Tag: he jiankui

Pandora Report 4.5.2024

by dkellogg97, posted in Pandora Report

This week’s edition of the Pandora Report covers the United States’ second case of H5N1 in a human, HHS’ efforts to improve its cybersecurity resources and guidance for the healthcare sector, He Jiankui’s latest work, and more.

Texas Reports First Human Case of Avian Influenza

The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) reported this week a human case of avian influenza a (H5N1), the second human case in the United States. The patient’s only symptom was eye inflammation, and they were tested late last week for influenza. CDC confirmatory testing was conducted over the weekend and the patient is now being treated with oseltamivir. Texas DSHS emphasized in its statement that the risk to the general public remains low, and cattle infections do not present a concern for the commercial milk supply. DSHS has issued a health alert that requests healthcare providers around affected facilities remain vigilant for possible human H5N1 cases.

The Texas Animal Health Commission announced the first cases of H5N1 in Texas Panhandle dairy cattle last month. The DSHS announcement explains that “DSHS is working with TAHC, CDC and other state and federal health agencies to investigate the human and animal cases and understand how the virus is spreading in order to protect livestock and people who work with it…DSHS is providing guidance to affected dairies about how to minimize workers’ exposure and how people who work with affected cattle can monitor for flu-like symptoms and get tested. Illnesses in people with H5N1 flu infections have ranged from mild, such as eye infection and upper respiratory symptoms, to severe, such as pneumonia and death.”

While there was a lull in spread between birds from 2016 to 2022, the recent spread from animal to animal and animal to human is concerning because there is an increased chance the virus will mutate to spread efficiently among humans. Since 2022, the US has been in its longest and largest outbreak that has spread from wild birds to domestic ones and mammals. While this is unsettling, there have yet to be key indicators that the general public is at risk.

USDA: Detections of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in Mammals

HHS Aims to Create “One-Stop Shop” for Cyber

In the aftermath of the ransomware attack on Change Healthcare, part of UnitedHealth, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced that it is working to improve its healthcare cybersecurity resources and programs. In a March 29 webinar, Biodefense PhD Program alumnus Brian Mazanec, the current Deputy Director of HHS’ Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), discussed these efforts, saying “We’re really establishing ASPR as that one-stop shop to manage this information sharing across the department, with our partners in industry, with the interagency.”

Read more about HHS’ role in healthcare cybersecurity risk management and ASPR’s efforts to improve in this area in this Federal News Network piece.

He Jiankui Out of Jail and Back in Lab

He Jiankui, a Chinese biophysicist known for creating the first gene-edited embryos in 2018, was released from prison in 2022, having served three years for his unauthorized work. He began trying to make a comeback last year, this time focused primarily on researching Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a currently uncurable genetic disease. Alongside his conviction, the Chinese government placed restrictions on He’s future work, banning him from doing anything “related to assisted human reproductive technology” while also limiting his work related to human genes.

He recently was interviewed by The Mainichi, during which he discussed his current work. As the paper explains, “After his release, he reportedly established three laboratories in China, including in Beijing and Wuhan, and resumed his research. “We will use discarded human embryos and comply with both domestic and international rules,” he explained, denying any current intent to produce more genome-edited babies.”

He continues to defend his infamous human embryo experiments, saying of the children that came from his 2018 work, “The results of analyzing their (the children’s) entire gene sequences show that there were no modifications to the genes other than for the medical objective, providing evidence that genome editing was safe. I’m proud to have helped families who wanted healthy children.”

He told the paper that he believes society will “eventually accept” human embryo gene editing “in the quest to find treatments for genetic diseases.”

Read about He’s initial controversy and the Chinese government’s handling of it in this article from Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley and Kathleen M. Vogel.

“Exploring List-Based Approaches and Potential Threat Agnostic Applications in US Biodefense and Public Health – Toward a Hybrid Approach”

Yong-Bee Lim and Saskia Popescu, both alumni of the Biodefense PhD Program, recently published this article in Health Security. In it, they discuss the shortcomings of list-based approaches to prioritizing biological threats and challenges to leveraging threat agnostic approaches to these threats. They discuss these hurdles and how they might be overcome, writing in their conclusion “Threat agnostic strategies have the potential to address key vulnerabilities in current efforts and increasingly complex biological threats, but it is critical they are seen as complementary to pathogen-specific programs rather than replacements in order to successfully integrate, implement, and unlock threat agnostic activities to the best extent possible.”

“Emerging Technology and Risk Analysis: Artificial Intelligence and Critical Infrastructure”

Biodefense PhD alumnus and Schar School adjunct Daniel M. Gerstein recently co-authored this RAND Corporation research report with Erin N. Leidy: “This report is one in a series of analyses on the effects of emerging technologies on U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) missions and capabilities. As part of this research, the authors were charged with developing a technology and risk assessment methodology for evaluating emerging technologies and understanding their implications within a homeland security context. The methodology and analyses provide a basis for DHS to better understand the emerging technologies and the risks they present.”

“This report focuses on artificial intelligence (AI), especially as it relates to critical infrastructure. The authors draw on the literature about smart cities and consider four attributes in assessing the technology: technology availability and risks and scenarios (which the authors divided into threat, vulnerability, and consequence). The risks and scenarios considered in this analysis pertain to AI use affecting critical infrastructure. The use cases could be either for monitoring and controlling critical infrastructure or for adversaries employing AI for use in illicit activities and nefarious acts directed at critical infrastructure. The risks and scenarios were provided by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate and the DHS Office of Policy. The authors compared these four attributes across three periods: short term (up to three years), medium term (three to five years), and long term (five to ten years) to assess the availability of and risks associated with AI-enabled critical infrastructure.”

“Inside Pentagon’s Shaky Efforts to Combat Russian Disinformation”

Bloomberg’s Jason Leopold discusses DTRA’s struggles to combat Russian disinformation targeting its work in Ukraine in recent years in this FOIA Files piece. He writes in part, “That’s what I found in the trove of acronym-heavy documents that I obtained from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, also referred to as DTRA, the division that was singled out by Russia and accused of operating biowarfare labs in Ukraine. I filed a FOIA request with DTRA and asked for emails, memos, letters, reports, talking points – pretty much everything – to find out what happens when a government agency becomes the target of a disinformation campaign by a foreign adversary.”

“Report on New Security Challenges”
This new report from the State Department’s International Security Advisory Board identifies several new security challenges, including the emergence and spread of human, animal, and plant diseases. The report explains in part “Climate disruptions are likely to affect the frequency and severity of biological events, as changing rainfall patterns and temperatures shift the ranges of insects capable of transmitting diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, and lead to the growth and persistence of water and foodborne pathogens with the potential to cause outbreaks. In parallel, resource scarcity helps drive changing land use patterns and habitat alterations, creating new opportunities for the “spillover” of zoonotic diseases from wild animal populations to humans and their domesticated and companion animals. Once an infection occurs, the dynamic and complex flow of travel and trade can allow biological threats to spread rapidly within densely populated urban areas and across international borders, especially where weak governance and inadequate infrastructure complicate public health surveillance and response. Fear and uncertainty during infectious disease outbreaks can be exploited through the spread of disinformation and misinformation to undermine public trust in governments, institutions, and technical authorities.”

“Annotation of Functions of Sequences of Concern and Its Relevance to the New Biosecurity Regulatory Framework in the United States”

Gene D. Godbold and Matthew B. Scholz recently published this article in Applied Biosafety: “Introduction: Recent regulations from United States Government agencies reshape the screening of synthetic nucleic acids. These take a step away from categorizing hazard on the basis of “bad” taxa and invoke the function of the sequence in pathogenesis or intoxication. Ascertaining functions related to pathogenesis and distinguishing these from other molecular abilities that are unproblematic is not simple. Some have suggested that this information can be readily obtained from existing databases of pathogens.”

“Objectives: We evaluate how virulence factors are described in current databases of pathogens and their adequacy for biothreat data science. We discuss limitations of how virulence factors have been conceived and propose using the sequence of concern (SoC) term to distinguish sequences with biothreat from those without. We discuss ways in which databases of SoCs might be implemented for research and regulatory purposes. We describe ongoing work improving functional descriptions of SoCs.”

“Methods: We assess the adequacy of descriptions of virulence factors in pathogen databases following extensive engagement with the literature in microbial pathogenesis.”

“Results/Conclusions: Descriptions of virulence factors in pathogen databases are inadequate for understanding biothreats. Many are not biothreats and would not be concerning if transferred to another pathogen. New gene ontology terms have been authored, and those specific to pathogenic viral processes are being generalized to make them relevant to other pathogenic taxa. This allows better understanding by humans and better recognition by machines. A database of annotated functions of SoCs could benefit the evolving biosecurity regulatory framework in the United States.”

“Mapping America’s Biosurveillance”

Arielle D’Souza and Janika Schmitt recently created this tool for IFP that offers a comprehensive map to monitor which US federal government entities monitor biological threats. They explain in their discussion of the map that “Although the U.S. had invested ~$700M in pathogen early warning in 2019 across different federal bodies, the COVID-19 pandemic caught us off guard. It wasn’t until well into the pandemic that reliable data on infection levels across the country became available.”

“Today, biosurveillance and early warning in the federal government remain fragmented across jurisdictions. We’ve created a comprehensive visual map of the entities that monitor biological threats across the U.S. federal government. The map is a tool to understand the fragmented landscape of federal biosurveillance and early warning efforts.”

“As the map makes clear, surveillance is distributed across a wide range of federal bodies, including key players like the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), but also lesser-known efforts within the Department of Energy, the Postal Service, and Fish and Wildlife. Efforts are often siloed, leading to gaps, duplication, and uncoordinated response strategies. New stakeholders like the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) are expected to become part of this ecosystem, further increasing the need for coordination.”

“Biotech Matters: Great Data Competition and Interoperability with Allies and Partners”

Michelle Holko recently published this piece with CNAS, writing in her introduction “In the U.S.-China competition over biotechnology, America’s most powerful asset with untapped potential is data. Data are the foundation of discovery; data of adequate size, type, and diversity are necessary to realize the potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), and to support the growing bioeconomy.1 In a world where natural resources are dwindling and current agricultural practices are at risk, using biotechnology to do things such as develop crops that can survive in a changing environment, and to make things that cannot otherwise be manufactured, will soon be essential for survival.2 Understanding and strengthening America’s biotechnology leadership requires exploring the limits of existing data relevant to the U.S. bioeconomy so that policymakers and the biotechnology community can promote data policies and practices that drive sustainability and interoperability, while preserving U.S. values, privacy, and security interests.”

“Chemical and Biological Terrorism and the Norms of the CBW Prohibition Regimes”

CBWNet recently published this working paper edited by Alexander Kelle that covers a workshop. Kelle explains in its introduction that “This workshop forms an important element in the implementation of the CBWNet work package on terrorism with chemical and biological weapons (CBW). In a nutshell, this work package seeks to analyze the emergence of CBW terrorism, assess its impact on the CBW prohibition regimes, and evaluate the measures taken to strengthen regime implementation.”

“Regulation of Toxins and Bioregulators Under the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention”

Michael Crowley and Malcolm Dando recently published this article in the Journal of Biosafety and Biosecurity: “In this paper we highlight how the apparent double coverage of toxins and bioregulators by both the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) in fact masks a regulatory gap that has left such potentially dangerous agents neglected by both the control regimes during a period of rapid advances in relevant chemical, life and associated sciences and technologies. We first review what toxins, bioregulators and other mid-spectrum agents are and why they are of such concern and then examine how they are regulated under the BTWC and CWC. This paper then examines an illustrative range of contemporary chemical and life science research and associated activities of concern drawn from case study research on China, India, Iran, Russia and the United States, and assesses how the CWC and BTWC States Parties have inadequately addressed these threats. We then examine how both the CWC and BTWC Review Conferences failed to address these long-term challenges, and we end by providing a series of recommendations for how both regimes can be strengthened in this area.”

“Robust Scientific Advisory Mechanisms Future-Proof Disarmament Treaties”

Sarah Clapham and Peter J. Hotchkiss recently published this commentary piece with Nature. They argue that “The Chemical Weapons Convention has a unique Scientific Advisory Board that ensures it keeps pace with science, and its implementing body is prepared for future challenges. It is a model that could be usefully applied to other disarmament treaties.”

“Could AI Make the Next Pandemic Deadlier?”

Tom Ough interviews NTI’s Jaime Yassif in this piece for Prospect, writing in part “A report from NTI Bio, an American non-profit that develops policy-based solutions to pandemic risks, lays out how AI will, over the coming years, threaten global biosecurity. It will be central to great advances in biotechnology, but its large language models (LLMs) could democratise knowledge of how to assemble dangerous bacteria and viruses. Worse, it could plausibly be used to design and manufacture entirely new pathogens…These are troubling prospects, and I do not envy Dr Jaime Yassif her remit. Yassif, who co-authored the report I mentioned, oversees NTI Bio’s work on global health security. If there are such things as rock stars of pandemic prevention, she is one of them, appearing last year at a US House of Representatives hearing on America’s vulnerability to future pandemics. (Asked by Representative Debbie Dingell whether the US is indeed prepared, Yassif was blunt: “No.”)”

“The Evolutionary Drivers and Correlates of Viral Host Jumps”

Cedric C. S. Tan, Lucy van Dorp, and Francois Balloux recently published this article in Nature Ecology and Evolution: “Most emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases stem from viruses that naturally circulate in non-human vertebrates. When these viruses cross over into humans, they can cause disease outbreaks, epidemics and pandemics. While zoonotic host jumps have been extensively studied from an ecological perspective, little attention has gone into characterizing the evolutionary drivers and correlates underlying these events. To address this gap, we harnessed the entirety of publicly available viral genomic data, employing a comprehensive suite of network and phylogenetic analyses to investigate the evolutionary mechanisms underpinning recent viral host jumps. Surprisingly, we find that humans are as much a source as a sink for viral spillover events, insofar as we infer more viral host jumps from humans to other animals than from animals to humans. Moreover, we demonstrate heightened evolution in viral lineages that involve putative host jumps. We further observe that the extent of adaptation associated with a host jump is lower for viruses with broader host ranges. Finally, we show that the genomic targets of natural selection associated with host jumps vary across different viral families, with either structural or auxiliary genes being the prime targets of selection. Collectively, our results illuminate some of the evolutionary drivers underlying viral host jumps that may contribute to mitigating viral threats across species boundaries.”

“Eyes on Disease X: Ranking the Next Pandemic”

Jane Fieldhouse, David Wolking, Nistara Randhawa, Timothy Endy, and Angel Desai recently published this article with CFR’s Think Global Health. In it, they discuss UC Davis’ SpillOver tool and recent expansions made to it, writing in part “To direct resources toward the most high-consequence pathogens, it is paramount that leaders have an accurate concept of pandemic risk—for individual viruses as well as viral families. Several institutions are developing disease rankings at national and global levels, including the Priority Zoonotic Diseases Lists facilitated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Research and Development (R&D) Blueprint created by the World Health Organization…Although important for informing global and national health priorities, disease-ranking initiatives are time intensive and costly processes, requiring ongoing updates as new data and pathogen discoveries emerge. To complement these efforts, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) has partnered with the University of California, Davis, to expand SpillOver, their viral risk ranking platform launched in 2021.”

“A Physician Travels to South Asia Seeking Enduring Lessons From the Eradication of Smallpox”

Céline Gounder recently published this KFF Health News commentary piece discussing her time in Bangladesh speaking with public health workers who aided in the fight to eradicate smallpox. She writes in part, “My field reporting began in summer 2022, when I traveled to India and Bangladesh — which had been the site of a grueling battle in the war on the disease. I tracked down aging smallpox workers, some now in their 80s and 90s, who had done the painstaking work of hunting down every last case of smallpox in the region and vaccinating everyone who had been exposed. Many of the smallpox campaign veterans had fallen out of touch with one another. Their friendships had been forged at a time when long-distance calls were expensive and telegrams were still used for urgent messages.”

“Another State Tries to Weaken School Vaccine Rules”

Matt Field discusses West Virginia lawmakers’ efforts to weaken the state’s school vaccine requirements in this piece for The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. He writes in part, “Every state in the country requires school children to be vaccinated against measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases. Those policies have been in place for decades, but during the COVID pandemic, a handful of states worked to weaken them—mainly by making it easier for individuals to claim exemptions. West Virginia lawmakers recently took the crusade against routine vaccinations a step further, passing a bill to allow private and parochial schools to set whatever rules they see fit.”

What We’re Listening To 🎧

The Security Circle-“EP 066 Dan Kaszeta: Chemical and Biological Defense Specialist, Ex-Pentagon, Ex-White House Staff, Ex-Secret Service….(and he made Chat GPT safer)”

“Dan Kaszeta is a specialist in defence against chemical, biological, and radiological weapons and warfare. Although he has lived in London since 2008, the first part of his career was in the United States. He earned a BA in Political Science and Russian language from Texas Christian University. After graduation, he was commissioned as an officer in the US Army in the small but highly skilled Chemical Corps. Dan was honour graduate of his lengthy training course at US Army Chemical School. After only brief active service, he was reassigned to the Army Reserve and spent over a decade in reserve and National Guard assignments while pursuing a civilian career.”

“He subsequently moved to Washington DC and was awarded an MA in International Affairs from George Washington University. The Tokyo Sarin attacks in 1995, combined with scarce chemical weapons expertise, meant that in early 1996 he took up the post of Disaster Preparedness Advisor at the White House Military Office, where he had responsibility for chemical and biological preparedness and training for the office of the President. After the 9/11 attacks and the anthrax terrorism, the responses to which he was heavily involved in, Dan transferred to the US Secret Service, where he joined the team protecting the President and the White House complex from chemical and biological threats.”

“In 2008, Dan relocated to London. From 2008 to 2011 he worked for Smiths Detection, managing their chemical warfare detection business in Central and Eastern Europe. Since 2011, he has been an independent security consultant and author.”

“He is the author of numerous articles and his recent publications include: ‘CBRN and Hazmat Incidents at Major Public Events: Planning and Response’ (Wiley, 1st ed 2012 2nd ed 2022), ‘Toxic: A History of Nerve Agents’ (Hurst, 2020) and ‘Forest Brotherhood: Baltic Resistance against the Nazis and Soviets’ (Hurst, 2023). Mr. Kaszeta has been selected as a Writer-in-Residence at Gladstone’s Library for 2024.”

Listen to this episode here.

NEW: Industry Summit 2024: Partners for a Resilient Future

From ASPR’s Office of Industrial Base Management and Supply Chain (IBMSC): “Join industry and government partners in exploring federal opportunities for industry engagement aligned with ASPR’s strategic vision and organizational priorities for industrial base management and the public health and health care supply chain.”

This in-person event will take place on April 22, in Washington, DC. Learn more and register here.

NEW: 3rd International Biosecurity Virtual Symposium

From ABSA: “The Symposium will bring together biosecurity professionals from a wide range of disciplines with varying expertise to share their experiences and knowledge on diverse biosecurity topics. The Symposium will offer attendees an opportunity to learn the latest in biosecurity and have thought-provoking conversations about real-world biosecurity issues, concerns, and scenarios.”

This symposium will take place May 7-8. Learn more and register here.

EBRC & NIST Sequence Screening Virtual Workshop #1

From ERBC: “Synthetic DNA enables life sciences research that can be applied to pressing societal challenges across many sectors, but could also be used in the development of biological parts, systems, or organisms that cause great harm to human, public, or environmental health. Many companies that produce and sell synthetic DNA screen ordered sequences to prevent customers from inappropriately accessing Sequences of Concern (SOCs). This project aims to improve DNA synthesis screening by enabling the development of better tools and mechanisms for screening performance evaluation.”

“This will be the first workshop in the series. Additional virtual workshops will be held over the next six months, with an in-person meeting to be held in the fall. More details to come.”

This event will take place on April 9 at 1 pm EST. Learn more and register here.

The Advancing Threat Agnostic Biodefense Webinar Series

From PNNL: “Join us as we welcome Patrick Chain, scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). His talk, titled “Toward Pathogen-Agnostic Detection: Advances and Challenges in Shotgun Sequencing-Based Biosurveillance” will be Tuesday, April 16, at noon PT.”

“Patrick Chain leads the Metagenomics Applications, Bioinformatics, and Analytics Teams in the Bioscience Division at LANL, while also co-managing the Division’s Genomics Program. His team pioneers innovative algorithms and methods in bioinformatics and metagenomics, applying them to various research areas such as organism detection, sample characterization, and fundamental research across different ‘biomes’. With a background including a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from McMaster University and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University, Chain brings a wealth of expertise to the field.”

“The Advancing Threat Agnostic Biodefense Webinar Series brings together like-minded science and policy members of the biodefense community to discuss relevant research activities as well as barriers and enablers of a threat agnostic approach. The webinar series is hosted by the Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Technology Division.”

Register here.

Launch of the 2024 National Blueprint on Biodefense

From the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense: “On the 10th anniversary of its inception, the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense will release its 2024 National Blueprint on Biodefense: Immediate Action Needed to Defend Against Biological Threats.”

“Please join us for this momentous event at the Congressional Auditorium, Capitol Visitor Center, on April 17th at 4:30pm.”

“The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense (formerly the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense) was established in 2014 to provide a comprehensive assessment of the state of United States biodefense efforts and to issue recommendations that foster change.  Subsequently, the Commission has briefed White House Administrations (including then Vice President Biden); testified before Congress; convened numerous meetings with experts; released 12 reports; produced the graphic novel Germ Warfare; and mobilized biodefense conversations and actions in the private and public sectors.”

Learn more and register here.

Addressing the Challenges Posed by Chemical and Biological Weapons: Intensive Online Introductory Course for Students of Technical Disciplines

“SIPRI and the European Union Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium (EUNPDC) invite graduate and postgraduate students of the technical or natural science disciplines to apply for an intensive online introductory course on chemical and biological weapons—their proliferation, the efforts to eliminate them, the various mechanisms used to control their spread—and endeavours underway to reduce the risk of chemical or biological agents in terrorist attacks. The course will take place online, during four half-days on 28–31 May 2024, 14:00 to 18:00 Central European Summer Time (CEST).”

“The course will cover the fundamentals of chemical and biological weapons as well as of missiles and other means of delivery; the history of chemical and biological warfare; the evolution of international norms against these weapons; the threats associated with potential terrorist uses of chemical and biological material; bioweapons and other related scientific advances; the current challenges posed by chemical weapons; arms control treaties; and mechanisms to curb the spread of dangerous substances, including export controls.”

“The course will also discuss the role of the EU institutions and industry to address the challenges mentioned above. The course will be instructed by renowned experts on non-proliferation, arms control, disarmament, export controls, verification and related subjects from SIPRI, other European research centres, think tanks and international organizations.”

Learn more and apply 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.”

SBA.3 International Synthetic Biology, and Biosecurity Conference in Africa

“Join us for the SBA.3 International Synthetic Biology and Biosecurity Conference in Africa, a groundbreaking event that brings together experts, researchers, and enthusiasts in the field of synthetic biology. This in-person conference will take place at the Laico Regency Hotel from Wed, Jul 17, 2024 to Friday, Jul 19, 2024.”

“Get ready to dive into the exciting world of synthetic biology and explore its potential applications in Africa. From cutting-edge research to innovative solutions, this conference offers a unique opportunity to learn, network, and collaborate with like-minded individuals.”

“Discover the latest advancements, trends, and challenges in synthetic biology through engaging keynote speeches, interactive workshops, and thought-provoking panel discussions. Immerse yourself in a vibrant atmosphere where ideas flow freely and new connections are made.”

“Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting your journey in synthetic biology, this conference provides a platform to expand your knowledge, exchange ideas, and contribute to the growth of the field in Africa.”

“Don’t miss out on this extraordinary event that promises to shape the future of synthetic biology and biosecurity in Africa. Mark your calendars and join us at the SBA.3 International Synthetic Biology and Biosecurity Conference in Africa!”

Learn more and register here.

Job Announcement: George Mason University, Research Faculty, Infectious Diseases

“The Institute for Biohealth Innovation harnesses the collective talent of more than 300 GMU faculty and staff and thousands of students across 34 academic departments. The IBI connects Mason researchers with potential collaborators, both within the university and externally, to take on some of biohealth’s biggest challenges.”

“The Biomedical Research Lab (BRL), is a core facility overseen by the Institute. The 52,000 square-foot regional biocontainment laboratory (RBL) was established in 2010 as one of 12 NIAID-funded RBLs to support infectious disease research and foster collaborations with other national and global laboratories. It operates as a central core facility to advance research and develop novel diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines against viral and bacterial infectious agents by a diverse population of internal and external investigators. The facility is capable of housing multiple species and has a variety of established animal models, with an emphasis on aerosolized exposures. The BRL is fully approved and licensed for work by the CDC and USDA and is accredited by AAALAC.”

“The research faculty will join a collaborative team that works on bacterial or viral pathogens relevant to human and animal disease. The research foci are within broad fields including but not limited to immunology and immunity in disease, host-pathogen interactions, cellular microbiology, biochemistry, animal imaging and pathology, aerobiology, and countermeasure development (diagnostics, vaccines, and therapeutics). The incumbent will work with a diverse team of internal and external investigators including faculty, postdoctoral fellows, undergraduate and graduate students, and industry professionals. The incumbent will be responsible for conducting research, providing training and mentorship, disseminating findings, and contributing to grant proposals to advance infectious disease research and countermeasure development.”

Learn more and apply here.

CEPI Calls for Experts to Join Its Scientific Advisory Committee

From CEPI: “CEPI’s call for new individuals to join its Scientific Advisory Committee, or SAC —an external expert group providing guidance and recommendations to CEPI on R&D programmes and broader outbreak response efforts—is now open through 9 April 2024.”

“CEPI is recruiting global health professionals with extensive experience across relevant scientific and product development disciplines to join its SAC, and is particularly interested in applicants from Latin America and Africa; female applicants are especially encouraged to apply.“

“Successful applicants’ scientific input, guidance and challenge will be critical in the continued implementation of the CEPI 2.0 strategy, which aims to accelerate the development of vaccines and other biological countermeasures to tackle emerging infectious diseases and enhance global preparedness for future threats.”

“New members’ terms will last three years, starting in June 2024, with the first face-to-face meeting taking place in Rio de Janeiro from 31 July to 1 August. Virtual participation will be made available for anyone unable to travel at this time.”

“Interested individuals can apply using our online form linked here.“

Pandora Report: 2.17.2023

by dkellogg97, posted in Pandora Report

Happy Friday! This week we are tackling reporting on the WHO’s investigation into COVID-19’s origin, estimates that counter China’s official COVID-19 death count, new insight into the death of Pablo Neruda, and more. New publications listed in this issue include Rolf Ekéus’ book discussing his time leading UNSCOM and a recent CBWNet working paper authored by Ralf Trapp. New professional opportunities are also included in this week’s announcement section alongside our weekly trivia question.

Biodefense Alumnus Named 2023 Emerging Leader in Biosecurity Fellow

Matthew Ferreira (Biodefense MS ’22) was recently selected as a 2023 Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity Initiative (ELBI) fellow by the Center for Health Security at Johns Hopkins University. Ferreira joins a class of 31 fellows selected from a pool of more than 227 applicants. He told the Schar School, “I am so excited to be accepted into the ELBI Fellowship program…I am looking forward to meeting and connecting with the others in the Fellowship class as well as alumni of the program. Many of the professionals and scholars that I have had the pleasure to work with have participated in ELBI, so I’m honored to have the chance to meet and learn from this cohort of diverse and talented people in the coming year.”

Read more about Ferreira and his time in the Biodefense Graduate Program here.

Confusion Over Nature WHO COVID-19 Investigation Reporting

This week, Nature published a news article indicating the WHO had abandoned the planned second phase of its investigation into the origin of COVID-19. In it, Smriti Mallapaty began by writing “The World Health Organization (WHO) has quietly shelved the second phase of its much-anticipated scientific investigation into the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic, citing ongoing challenges over attempts to conduct crucial studies in China, Nature has learned. Researchers say they are disappointed that the investigation isn’t going ahead, because understanding how the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 first infected people is important for preventing future outbreaks. But without access to China, there is little that the WHO can do to advance the studies, says Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Canada. “Their hands are really tied.”

Naturally, this caused quite the ruckus. However, the WHO was quick to pushback and clarify that it has no plans to abandon this investigation. Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove released a statement denying the claims. In Nature‘s reporting, Van Kerkhove is quoted saying “There is no phase two,” to the investigation and that “the plan has changed,” as “The politics across the world of this really hampered progress on understanding the origins.” However, on Wednesday, she clarified-“I think we need to be perfectly clear that WHO has not abandoned studying the origins of Covid 19. We have not, and we will not.” As Health Policy Watch explains, she elaborated with “In a sense, phase two became the Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of novel pathogens (SAGO),” she clarified. SAGO held its first meeting in November 2021 and was established as a permanent advisory group to work on drawing up a framework to understand the origins of not just COVID-19 but any future outbreaks. “So the creation of SAGO was in effect, our best effort to move this work forward.”

On issues with the PRC’s cooperation (or lack thereof), she added “Studies that were recommended from the March 2021-WHO report, from the June 2022-SAGO report and studies that we’ve been recommending at the animal human interface and markets, on farms need to be conducted in China. We need cooperation from our colleagues there to advance our understanding…”

The WHO is not the only one investigating COVID-19’s origin either, with House Republicans launching their investigation into whether the pandemic began with an accident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. AP reports “The Republican chairmen of the House Oversight Committee and the Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic are seeking information, including from Dr. Anthony Fauci, concerning the idea that the coronavirus leaked accidentally from a Chinese lab.”

China-From CRISPR to COVID

China’s Post-Zero-COVID Wave

As China rolled back its Zero-COVID policies in early December, estimates and concerns about the deadly wave of infections the country faced abounded. This was particularly true as the new year travel season approached, as millions were set to travel from urban centers to their hometowns in rural areas across the country. Soon, reports of overflowing crematoriums and funeral parlors, sold out coffin makers, and sweeping infections coincided with continuously relaxing COVID-19 control policies. However, as of February 9, China has reported just 83,150 COVID-19 deaths, and leaders just declared a “decisive victory” against the virus. Of course, this is a number particularly difficult to believe in a country that has struggled so much with acquiring and delivering effective vaccines, relying instead on harsh lockdown and testing requirements.

As the New York Times explains, “The question of how many people died has enormous political relevance for the ruling Communist Party. Early in the pandemic, China’s harsh lockdowns largely kept the coronavirus at bay. Xi Jinping, the top leader, has portrayed that earlier success as evidence of China’s superiority over the West, a claim that would be hard to maintain with a high death toll.”

“The differences between China’s figures and researchers’ estimates are dramatic. The official numbers would give China the lowest death rate per capita of any major country over the entirety of the pandemic. But at the estimated levels of mortality, China would already have surpassed official rates of death in many Asian countries that never clamped down as long or as aggressively.”

So what gives? As we have discussed in the posts linked above, China is using much more narrow definitions of COVID-19 deaths, counting only those who died from respiratory failure and excluding those who died of liver, kidney, and even cardiac failure. Worse, the government quit counting COVID-19 deaths that occurred outside of hospitals which, coupled with the sudden absence of required testing and reporting, certainly had a major contribution to these suspicious numbers.

This piece from the New York Times discusses the numbers below and how experts at different institutions calculated them, including factors like China’s less effective vaccines, elderly populations, and more.

Source: The New York Times

The He Jiankui Saga Continues

Biodefense Graduate Program Associate Professor Dr. Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley recently hosted an event along with her colleagues, titled “Looking Back into the Future: CRISPR and Social Values-BioGovernance Common’s Open Discussion with Chinese Academics.” Among other things, they highlight in their event summary that “We’ve exposed that there is little substance behind the ambitious Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) gene therapy that Dr. Jiankui He, the scientist behind the illegal heritable human genome editing, has been boasting about to global patients. We were concerned that he might endanger another vulnerable population if his new venture remains unchecked,” and “Our event nudged Chinese media to publicly challenge Dr. He for the first time on his DMD research. As a result Dr. He has announced that he will prioritise research rather than social media promotion.”

Nature also covered the event, highlighting He’s refusal to discuss his past work and potential challenges this will create in understanding other important ethical issues. The article explains “On Saturday, He spoke at a virtual and in-person bioethics event that was promoted as “the first time that Dr. He has agreed to interact with Chinese bioethicists and other CRISPR scientists in a public event”. But during the talk, He did not discuss his past work and refused to answer questions from the audience, responding instead that questions should be sent to him by email.”

It continues later with “Some researchers worry that interest in He Jiankui is diverting attention away from more important ethical issues around heritable genome editing. “This event puts the spotlight on He Jiankui — Will he apologize? Is he displaying remorse?,” says Marcy Darnovsky, a public interest advocate on the social implications of human biotechnology at the Center for Genetics and Society in Oakland, California. Instead, she thinks researchers should focus on discussing whether there is a medical justification for heritable genome editing.”

He, who was recently released from prison and is now working in Beijing, garnered sharp criticism in 2018 when he announced that a woman had given birth after He implanted into her uterus two embryos he had used CRISPR-Cas9 to edit the CCR5 gene to make them resistant to HIV infection. It was later revealed that a second woman carried a third child whose genome He edited.

Was Pablo Neruda Murdered by a Physician Acting on Behalf of General Pinochet?

In late September 1973, the famed Chilean poet Pablo Neruda died in a clinic in Santiago, having checked out of a hospital earlier that day. The Nobel laureate was hospitalized with prostate cancer earlier that month, just as the coup d’état led by US-backed Augusto Pinochet ousted Chile’s socialist president, Salvador Allende. Neruda, a member of Chile’s Communist Party and close advisor to President Allende, checked out of the hospital after he claimed a physician injected him with an unknown substance. He reportedly died that evening of heart failure. In the decades since, his family and many members of the public have insisted he was murdered on the orders of Pinochet. This was spurred by reports from Manuel Araya, Neruda’s driver, that he witnessed Neruda tell his wife he believed the physician was ordered by Pinochet to kill him and the belief that Neruda was flying to Mexico to counter Pinochet in exile.

In 2013, a Chilean court ordered the launch of an investigation into Neruda’s death in light of these allegations and concerns. Neruda’s body was exhumed that same year, allowing scientists to test samples to better understand the poet’s death. This Wednesday, following a ten-year investigation by scientists in Chile, Canada, and Denmark, Chilean Judge Paola Plaza received the findings of an international report on the matter. The report indicates Pablo Neruda may have been killed by botulinum toxin-producing bacteria. The New York Times reports “The scientists found in Mr. Neruda’s body a potentially toxic type of bacteria that would not naturally occur there, and confirmed that it was in his system when he died, according to a two-page summary of the report shared with The New York Times. But they could not distinguish whether it was a toxic strain, and they could not conclude whether he was injected with the bacteria or if, instead, it came from contaminated food.”

The same article continues, “Yet the scientists conceded that other circumstantial evidence supported the theory of murder, including that in 1981, the military dictatorship poisoned political prisoners with bacteria possibly similar to the strain found in Mr. Neruda. (However, that method of poisoning stemmed from a chemical-weapons program the dictatorship began in 1976, three years after Mr. Neruda’s death.)”

While definitive answers remain out of reach in this case, Neruda’s is not the only contested death from this period. As the same article also explains “Yet Wednesday’s report and Ms. Plaza’s eventual conclusion may never sway some of the Chilean public. Karen Donoso, a Chilean historian, compared the uncertainty over Mr. Neruda’s death to some people’s lasting questions over the death of the leftist President Salvador Allende, who shot himself rather than fall into the hands of the military as it overthrew his government.”

“World’s Largest Collection of Viruses: Inside the Massive Biodefense Lab in Houston Area”

Houston’s ABC13 recently got an insider’s look at Galveston National Laboratory, located at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Their reporting offers an overview of the work that goes on at the facility, including in the BSL-4 area. As the station explains, “The Galveston National Laboratory is one of 14 U.S. facilities with BSL4 labs built by the National Institutes of Health in the years following the 2001 Anthrax attacks as a network of biodefense laboratories to “study viruses of pandemic potential and to develop medical countermeasures…The team is proud that in its 15 years, there has never been a “major laboratory incident resulting in the transmission of a disease” at the facility. This may be why most of us know little to nothing about their work.”

You can learn about the other 13 BSL-4 labs in the US and more around the world at globalbiolabs.org.

“Chemical and Microbiological Forensics in Investigations of Alleged Uses of Chemical and Biological Weapons – A Preliminary Analysis”

New from CBWNet: “In the latest CBWNet working paper, Ralf Trapp discusses the mechanisms for investigating the use of chemical and biological weapons and the development of scientific capacity for such investigations. The author highlights the importance of investigations in determining if a chemical or biological weapon was used, the type of agent used, and the origin of the weapon. The OPCW and the UN Secretary General’s Mechanism have set up systems with designated laboratories to investigate such allegations. However, there are still significant scientific challenges to be addressed, including validation of methods, agreed acceptance criteria, and distinguishing between natural and deliberate events. The paper emphasizes the need for continued investment and attention from governments to make progress in this field.”

“A Notorious Syria Conspiracy Theory is Definitively Debunked”

Brian Whitaker tackles the OPCW IIT’s newest report on the Assad regime’s use of CW in Douma and its debunking of disinformation surrounding the attack in this piece for New Lines Magazine. He writes in part, “The essence of the disinformation campaign was a refusal by its purveyors to accept that the Bashar al-Assad regime was conducting chemical warfare in Syria. Instead, they claimed all such attacks were “staged” by rebels to frame the regime and trigger a Western intervention. There was never any evidence for this, but it became the deniers’ standard response to reports of chemical attacks. The main reason the Douma attack in particular became a cause celebre for the deniers is it was one of only two chemical attacks (out of a total of over 300) that did in fact result in punitive airstrikes by Western powers. In addition, for the deniers, the emergence of two dissenters from within the OPCW and a series of leaked documents kept the issue alive longer than might otherwise have been expected. Meanwhile, Russia’s attempts to shield its Syrian ally led to political divisions in the OPCW, which threatened to undermine the global prohibition against chemical weapons.”

Iraq Disarmed: The Story Behind the Story of the Fall of Saddam

Rolf Ekéus, Chair of the UN Special Commission on Iraq from 1991-97, recently published his book covering his tenure and the organization’s struggles in disarming Iraq of its WMDs-Iraq Disarmed:

“The quest to disarm Iraq took place between two wars—one justified and right, the other a dreadful mistake, a violation of international law that led to hundreds of thousands of deaths.”  With these unvarnished words, Rolf Ekéus begins his political-thrilleresque story of the disarmament of Iraq—and the machinations that ultimately led to the fall of Saddam Hussein and the rise of ISIS.”

“After Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait and the war that followed, the UN Security Council ruled that Iraq must rid itself of all weapons of mass destruction. The difficult, politically sensitive, and dangerous task of accomplishing this rested with the UN Special Commission (UNSCOM), led by Ekéus, one of Sweden’s most seasoned diplomats. This was a radical experiment in UN governance—essentially conveying to one individual the power to conduct a disarmament program, with oversight only by the Security Council.”

“What followed were a succession of tense conversations with the Iraqi leadership, often-dangerous inspections, complex destruction processes, negotiations with Security Council representatives, and diplomatic maneuvering by world leaders. The recounting of these events lies at the heart of Ekéus’s personal narrative of disarmament history in the making, a narrative that adds substantially to the evidence that UNSCOM’s mission was successful and the 2003 war clearly illegal.”

“Crafted not in the interests of a political agenda, but rather for the sake of historical accuracy, Iraq Disarmed serves today as a sobering cautionary tale.”

“Private-Sector Research Could Pose a Pandemic Risk. Here’s What To Do About It”

Dr. Gerald Epstein, Distinguished Fellow at the Center for the Study of Weapons of Mass Destruction at the National Defense University, recently published this piece in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. In it he discusses biosecurity issues in the private sector, using the 2018 synthesis of horsepox in a Canadian academic lab and Larry Wayne Harris’ attempt to order freeze-dried Y. pestis as touch points. He writes in his conclusion, “With the growth of the bioeconomy and increasing amounts of privately funded life sciences research, restricting biosecurity policy only to government-funded institutions creates an ever-growing gap. Even though research with enhanced potential pandemic pathogens constitutes an extremely small fraction of the overall life science and biotechnology enterprise—and the fraction of that work done with private funding even smaller—the potential global consequences of such work make it increasingly important to develop governance approaches that go beyond attaching strings to US government dollars. Closing this gap within the United States is not sufficient, given the global extent of the life science enterprise and the global consequences of any lab-caused pandemic—but it is a necessary start.”

Strategic Trade Review, Winter/Spring 2023

The 10th issue of the Strategic Trade Review covers a number of timely topics. Dr. Andrea Viski, Schar School Adjunct Professor and editor for the Review, writes in here introduction “The role of the Strategic Trade Review is to empower readers from all stakeholder communities with the powerful tool of rigorous and consummate scholarship from some of the top experts in the world on this and other questions. From discovering the ways that North Korean nuclear researchers acquire sensitive technology through international collaborations to how companies implement R&D compliance, this 10th issue of STR holds a mirror to today’s most important trade and security concerns.”

“MCMi Program Update”

“This newly released annual report provides an update on the US Food and Drug Administration’s work to support medical countermeasure-related public health preparedness and response efforts:

FDA plays a critical role in protecting the United States from chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and emerging infectious disease threats. FDA ensures that medical countermeasures (MCMs)—including drugs, vaccines and diagnostic tests—to counter these threats are safe, effective, and secure. FDA works closely with interagency partners through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise (PHEMCE, or Enterprise) to build and sustain the MCM programs necessary to effectively respond to public health emergencies. FDA also works closely with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to facilitate the development and availability of MCMs to support the unique needs of American military personnel. The Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act of 2013 (PAHPRA), requires FDA to issue an annual report detailing its medical countermeasure activities. This report responds to that requirement for the latest fiscal year available.”

Personal Protective Equipment and Personal Protective Technology Product Standardization for a Resilient Public Health Supply Chain

“The National Academies will convene a public workshop, March 1-2, to examine standards gaps related to personal protective equipment (PPE) and personal protective technology (PPT). The event will explore innovative approaches and technologies needed to update and streamline the U.S. standardization system for PPE and PPT in support of supply chain resiliency. Policymakers, manufacturers, users, and relevant technical contributors will discuss ways to improve the effectiveness, safety, supply stability, and accessibility of PPE and PPT in health care settings and increase usage by critical infrastructure workers and the general public.” Learn more and register here.

Novel Applications of Science and Technology to Address Emerging Chemical and Biological Threats

For the first time since 2019, this Gordon Research Conference is back, this time in sunny Ventura, CA. “The Chemical and Biological Defense GRC is a premier, international scientific conference focused on advancing the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among scientists of all career stages. The conference program includes a diverse range of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field. The conference is five days long and held in a remote location to increase the sense of camaraderie and create scientific communities, with lasting collaborations and friendships. In addition to premier talks, the conference has designated time for poster sessions from individuals of all career stages, and afternoon free time and communal meals allow for informal networking opportunities with leaders in the field.” The conference will be held March 19-24, 2023. Learn more and apply here by February 19.

Call for Applications: Fellowship for Ending Bioweapons (2023 – 2024)

From the Council on Strategic Risks: “In a time of rising geopolitical tensions and the continued emergence of biological events, the devastation that biological threats can cause is clearer than ever. Whether biological threats arise naturally, by accident, or through a deliberate effort to weaponize infectious diseases, they pose grave risks to international security and stability, and significantly impact the welfare and health of people around the globe. The urgency for mitigating this area of catastrophic risks is further driven home by Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and concerns that its leaders might consider using weapons of mass destruction in conflict, which includes biological weapons, and continued misinformation and disinformation related to biological weapons threats.”

“The Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) is continuing to develop and cultivate creative solutions to help address biological threats, including a particular focus on reducing risks of the deliberate weaponization of infectious diseases. As part of this work, CSR is announcing a call for applications for the 2023–2024 class of our Fellowship for Ending Bioweapons. Applications are due by 5pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time on March 24, 2023. Four to six Fellows will be selected.” Learn more and apply here.

IFBA Launches New Professional Certification in Cyberbiosecurity

From the International Federation of Biosafety Associations: “The IFBA is pleased to announce the launch of their new Professional Certification in Cyberbiosecurity which identifies individuals with demonstrated competencies in the mitigation of cybersecurity risks within biological laboratories. This includes Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) risks in order to protect sensitive biological research, data, databases, and laboratory facilities and equipment against illicit or unauthorized access, theft, tampering, or other forms of misuse.” Read more here.

Weekly Trivia Question

You read the Pandora Report every week and now it’s time for you to show off what you know! The first person to send the correct answer to biodefense@gmu.edu will get a shout out in the following issue (first name last initial). For this week, our question is: This viral disease is primarily spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and was first detected in humans through a serological survey conducted in Uganda in 1952. What is its name?

Shout out to Scott H. for winning last week’s trivia! The correct answer to “This disease, named for a Brazilian physician, is caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi parasite, and is commonly spread by kissing bugs. What is it?” is Chagas disease.