection, Study Reveals,” Global Biodefense
- “How do you vaccinate 1,000 tiny penguins against bird flu in the wild? It’s ‘really tricky’ but there is a way,” Petra Stock, The Guardian
- “Concerns about the New World screwworm have put Texas pet adoptions on hold,” Joan Hanna, Associated Press
Biodefense PhD Alum Chris Quillen Signs Book Deal
Dr. Chris Quillen, Biodefense PhD ’25, has signed a book contract with Routledge Taylor & Francis Group and its Contemporary Terrorism Series to publish his dissertation as The Critical Role of Scientists in Chemical and Biological Terrorism. His thesis argues that scientific personnel are the driving force behind terrorist efforts to develop chemical and biological weapons (CBW) rather than the leaders of terrorist groups. Although terrorist leaders may provide strategic vision, scientists often propose the idea of CBW programs to advance their own position within their groups. Once such programs begin, scientists—not leaders—select which CBW agents to pursue based on what they believe they can achieve, decide how best to pursue them based on what they know, and ultimately determine whether the effort succeeds or fails. Leaders play only a small part in these decisions. As a result, our current focus on targeting terrorist leaders is mistaken. Instead, efforts to prevent terrorist acquisition of CBW need to focus first and foremost on targeting the scientific personnel. Rather than treating scientists as non-combatant support personnel, these individuals should be targeted as active combatants like bombmakers and attack planners. The book will be available in 2027.
IN OTHER NEWS
Pandora Preparedness and Global Health Security
- “Fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record threatens to become worst in history,” Rael Ombuor and Rachel Chason, WP
- “After 100 days of the deadliest Ebola outbreak, it can be stopped. Here’s how,” Jean Kaseya and Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, The Guardian
- “Charting Ebola Responses: How 2026 Stacks Up After Aid Cuts,” Stephanie Psaki, Anya Hirschfeld, and Allison Krugman, Think Global Health
- “Countries urged to spend billions more to stop animal diseases spilling into humans,” Financial Times
- “Rare South American Diseases Offer Clues on the Next Pandemic,” Zane Irwin and Lucía Cholakian Herrera, NYTimes
- “Report Release: Realising the 100 Days Mission,” Pandemic Center at Brown University’s School of Public Health, CEPI, and RAND Europe
- “Inside the Global Fight to Keep Polio From Making a Comeback,” Eli Cahan, Yahoo News
- “Five African countries end polio outbreaks,” World Health Organization
AI, Biotechnology, and Biosecurity
- “A roadmap for safeguarding against AI bioweapons,” Caitlin Owens, Axios
- “A Biosafety Agenda for AI-Bio Governance,” GovAI
- “Some Scientists Have ‘Magic Hands’ in the Lab. This A.I. Is Learning Why.” Carl Zimmer, NY Times
- AIxBio Research Hub
- “Biodefense in the Age of “Omni-Use”: Rethinking National Preparedness,” Kiwako Tanaka, Sasakawa Peace Foundation
- “The Case Against Biodeterrence,” Al Mauroni, Substack
- “Leveraging the Federal Select Agent Program to Oversee Nucleic Acids: Volume 1, Analysis of Opportunities to Control Genomes, Genes, and Gene Fragments Through the Federal Select Agent Program’s Authorities,” Matt Sharkey, Anna Jean Wirth, John P. Tarangelo, Derek Roberts, Gerald L. Epstein, and James M. Anderson, RAND
- “Leveraging the Federal Select Agent Program to Oversee Nucleic Acids: Volume 2, Potential Benefits and Burdens, Recommendations, and Implementation Considerations,” Matt Sharkey, Anna Jean Wirth, John P. Tarangelo, Gerald L. Epstein, RAND
- “Get to Know NTI: Jake Jordan,” Alex Kyabarongo and Jake Jordan, NTI
Presidential Advisory Council on Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria (PACCARB)
From the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH): “The 28th PACCARB public meeting will explore how microbiome science can support AMR prevention, drive novel interventions, and build public awareness and understanding of microbiome-focused health measures. The meeting will focus on innovative and emerging topics in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the microbiome.”
This hybrid meeting will take place on September 9-10 from 9:00 AM–5:00 PM ET. Learn more and register here.
Exponential AI and Biotech Growth: Translating Technical to Policy – Workshop
From AI for SynBio: “The continued acceleration of agentic artificial intelligence (AI), Biological Design Tools (BDTs), and Biological AI Models (BAIMs) has transformed the technological landscape, enabling tremendous benefits and potential misuse that could massively impact national security, defense, health, and economy. Mitigating this risk will require collaboration across Government, Industry, and Academia with both technical and policy focuses. Significant effort, especially at the federal level, has been made to raise awareness of this challenge, yet additional discussion is necessary to keep pace with the ever-evolving speed of this global technology.’
This workshop will take place from September 15-17 at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, DC. Learn more and register here.
Data and Situational Awareness for Medical and Public Health Preparedness and Response: A Workshop Series
From the National Academies: “The Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and Emergencies workshop series will explore how medical, public health, emergency management, and critical infrastructure data are collected, integrated, analyzed, and translated into real-time information to support timely, coordinated decision-making before, during, and after disasters and emergencies.”
This workshop series will take place on September 23. Learn more and register here.
International Bio-Responsibility Conference 2027
Organized under the Bio-Responsibility Initiative at the Centre for Society and Policy (CSP), the conference brings together people to advance dialogue, build partnerships, and promote safe, secure, and responsible life science research, development, and innovation. The conference will host experts, policymakers, and practitioners around the world to discuss emerging biological risks and ways to strengthen responsible governance.
The deadline to register is September 30. Learn more and register here.
Training Course on ‘Biotechnology Innovation and Biosecurity’
From the International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) and the Biological Weapons Convention Implementation Support Unit: “This training focuses on strengthening capacities in biosecurity, biosafety, and biological risk management in the context of rapid advances in biotechnology with an integrated, interdisciplinary approach to manage biothreats at the intersection of humans, animals, plants and the environment. It addresses the governance, technical, and operational dimensions of preventing, detecting, and responding to biological threats, while promoting responsible and peaceful scientific research and innovation in accordance with article X of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC).”
This in-person event will be held from October 12-16 in New Delhi, India. Learn more and apply here.
Biomanufacturing for Defense & Security Summit
From Diversified Solutions Incorporated (DSI Groups): “This event will bring together senior thought leaders and stakeholders from across DoW, Military Research Labs, Federal Government, Commercial Industry, & Academia to discuss how each are advancing biomanufacturing to enhance national security objectives, produce critical materials for defense applications, and strengthen the overall U.S. bioindustrial manufacturing base. Biomanufacturing is crucial for U.S. national security because it enables domestic production of critical materials, medicines, and defense supplies, reducing reliance on foreign adversaries, which in turn creates resilient supply chains for the military and economy.”
This event will take place from October 27-28 at the National Harbor, MD. Learn more and register here.
Horizon Fellowship
From Horizon Institute for Public Service: “Through our fellowship, we place fully-funded fellows at host organizations to help tackle policy challenges related to artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and other emerging technologies. Fellows selected for our program receive policy-focused training, mentorship, and support in matching with a host organization for a full-time, fully-funded fellowship based in the Washington, DC area. Fellows join a collaborative, close-knit community of public service-oriented experts. Potential host organizations include executive branch offices, congressional offices, national laboratories, and think tanks.”
Learn more and submit your application here by August 30.
Asia Centre for Health Security (ACHS) Fellowship Programme
From ACHS: “The ACHS Fellowship Programme aims to inspire and connect the next generation of health security leaders and innovators. Launched in 2025 by ACHS, based at the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH), National University of Singapore (NUS), the ACHS Fellowship Programme is a highly competitive, part-time fellowship that provides graduate students and early- to mid-career professionals with an opportunity to deepen their expertise, expand their professional network, and build leadership skills through educational opportunities and project work.”
Learn more and submit your application here by August 31.
The Pandora Report 