Welcome to this week’s Pandora Report! This issue highlights a new proposal to modernize U.S. biosecurity governance, the continued global spread of H5N1 avian influenza and New World screwworm, the escalating Ebola outbreak in the DRC, and upcoming events and opportunities focused on biosecurity, One Health, pandemic preparedness, and emerging biotechnology.
FAS Proposes Overhaul of U.S. Biosecurity Governance Towards Adaptive Frameworks
A new briefing paper from the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), authored by Sam Weiss Evans, argues that the United States’ fragmented biosecurity governance system is ill-equipped to address emerging risks posed by biotechnology and calls for a fundamental shift from reactive, piecemeal oversight to a centralized, adaptive governance model. The paper contends that existing authorities are dispersed across multiple agencies, creating regulatory gaps as advances in areas such as AI-enabled biology, gene synthesis, and cloud laboratories outpace current policies. To modernize biosecurity, the author outlines seven design requirements for a new institutional framework, including proactive and multi-sectoral risk identification, oversight spanning the full innovation lifecycle, the ability to develop and test new governing tools, and continuous adaptation as technologies evolve.
Bird Flu and New World Screwworm: A Week in Review
By Margeaux Malone, Pandora Report Associate Editor
H5N1 avian influenza has once again expanded into new territory. New Zealand confirmed its first case this week after a migratory seabird found near Wellington tested positive. Fortunately, officials have found no evidence of poultry infections, mass wildlife mortality, or transmission between wild birds within the country. Nevertheless, health officials have started a vaccination program for 300 core breeding birds from five endangered species, including the flightless takahe and kakapo. The vaccine was trialed last year with no adverse side effects, but it is uncertain how effective it was given that those birds had not been exposed to the virus. “We are incredibly worried about New Zealand’s biodiversity because our birds have never had to deal with anything like this before,” said Brett Gartrell, professor of wildlife health at Massey University.
Meanwhile, multiple human H5N1 bird flu cases were reported in Asia. Cambodia reported its 5th human H5N1 case of 2026, a 9-month-old girl from Phnom Penh confirmed positive on July 9. No source of exposure has been identified yet. This brings Cambodia’s total to 39 cases since a 2023 reemergence of the older 2.3.2.1e clade. Bangladesh confirmed its 3rd H5N1 case of the year in a child from Sylhet Division.
As New World screwworm continues to spread, officials warn that feral hogs could carry the parasite into Oklahoma. So far, Texas has not reported any screwworm cases in wildlife, though this may be due to the challenge of monitoring non-domestic animals. Feral swine pose a unique risk because they roam widely, are difficult to track, and often develop injuries from fighting that would attract infestations. Screwworm control in these animals would be extremely difficult as infested animals could not be medicated. Though the wild populations are a problem, state veterinarian Dr. Rod Hall said the most immediate threat is currently illegal interstate transport of hogs, a felony in Oklahoma. Officials are coordinating with hunters, wildlife rehabilitators, and commercial hunting operations to expand surveillance. Ranchers and the public are urged to report animals with unusual wounds or maggots immediately.
Further Reading:
- “New World Screwworm: Entomologist Q&A Separates Fact From Fear,” Entomology Today
- “Cattle, egg-laying poultry in Utah hit with H5N1 avian flu,” Stephanie Soucheray, CIDRAP
- “Can your cat give you bird flu? What experts say about human risk and the likelihood that bird flu will cause a pandemic,” Dr. Michelle Dally, UCHealth
IN OTHER NEWS
Foodborne Disease & Public Health
- “CDC Stopped Monitoring Parasite Now Causing Explosive Diarrhea Across The Country,” Ryan Grenoble, HuffPost
- “Why we don’t know what food is spreading the parasite sickening thousands,” Lena H. Sun, WP
Ebola Outbreak Response
- “WHO says it has less than half the funding needed to fight Ebola,” Reuters
- “Africa CDC calls for more protection for health workers as deadly Ebola outbreak shows no sign of slowing,” Stephanie Soucheray, CIDRAP
- “US to block citizens in Congo from immediate travel home, citing Ebola,” Trevor Hunnicutt, Reuters
- “Congo’s Ebola Outbreak Spreads to Two More Provinces,” Reuters and U.S. News
- “First patients enrolled in record-breaking Ebola treatment trial in DRC,” Kat Lay, The Guardian
- “Africa CDC and SIMBA integrate Biological Security into the Response to the Bundibugyo virus disease (BVD) Outbreak,” Africa CDC
Global Health Policy and Governance
- “The Human Cost of DOGE’s War on U.S.A.I.D.,” David Remnick, The New Yorker
- “U.S. researchers outraged at proposed changes to federal grants,” Jeffrey Mervis, Science
- “Nominee for key federal health role has a history of questioning vaccines,” Chelsea Cirruzzo, StatNews
- “Trump CDC nominee sidesteps questions on standing up to Kennedy on vaccines,” Ahmed Aboulenein, Reuters
- “Inside RFK Jr.’s push to dismantle decades of U.S. vaccine policy,” Yasmeen Abutaleb, Dan Levine and Bo Erickson, Reuters
Emerging Biotechnology, AI, and Synthetic Biology
- “Lab-Leak Payback Has Begun,” Daniel Engber, The Atlantic
- “Governing the code of life: Key takeaways from the EBRC – IISc workshop on nucleic acid synthesis governance,” Tanya Sarawagi and Suryesh Kumar Namdeo, IndiaBioscience
- “Mirror Image Biology: Pushing the Envelope in Designing Biological Systems: Proceedings of a Workshop,” National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
- “The Risks and Benefits of Synthetic Cells: Q&A with Peter Carr,” Sara Frueh, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
- “Global Biorisk Research Agenda: Strengthening Laboratory Safety through Development of a Research Agenda for Science-Based Biorisk Management,” Deloitte Consulting, LLP
- “AI Safety Index,” Future of Life Institute
- “Preliminary Report of the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI,” United Nations
- “State of AI Safety in China,” Concordia AI
- “How Terrorist Groups Are Using A.I. to Gain an Edge in Battle,” Dustin Volz and Eric Schmitt, NY Times
- “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Terrorism,” Daniel Byman and V.S. Subrahmanian, CSIS
- “Pentagon Taps San Antonio’s Texas Biomed For Front-Line Biodefense Push,” Susan O’Brien, Hoodline
NEW: Strategic Preparedness Exchange and Archive Repository (SPEAR) and Practical Preparedness Solutions – A Webinar
From Shield Initiative: “The SHIELD Initiative invites you to a dynamic webinar introducing SPEAR, the Strategic Preparedness Exchange and Archive Repository. This new, user-friendly platform is designed to make preparedness and response resources accessible to frontline preparedness practitioners across public health, health care, and emergency management.”
This virtual event will take place on July 21 from 3:00–4:00 PM ET. Learn more and register here.
NEW: Bagels & Biotech: Synthetic Cells
Join the National Academy of Medicine and science, technology, and policy professionals from the Washington, DC region for breakfast and conversations as we explore how breakthroughs in synthetic cell systems could transform biomedical and health applications, including therapeutics, diagnostics, regenerative medicine, and distributed biomanufacturing.
This event will take place on July 22 from 8:30-10:30 AM ET at The Keck Center in Washington, DC. Learn more and register here.
NEW: The Global One Health Movement: Why Social Scientists are Critical to Making One Health Thinking, Acting, and Decision-Making the Default for Humankind – a Webinar
From the One Health Commission: “As global health challenges become increasingly interconnected, the integration of social sciences into the One Health approach is more important than ever. In this inspiring session, Dr. Stroud will discuss how social scientists contribute to making One Health thinking, collaboration, and evidence-based decision-making the global standard. The webinar will also explore innovative approaches to addressing food safety, food security, public health, animal health, environmental sustainability, and other complex challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration.”
This virtual event will take place on July 22 at 11:00 AM ET (5:00 PM CET). Learn more and register here.
The 100 Days Mission and the Future of Vaccine Readiness – Webinar
From the Pandemic Center Biosecurity Game Changers Fellows: “Convened and moderated by and intended for early-to-mid-career professionals, the Game Changers Seminar Series shines a spotlight on major challenges that will confront the next generation of biosecurity leaders and explores impactful next steps that can be taken to lean forward faster to prevent biological crises.
This seminar will explore the future of vaccine readiness through the lens of the 100 Days Mission. The discussion will examine the scientific, policy, financing, and implementation requirements to achieving this goal, drawing on lessons from the recent Ebola and Hantavirus outbreaks to inform future pandemic preparedness.”
This webinar will take place on July 17 at 11:00 AM ET. 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 July 21, July 28, and September 23. Learn more and register here.
Tracking Health Security Progress and Building Resilience in Africa – A Webinar
From the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI): “The world is shifting from a period of urgent health actions to one of vast growing neglect, even as biological threats continue to rise. Against this backdrop, the 2026 Africa Health Security Index shows great progress has been made across the continent – but substantial gaps remain.
Join NTI, the Brown University Pandemic Center, Economist Enterprise, and the Science for Africa Foundation for a discussion of the findings and recommendations of the 2026 Africa Health Security (AHS) Index, an independent assessment of health security capacities in Africa.
This webinar will convene global experts and policymakers to discuss how the AHS Index can shape policy decision-making and drive meaningful action to strengthen health security capacities and improve preparedness for future epidemics and pandemics.”
This virtual event will take place on July 29 from 8:30 AM-10:00 AM ET (3:30-5:00 PM EAT). Learn more and register here.
Preparing for a Future of AI-Enabled Biology – A Workshop
From the National Academy of Medicine (NAM): “Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the life sciences, including how researchers study biology, develop vaccines and treatments, and detect disease outbreaks. While these advances could improve public health and preparedness, they also raise important questions about safety, security, and the possibility of misuse.”
This event will take place on August 11-12. Learn more and register here.
Ninth Session of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention
From the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA): “We will convene the Ninth Session of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). Chaired by Ambassador Frederico S. Duque Estrada Meyer of Brazil, the meeting will bring together State Parties, international organizations, academic institutions, and civil society representatives to continue discussions on strengthening the Convention and advancing efforts to address biological threats. Public sessions will be webcast through UN Web TV, and side events are expected throughout the week.
This event will take place from August 17-21 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Learn more and register by July 31st here.
Biosecurity Simulation Exercise (BSX 2026): Laboratory Incidents & Deliberate Biothreats
From the Asia Centre for Health Security: “This table-top simulation exercise aims to enhance inter-sectoral and inter-disciplinary preparedness for laboratory biosafety and biosecurity (LBB) and deliberate biothreat events (DBE). Through lectures, discussions, and structured, scenario-driven exercises, participants will explore decision-making to detect, risk-assess, and manage high-consequence biological incidents under conditions of incomplete information and unfolding events. Participants will collaborate in teams, building on expert perspectives to address issues in surveillance, diagnostics, public health response, security assessment, and risk communication.”
This in-person event will take place from August 27-28. 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.
NEW: WHO Internship Programme
From WHO: “A competent and dynamic health workforce at the heart of each health system is essential to advance global health goals. Countries need a pool of health professionals trained and exposed to the systems and processes in the health sector and who understand how stakeholders interact within the international health arena. WHO’s Internship Programme offers a wide range of opportunities for students and recent graduates to gain insight into the technical and administrative programmes of WHO and enrich their knowledge and experience in various areas, thereby contributing to the advancement of public health.”
Learn more and apply here.
NEW: OpenAI Bio Bug Bounty Program
From OpenAI: “As part of our ongoing efforts to strengthen our safeguards for advanced AI capabilities in biology, we’re evolving our GPT‑5.5 Bio Bug Bounty to become an ongoing private program—the OpenAI Bio Bounty Program. The program will remain focused on universal jailbreaks that can defeat our predefined biosafety challenge against OpenAI’s frontier models, starting with GPT‑5.6 and going forward. The reward for a universal jailbreak for the OpenAI Bio Bounty Program has been raised from $25,000 to $50,000 for both GPT‑5.6 and GPT‑5.5. Smaller awards may be granted for partial wins at our discretion.”
Learn more and submit your application here.
NEW: Disarmament and non-proliferation of WMD – Training Program
From Asser Institute and OPCW: “By 2026, pressure on the international arms control system has reached a point few experts anticipated would arrive so quickly, driven largely by intense geopolitical fragmentation. There is a critical need for professionals who possess the legal, technical, and diplomatic expertise to navigate these modern complexities. This intensive five-day training provides a comprehensive, practical overview of the international non-proliferation and disarmament framework.”
This program will take place from October 26-30 in The Hague, the Netherlands. Learn more and register here.
Senior Fellow and Director, The Technology and Global Security Program – Job Opening
From The Henry L. Stimson Center: “The Henry L. Stimson Center, an award-winning foreign policy think tank, seeks a highly motivated individual to serve as Senior Fellow and Director of its newly established Technology and Global Security Program. The Program will work on the security implications of a broad range of emerging and converging technologies, including quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, biotechnology, additive manufacturing, uncrewed systems, distributed ledger technologies, nuclear technologies, and other innovations reshaping the international security landscape.”
Learn more and submit your application here.
The Pandora Report 