Tag: HPAI

Pandora Report 6.14.2024

by dkellogg97, posted in Pandora Report

This week’s edition of the Pandora Report covers updates on avian influenza, a recent interim Congressional report on the NIH’s handling of mpox research, a recent report alleging the Department of Defense created an anti-vax misinformation campaign aimed at undermining China’s vaccine diplomacy in the Philippines, and more.

Avian Influenza Updates

USDA: Twenty-Four Companies Are Working to Create Avian Flu Vaccine for Cattle

Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack told Reuters this week that twenty-four companies are currently working to develop an avian flu vaccine for cattle among continued spread among US dairy herds. Furthermore, Vilsack explained that the USDA is also conducting its own preliminary vaccine research at its laboratory in Ames, Iowa. In addition to looking for a vaccine candidate to test for efficacy, the Department is also researching potential respiratory spread of the virus between cows and working to provide support to farmers to improve biosecurity in their facilities.

Vilsack also promised that a pilot program for bulk milk testing will be rolled out “in the very near future.” The program will hopefully expand testing for H5N1 while enabling healthy herds to move across state lines without needing negative tests from every animal. Vilsack says Michigan and Idaho are among the states that have expressed interest in the program.

First Fatal Human Case of H5N2 Confirmed in Mexico

The WHO confirmed last week that a 59-year-old Mexican man died in April a week after developing fever, shortness of breath, and diarrhea. The Mexican Ministry of Health reports that the man had several comorbidities, including chronic kidney disease, type 2 diabetes, and long-standing systemic arterial hypertension. While the National Institute of Respiratory Diseases in Ciudad de México initially said they found a non-subtypeable influenza A virus in respiratory samples from the patient, the Mexico National Influenza Centre confirmed on May 22 that its subtype was H5N2. While Mexico did report an H5N2 outbreak on a backyard poultry farm in the state bordering the man’s state (Michoacan), it is not yet clear how he contracted the virus.

While this case is unrelated to the ongoing spread of H5N1 in the United States, this is the first case of H5N2 confirmed in a human. Furthermore, H5N2 was the primary culprit in a wave of US outbreaks on poultry farms in the mid-2010s. This was just one decade after an outbreak in Texas in 2004 in a chicken flock in Texas marked the first time in two decades that a dangerous-to-poultry avian flu appeared in the United States.

“Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Genotype B3.13 in Dairy Cattle: National Epidemiologic Brief”

The USDA recently published this national epidemiologic brief: “On March 25, 2024, USDA announced unpasteurized, clinical samples of milk from sick cattle collected from two dairy farms in Kansas and one in Texas, as well as an oropharyngeal swab from another dairy in Texas, have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the detection as HPAI H5N1 clade 2.3.4.4b, genotype B3.13. Phylogenetic analysis and epidemiology support a single introduction into this novel host followed by onward transmission.”

“This report provides field epidemiologic summaries using data collected from epidemiologic questionnaires for H5N1 affected dairy herds.”

Further Reading

CDC: “CDC Reports A(H5N1) Ferret Study Results”

Amy Maxmen and Arthur Allen: “Bird Flu Tests Are Hard To Get. So How Will We Know When To Sound the Pandemic Alarm?” KFF Health News

Samuel V. Scarpino: “Timeline: H5N1 Bird Flu Outbreak in the U.S.,” Think Global Health

Maggie Fox: “H5N1 Bird Flu Isn’t a Human Pandemic–Yet. American Contrariness Could Turn It into One,” Scientific American

Helen Branswell: “In Dribs and Drabs, USDA Reports Suggest Containing Bird Flu Outbreak in Dairy Cows Will Be Challenging,” STAT

BlueDot: ILI Pulse: A(H5N1) Outbreaks in the USA

Katherine J. Wu: “How Much Worse Would a Bird-Flu Pandemic Be?” The Atlantic

Brenda Goodman: “Bird Flu is Rampant in Animals. Humans Ignore it at Our Own Peril,” CNN

Congressional Republicans Target NIH Mpox Research in New Report

Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee released this week a report titled “Interim Staff Report on Investigation into Risky MPXV Experiment at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.” In it, members accuse the NIH of obstructing the investigation of proposed research on MPXV at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), in addition to failing to properly regulate this controversial work. The report explains that, “The primary conclusion drawn at this point in the investigation is that NIAID cannot be trusted to oversee its own research of pathogens responsibly. It cannot be trusted to determine whether an experiment on a potential pandemic pathogen or enhanced potential pandemic pathogen poses unacceptable biosafety risk or a serious public health threat. Lastly, NIAID cannot be trusted to honestly communicate with Congress and the public about controversial GOFROC experiments.”

Science reports that “A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), NIH’s parent agency, dismissed the report’s conclusions. “The committee is looking for an issue where there isn’t one. HHS and its divisions, including NIH, follow strict biosafety measures as our scientists work to better understand and protect the public from infectious diseases—like mpox,” the spokesperson said.”

The investigation is one of many Congressional efforts to probe concerns about biosafety in laboratories and other concerns raised by the pandemic. This investigation was launched in late 2022 after Bernard Moss, a well-known poxvirus researcher at NIAID, described research he was planning to conduct in a Science news article.

Science explains that “Moss was trying to understand the difference between the virulent clade I monkeypox virus strain causing outbreaks mostly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the milder clade II virus, which spread from West Africa around the world in 2022. In a first effort, Moss said he had inserted genes from milder clade II into a clade I virus, without seeing it become less dangerous in mice. He told Science he was next planning to explore the reverse transfer: whether inserting genes from clade I into clade II viruses made these usually milder viruses more lethal to mice.”

“Some researchers raised the alarm, worried the study qualified as risky GOF research because the resulting virus could be much more dangerous and even touch off a pandemic. Committee members say that when they sought more information from NIH and NIAID on the experiments, they were initially told the transfer of genes from clade I to clade II was never approved…Then in March, NIAID revealed that its biosafety committee had signed off on a project that included such gene transfers in 2015, but that researchers never followed through; they only moved genes from clade II to clade I. The HHS spokesperson says, “The experiment referenced by the committee was never conducted, which the committee knows.”’

“This is a colorized transmission electron microscopic image of mpox virus particles (red), found within an infected cell (blue), that had been cultured in the laboratory. The image was captured and color-enhanced at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Integrated Research Facility (IRF), located in Fort Detrick, Maryland.”| Credit: CDC PHIL

The Committee’s press release explains that “For nearly a year and a half, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the NIH, and NIAID misrepresented and deceived the Committee by repeatedly denying that the potentially dangerous experiment was proposed and approved. However, after being pressed repeatedly by Committee Leaders, HHS ultimately admitted Dr. Moss’s research team had been granted approval to conduct a bidirectional MPVX gene-transfer experiment (i.e., inserting the more lethal strain into the more transmissible strain and vice versa). Documents made available for review to Committee staff confirmed the 2015 approval of the experiment and raised additional concerns.”

It continues with “HHS, the NIH, and NIAID still maintain the riskier research project was never conducted. However, no documentation or any other evidence has been produced to substantiate the claim. NIAID has also failed to offer any explanation of the circumstances and rationale that supposedly led the Moss research team to drop the bidirectional mpox gene-transfer experiment after receiving approval for the project. “

The report also raises concerns about existing federal rules covering gain-of-function research, suggesting that they currently do not do enough because they allow researchers, their institutions, and NIAID to decide which projects fit the definition of GOF work. The report argues this is an “inescapable conflict of interest,” and that screening should be conducted by a panel at HHS or a new “wholly independent” entity.

The Committee also expressed disagreement with how GOF is defined in the new federal rules and made several more conclusions, including “NIAID has a culture of secrecy and obfuscation regarding experiments involving pandemic and potential pandemic pathogens. HHS and the NIH are complicit in enabling NIAID’s culture of secrecy and obfuscation. This is incompatible with accountable, democratic governance and further erodes the public’s trust in government health agencies,” and “: Principal investigators, research institutes, and funding agencies are poorly positioned to, and perhaps incapable of, conducting adequate risk/benefit analysis and oversight of experiments that—by virtue of having proposed them and approved their funding—they want to see conducted. This is an inescapable conflict of interest and misalignment of incentives that results in experiments being approved and conducted without sufficient scrutiny or ongoing oversight.”

Report Alleges US Department of Defense Ran “Secret Anti-Vax Campaign to Undermine China During Pandemic”

A recent report from Reuters claims that, “At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. military launched a secret campaign to counter what it perceived as China’s growing influence in the Philippines, a nation hit especially hard by the deadly virus.”

The report’s authors, Chris Bing and Joel Schectman, continue, writing “The clandestine operation has not been previously reported. It aimed to sow doubt about the safety and efficacy of vaccines and other life-saving aid that was being supplied by China, a Reuters investigation found. Through phony internet accounts meant to impersonate Filipinos, the military’s propaganda efforts morphed into an anti-vax campaign. Social media posts decried the quality of face masks, test kits and the first vaccine that would become available in the Philippines – China’s Sinovac inoculation.”

The report later explains that “The U.S. military’s anti-vax effort began in the spring of 2020 and expanded beyond Southeast Asia before it was terminated in mid-2021, Reuters determined. Tailoring the propaganda campaign to local audiences across Central Asia and the Middle East, the Pentagon used a combination of fake social media accounts on multiple platforms to spread fear of China’s vaccines among Muslims at a time when the virus was killing tens of thousands of people each day. A key part of the strategy: amplify the disputed contention that, because vaccines sometimes contain pork gelatin, China’s shots could be considered forbidden under Islamic law.”

“The military program started under former President Donald Trump and continued months into Joe Biden’s presidency, Reuters found – even after alarmed social media executives warned the new administration that the Pentagon had been trafficking in COVID misinformation. The Biden White House issued an edict in spring 2021 banning the anti-vax effort, which also disparaged vaccines produced by other rivals, and the Pentagon initiated an internal review, Reuters found.”

Read more here.

OPCW Fact-Finding Mission Concludes Latest Investigations into Reports in Syria

The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons recently announced its Fact-Finding Mission (FFM) in Syria concluded “…that the information obtained and analysed is not sufficient to provide reasonable grounds to determine that toxic chemicals were used as a weapon in the reported incidents that occurred on 9 August 2017 in Qalib al-Thawr and 8 November 2017 al-Balil, Hama Governorate, the Syrian Arab Republic.”

Read more about the FFM, these two reports from the Syrian Arab Republic, and the FFM’s conclusions here.

“Russia Spreads Disinformation to Cover Up Its Use of Chemical Weapons in Ukraine”

The Department of State’s Global Engagement Center recently published this report in several languages discussing Russia’s use of chemical weapons and its efforts to conceal that use in Ukraine. It explains in part, “Russia’s use of such chemicals is not an isolated incident, and is probably driven by Russian forces’ desire to dislodge Ukrainian forces from fortified positions and drive them into the line of fire, the exact reason the CWC prohibits the use of RCA as method of warfare, and achieve tactical gains on the battlefield. Russia retains an undeclared chemical weapons program and has used chemical weapons, such as the Novichok nerve agents, at least twice in recent years in assassination attempts.”

“Catalyzing Crisis: A Primer on Artificial Intelligence, Catastrophes, and National Security”

Bill Drexel and Caleb Withers authored this report for CNAS: “The arrival of ChatGPT in November 2022 initiated both great excitement and fear around the world about the potential and risks of artificial intelligence (AI). In response, several AI labs, national governments, and international bodies have launched new research and policy efforts to mitigate large-scale AI risks. However, growing efforts to mitigate these risks have also produced a divisive and often confusing debate about how to define, distinguish, and prioritize severe AI hazards. This categorical confusion could complicate policymakers’ efforts to discern the unique features and national security implications of the threats AI poses—and hinder efforts to address them. Specifically, emerging catastrophic risks with weighty national security implications are often overlooked between the two dominant discussions about AI concern in public discourse: present-day systemic harms from AI related to bias and discrimination on the one hand, and cantankerous, future-oriented debates about existential risks from AI on the other.”

“This report aims to: Demonstrate the growing importance of mitigating AI’s catastrophic risks for national security practitioners, Clarify what AI’s catastrophic risks are (and are not), Introduce the dimensions of AI safety that will most shape catastrophic risks.”

“Driving AIxBio Innovation Through Data and Standardization”

The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology recently published this paper: “If the United States wants to remain a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology (AIxBio), it must treat biological data as a strategic asset to support the next phase of AIxBio models. These models will rely on biological data sets of unprecedented scale, likely generated through high-throughput lab automation and new experimental methods. Biological data enable the use of AIxBio models, but advances in AIxBio are limited by the availability of appropriate and usable data.1 Additionally, data standardization would enable the United States to combine data from across its robust and diverse life science ecosystem to further advance AIxBio and maximize its potential benefits. This white paper describes considerations for generating and standardizing biological data to support continued AIxBio research, development, and application.”

“APP3 Statement on the Importance of Biosafety and Biosecurity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies”

This statement was recently released by the  GHSA Action Package Prevent-3 on Biosafety and Biosecurity, Emerging Biological Risks Working Group: “As advances in AI and emerging technologies continue to increase worldwide quickly, there are growing concerns that AI tools and other emerging technologies could act synergistically with synthetic biotechnologies to cause significant harm. The APP3 believes it is imperative to understand further and mitigate the biological risks of AI and emerging biotechnologies, reduce the risk of technology misuse, and protect economic and global health security. Efforts to raise awareness within the GHSA community, cultivate responsible scientific work, strengthen biosecurity controls, and mitigate biological risks associated with new technologies globally are critical.”

Read more here.

“Why the Global Bioeconomy Urgently Needs Technical Standards and Metrics”

Paul Freemont, India Hook-Barnard, and Matthew Chang published this piece with the World Economic Forum, in which they write “The global bioeconomy is estimated to be worth about $4 trillion, and more than 50 nations now have published bioeconomy strategies or have policies steering towards a sustainable bioeconomy. With the development of new technologies in engineering and synthetic biology, the bioeconomy is growing rapidly…Growth of the sector will bring increased commercialization, scale-up and distributed manufacturing, and promote manufacturing resilience by diversifying production streams beyond traditional chemical manufacturing.”

“However, the current lack of standards and metrics that apply directly to such a large global industry could result in chaos, with failed interoperability and an inability to share data or allow for technology transfer internationally…The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has published only 35 standards directly related to biotechnology; in comparison, there are 79 published standards relating specifically to dental instruments…As such, there is a call from industry representatives and academics alike to develop technical standards and metrics that can be applied across the innovation pipeline to support the growth of the bioeconomy.”

“The Viral Most Wanted: The Orthomyxoviruses”

Kate Kelland continues CEPI’s “The Viral Most Wanted” with this latest installment: “It’s considered the most deadly single contagious disease event in all of human history and infected 500 million people worldwide—a third of the planet’s population.”

“It struck in three merciless waves—the first, relatively mild, in March 1918; the second, more brutal, in August 1918; and the third and deadliest of all in late 1918, running through the first few months of 1919.”

“It is estimated to have killed almost five times as many people as were killed during World War One.”

“More than half of the people it killed were fit, strong, healthy young adults in the prime of life—including millions of World War One soldiers.”

“Its victims often died within hours or days of developing symptoms. Their skin would turn blue and their lungs would fill with fluid, causing them to suffocate from within.” 

“This was the Spanish Flu—the Great Influenza pandemic of 1918-1919—caused by a virus called influenza type A subtype H1N1. It and its many life-threatening relatives are part of the Orthomyxovirus family—one of The Viral Most Wanted.”

“Countering Disinformation and Misinformation in Animal Health Emergencies”

The World Organisation for Animal Health and INTERPOL recently released this set of guidelines: “To orient Veterinary Services, Aquatic Animal Health Services and Law Enforcement to these issues and introduce some key strategies to manage disinformation and misinformation, these guidelines have been prepared by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL). They draw from a June 2022 virtual workshop convened as part of the WOAH, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and INTERPOL Project on ‘building resilience against agro-crime and agro-terrorism’, which was funded by Global Affairs Canada’s Weapons Threat Reduction Program [1].”

“The guidelines provide a starting point for these services and agencies, as well as organisations working in animal health emergencies, to prepare for, detect and respond to disinformation and misinformation. Since this is a fast-moving area with much information and guidance already available, this document includes links to further resources that offer more detail on specific strategies and actions.”

“WHO Bacterial Priority Pathogens List, 2024: Bacterial Pathogens of Public Health Importance to Guide Research, Development and Strategies to Prevent and Control Antimicrobial Resistance”

From WHO: “The 2024 WHO Bacterial Priority Pathogens List (WHO BPPL) is an important tool in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance. Building on the 2017 edition, the 2024 WHO BPPL updates and refines the prioritization of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens to address the evolving challenges of antibiotic resistance. The list categorizes these pathogens into critical, high, and medium priority groups to inform research and development (R&D) and public health interventions.”

“The 2024 WHO BPPL covers 24 pathogens, spanning 15 families of antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens. Notable among these are Gram-negative bacteria resistant to last-resort antibiotics, drug-resistant mycobacterium tuberculosis, and other high-burden resistant pathogens such as Salmonella, Shigella, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. The inclusion of these pathogens in the list underscores their global impact in terms of burden, as well as issues related to transmissibility, treatability, and prevention options. It also reflects the R&D pipeline of new treatments and emerging resistance trends.”

“The WHO BPPL acts as a guide for prioritizing R&D and investments in AMR, emphasizing the need for regionally tailored strategies to effectively combat resistance. It targets developers of antibacterial medicines, academic and public research institutions, research funders, and public–private partnerships investing in AMR R&D, as well as policy-makers responsible for developing and implementing AMR policies and programs.”

“Further details on the rationale behind the list, the methodologies used to develop the list and the key findings, can be found in the accompanying report.”

“A Long COVID Definition: A Chronic, Systemic Disease State with Profound Consequences”

From NASEM: “The lack of a clear and consistent definition for Long COVID presents challenges for policymakers, researchers, public health professionals, clinicians, support services, and patients. As such, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health asked the National Academies to assemble a committee of experts to produce a consensus definition for Long COVID. The resulting report, A Long COVID Definition: A Chronic, Systemic Disease State with Profound Consequences, presents the 2024 NASEM Long COVID Definition, developed based on findings reported in existing literature, as well as stakeholder and patient input.”

Read here.

“Pentagon Playing Catch Up After Years Neglecting Nuclear Protection”

Stew Magnuson recently published this piece in National Defense discussing the Army’s recent report, “An Independent Assessment of the Army’s Ability to Fight and Win on a Nuclear Battlefield.” He writes in part, “The Army Science Board in September completed work on a report, “An Independent Assessment of the Army’s Ability to Fight and Win on a Nuclear Battlefield.”

“Its conclusions were not revealed to the public and are available to read only on classified networks. But listening to a handful of government experts at a recent presentation who did have access to the report, its overall conclusions must be alarming.”

What We’re Listening to 🎧

Voices from DARPA Podcast Episode 79: Integrating ELSI
“In this episode, we’ll be taking a deeper dive into ELSI – ethical, legal, and societal implications of new technologies and capabilities – and specific examples of how DARPA programs have incorporated those considerations into their structure.”

“We’re highlighting three examples of how DARPA integrated ELSI throughout the program lifecycle via the counsel of experts from the medical, scientific, legal, and ethics communities to assist program managers and performers in identifying and mitigating any potential issues.”

“The first program, out of our Biological Technologies Office, is Safe Genes, which supported force protection and military health and readiness by developing tools and methodologies to control, counter, and even reverse the effects of genome editing—including gene drives—in biological systems across scales.”

“The second program, Urban Reconnaissance through Supervised Autonomy (URSA) from our Tactical Technology Office (TTO) aimed to enable improved techniques for rapidly discriminating hostile intent and filtering out threats in complex urban environments.”

“And, finally, the current In the Moment program in our Information Innovation Office (I2O) seeks to identify key attributes underlying trusted human decision-making in dynamic settings and computationally representing those attributes, to generate a quantitative alignment framework for a trusted human decision-maker and an algorithm.”

Listen here.

NEW: Upcoming Hearing on COVID-19 Origins

“Biodefense Program Director, Dr. Gregory Koblentz, will be testifying at the upcoming Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs hearing on “Origins of COVID-19: An Examination of Available Evidence,” which will be held on Tuesday, June 19 at 10 AM. Also testifying will be Dr. Robert Garry from Tulane University, Dr. Stephen C. Quay from Atossa Therapeutics, and Dr. Richard H. Ebright from Rutgers University.”

NEW: Why Isn’t the World Ready for the Next Pandemic? How Can It Be?

From the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response: “The Right Honourable Helen Clark and Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf explore these questions and provide answers in their new report: No Time to Gamble: Leaders Must Unite to Prevent Pandemics.”

This virtual event will take place on June 18 at 1 pm CET. Learn more and register here.

NEW: IRF Book Launch: Essentials of Biological Security: A Global Perspective

The Interdisciplinary Research Forum is hosting this book launch for Essentials of Biological Security: A Global Perspective by Lijun Shang, Weiwen Zhang, and Malcolm Dando: “Improving biosecurity education appears to be a key means to address the need for awareness raising and education about the dangers of the dual use research for life scientists within a culture of responsible research under BTWC or CBW. Although it has been advocated for a long time, it still presents a challenging task for all stakeholders, especially for life science communities.”

“In this launching workshop, the leading editor Professor Lijun Shang will explain the background of initiation of this book, including the purpose and strategy plan of using the book to implement biosecurity education. Professor Malcolm Dando will give an overview of the book with brief introduction of each chapter, and Professor Weiwen Zhang will talk about our promotion plan for this book, including translation, workshops, and future publication plans.”

“We will also have chapter authors to briefly introduce their individual chapters either in person or through a video recording. Finally, we will have Iris Magne to talk about our plans of using this book as a first stepping stone in the current project of Building up An International Security Education Network to include the book.”

This event will take place on June 14 at 2 pm BST. Learn more and register here.

NEW: DARPA B-SAFE Industry Day

From DARPA: “The rapidly evolving field of advanced genome editing tools has enabled the ability to modify genetic material in a manner that is precise, rapid, cost-effective, and broadly accessible. Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) or CRISPR-Cas technologies represent one of the most widely adopted tools in the genome engineering toolkit, and its advancement has revolutionized the field of biotechnology and genetic engineering. However, concerns regarding the precision, specificity, and control of CRISPR-Cas systems remain. The DARPA Broad-Spectrum Antagonists For Editors, or B-SAFE, program aims to develop platform technologies for highly potent inhibitors for multiple classes, types, and species of editors with enhanced activity, utility, and breadth of coverage. The B-SAFE program will also address the challenge of inhibitor molecules keeping pace with the discovery of novel editing systems by developing a platform for rapid discovery and development of inhibitors of novel, emergent gene editor technologies. The B-SAFE program will produce tools capable of complete inhibition of CRISPR-Cas systems with minimal off-target effects. Platforms must be capable of inhibiting DNA editors (Cas9 and Cas12 species) but approaches that also include RNA editors, other DNA editors, and emerging technologies are encouraged. The ideal solution would be capable of inhibiting all Cas9 and Cas12 species.”

This event will take place virtually and in-person on June 28. Learn more and register here.

The Advancing Threat Agnostic Biodefense Webinar Series-Computational and Systems Biology Advances to Enable Bioagent Agnostic Signatures

From PNNL: “Join us as we welcome Andy Lin, Computational Biologist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. His talk, titled “Computational and Systems Biology Advances to Enable Bioagent Agnostic Signatures” will be Tuesday, June 18, at noon PT.”

“Enumerated threat agent lists have long driven biodefense priorities. The global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic demonstrated the limitations of searching for known threat agents as compared to a more agnostic approach. Recent technological advances are enabling agent-agnostic biodefense, especially through the integration of multi-modal observations of host-pathogen interactions directed by a human immunological model.”

“Although well-developed technical assays exist for many aspects of human-pathogen interaction, the analytic methods and pipelines to combine and holistically interpret the results of such assays are immature and require further investments to exploit new technologies.”

“In this talk, we discuss potential immunologically based bioagent-agnostic approaches and the computational tool gaps the community should prioritize filling.”

Register 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.

Jobs Postings: Detailee (Current Federal Employee), Policy Analyst, Policy Advisor

The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) currently has multiple job openings for those who are current federal employees or those who already hold a TS clearance with TS/SCI preferred. Learn more and apply here.

Job Posting: Research Associate (Global Health Law & Governance)

The National University of Singapore is currently hiring a research associate focused on global health law and governance: “The Global Health Law and Governance Program at the NUS Centre for international Law is recruiting a one-year Research Associate position. The Program focuses on the international legal, regulatory and governance aspects of pandemic prevention and response, as well as international public health emergencies. Topics of interest include the World Health Organization’s negotiations on a new pandemic accord, the revision of the International Health Regulations, improving fair and equitable access to medicines, access and benefit sharing of pathogen samples/genetic sequencing data, intellectual property and technology transfer, global health innovation and technologies, and more. The program conducts research, offers education and training, and organizes events. The Research Associate will support the work of the Program and will also undertake a personal research project.”

Learn more and apply here.

Pandora Report 5.31.2024

by dkellogg97, posted in Pandora Report

This week’s edition of the Pandora Report focuses on stalled negotiations on amendments to the 2005 International Health Regulations and a new pandemic accord ahead of this week’s World Health Assembly, ARPA-H’s new investments in automated healthcare cybersecurity, BioNTech’s new $145 million in funding from CEPI, and updates on the scheme at the University of Florida to illegally purchase biochemical samples and certain drugs and then ship them illicitly to China.

Pandemic Accord Negotiations Stall Ahead of World Health Assembly

Negotiations on amendments to the 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR) and a pandemic accord set to be adopted at the World Health Assembly stalled earlier this week as member states struggled to reach consensus in both processes. This was despite member states’ agreements on much of the amendment and treaty draft texts. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a statement that negotiators simply ran out of time and that “My wish is that we will come out of the Health Assembly re-energized and inspired, because the world still needs a pandemic treaty and the world needs to be prepared…This is not a failure.”

However, some disagree as negotiators may not come to an agreement on the pandemic accord for another year or more as delegates have indicated extensive further negotiations will be necessary. Key disagreements center on financing, how much of their products pharmaceutical companies ought to be required to specifically set aside for the countries most in need, and intellectual property rights and sanctions. In particular, as noted by The Guardian, is the question of what level of access to things like vaccines and therapeutics developing countries can expect in return for their efforts in things like monitoring and sharing information about pathogens spreading in their countries.

The pandemic accord has also become the subject of mis- and disinformation, with some claiming falsely that the treaty is actually a WHO power grab that will allow the organization to impose lockdowns on countries. A large blue bus was even spotted driving around near the Palais des Nations in Geneva where negotiations and the WHA are taking place, urging people to say “NO to the Pandemic Treaty” and to “STOP the UN Power Grab”.

Ultimately, member states agreed to end the negotiations and submit their outcomes for consideration at the WHA. The outcomes of the pandemic accord negotiations and the findings from the Working Group on the IHR are being presented at the World Health Assembly this week.

ARPA-H Announces Cybersecurity Automation Program for Healthcare Facilities

Recently, the Advanced Health Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) announced the launch of the Universal PatchinG and Remediation for Autonomous DEfense (UPGRADE) program, “a cybersecurity effort that will invest more than $50 million to create tools for information technology (IT) teams to better defend the hospital environments they are tasked with securing.”

In its statement, the agency explained “Cyberattacks that hamper hospital operations can impact patient care while critical systems are down and can even lead to facility closure. A major hurdle in advancing cybersecurity tools in the health sector is the number and variety of internet-connected devices unique to each facility. While consumer products are patched regularly and rapidly, taking a critical piece of hospital infrastructure offline for updates can be very disruptive. Delayed development and deployment of software fixes can leave actively supported devices vulnerable for over a year and unsupported legacy devices vulnerable far longer.”

“Filling this gap in digital health security will take expertise from IT staff, medical device manufacturers and vendors, health care providers, human factors engineers, and cybersecurity experts to create a tailored and scalable software suite for hospital cyber-resilience. The UPGRADE platform will enable proactive evaluation of potential vulnerabilities by probing models of digital hospital environments for weaknesses in software. Once a threat is detected, a remediation (e.g., patch) can be automatically procured or developed, tested in the model environment, and deployed with minimum interruption to the devices in use in a hospital.”

“Addressing vulnerabilities in health care and data security is a challenge that ARPA-H is uniquely positioned to address. ARPA-H’s Digital Health Security Initiative, DIGIHEALS, launched last summer and is focused on securing individual applications and devices. The agency has also recently partnered with Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency for the Artificial Intelligence Cyber Challenge, or AIxCC, a prize competition to secure open-source software used in critical infrastructure. UPGRADE aims to secure whole systems and networks of medical devices to ensure solutions can be employed at scale.”

“Through a forthcoming solicitation, UPGRADE seeks performer teams to submit proposals on four technical areas: creating a vulnerability mitigation software platform, developing high-fidelity digital twins of hospital equipment, auto-detecting vulnerabilities, and auto-developing custom defenses.”

“Multiple awards under this solicitation are anticipated. To learn more about UPGRADE, including information about the draft solicitation, virtual Proposers’ Day registration, and how to state interest in forming an applicant team, visit the UPGRADE program page.”

“For more information on HHS’ Cybersecurity Performance Goals and HHS’ cybersecurity work, visit HHS Cybersecurity Gateway.”

BioNTech Secures $145 Million in Funding from CEPI for Vaccine Plants in Africa

In a joint statement this week, BioNTech and the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) announced that CEPI will provide BioNTech with an additional $145 million to help the company “enhance local R&D, clinical and commercial-scale manufacturing capacities to develop potential mRNA vaccines in Africa, for Africa,” at the company’s facility in Kigali, Rwanda. According to the company, “BioNTech’s commercial-scale manufacturing facility in Kigali was first announced in 2021 and inaugurated in December 2023. The facility is based on the Company’s high-tech, digitally enabled modular manufacturing units called BioNTainers, designed to manufacture a range of mRNA-based vaccines. BioNTech’s Kigali manufacturing facility could become the first commercial mRNA facility in Africa, intended to support the African Union’s and Africa CDC’s goal of producing 60 percent of total vaccine doses required on the continent by 2040.”

This funding is in addition to the $90 million CEPI provided the company with in September to support the development of vaccine candidates targeting mpox. Reuters reports that “CEPI CEO Richard Hatchett told Reuters that in a health emergency up to half of the Kigali plant’s annual capacity of around 50 million vaccines could be dedicated to making vaccines to respond to the emergency, as part of the funding deal…He said the money was for speeding up the development of the factory and to add on the capacity to produce material for research and clinical trials for third parties, not for specific vaccine development.”

University of Florida Employee and Students Implicated in Plot to Ship Biochemical Samples, Drugs to China

A research employee and several students from the University of Florida have been implicated in a scheme to illegally purchase thousands of drugs and biochemical samples and then illicitly ship the samples to China over the next seven years, according to reporting from NPR. It is not clear yet if the researcher and students (who were identified as co-conspirators) have been charged and arrested.

According to NPR, “The materials smuggled to China included what the government described as purified, non-contagious proteins of the cholera toxin and pertussis toxin, which causes whooping cough. Cholera is a generally non-fatal intestinal infection that can cause severe dehydration. Whooping cough is a highly contagious bacterial infection that can lead to violent coughing, vomiting and even respiratory distress – but is preventable with a vaccine…Other materials smuggled to China in the scheme included small amounts of highly purified drugs – known as analytical samples – of fentanyl, morphine, MDMA, cocaine, ketamine, codeine, methamphetamine, amphetamine, acetylmorphine and methadone, court records showed. Such small samples would generally be used for calibrating scientific or medical devices.”

Adding further intrigue to the matter, one of the students listed in the court document is Nongnong “Leticia” Zheng, who was also president of UF’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association-a PRC embassy-approved student organization that was allegedly targeted by the scheme’s organizers for recruitment of Chinese students. The organization protested last year the enactment of a law in Florida that “limits universities from recruiting students and faculty from China – and bans employing such students from working in academic labs without special permission.”

Prosecutors allege that Zheng, a marketing major, agreed to change her UF email signature to falsely claim that she was a biomedical engineering student in order to purchase the samples without raising suspicions. According to NPR, “Zheng, who said she lived most of her life in China, said in a tearful interview Friday at her apartment complex she was deceived and victimized by the scheme’s organizers, who she said solicited help finding paid interns from the Chinese student organization. Foreign students on educational visas are limited in how or whether they can work for pay.”

Furthermore, “The scheme’s organizers also paid UF students other than Zheng to allow use of their UF email addresses to order the substances, prosecutors said. Organizers paid the UF research employee with Home Depot gift cards worth hundreds of dollars and paid for trips and loans, court records showed. Prosecutors said organizers also used the email addresses of two UF researchers who had already left the university by 2015. They were not described as co-conspirators.”

The scheme, which lasted from 2016 to 2023, finally came undone when the company the UF researcher was ordering from, MilliporeSigma, became suspicious and reported the issue to the US government. The company, a subsidiary of Merck KGaA in Darmstadt, said in a recent statement that it has fired the employee involved with the scheme and is cooperating with investigators to avoid prosecution. According to the Department of Justice, this is the first time new rules allowing companies who self-report export violations and cooperate with investigators to avoid prosecution are being applied.

Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement about the case, “Because of MilliporeSigma’s timely disclosure and exceptional cooperation, a rogue company insider and his accomplice pled guilty to fraudulently diverting millions of dollars worth of biochemicals to China, and the company will not be prosecuted…As national security and corporate crime increasingly intersect, companies that step up and own up under the department’s voluntary self-disclosure programs can help themselves and our nation.”

“Revisiting Health Security Governance: The Korean Biosurveillance Regime from Biopolitics to Biocitizenship”

HyunJung “Henry” Kim, Biodefense PhD alum, Research Fellow at the Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS), and Arms Control Negotiation Academy (ACONA) Fellow, recently published “Revisiting Health Security Governance: The Korean Biosurveillance Regime from Biopolitics to Biocitizenship,” in Asian Perspective. In the article, Kim assesses South Korea’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic using the biopolitics framework developed by the French philosopher Michael Foucault. According to the article’s abstract, “The South Korean COVID-19 pandemic response implemented a new biosurveillance regime actively utilizing new information and communication technology (ICT) and digital tools, centered on the testing, tracing, and treating (3T) strategy. Critics argue that Korea’s 3T strategy may violate individuals’ privacy and human rights. According to Foucauldian perspectives, implementing a strict regime of this nature would bolster the government’s social surveillance capabilities and enable population control, effectively establishing a “digital big brother” in the age of cyberspace. However, Western media highlights the citizen’s voluntary participation in biosurveillance practices as well as the successful national election during the pandemic, praising it as a new pandemic response model for democratic countries. Closer scrutiny reveals that Korea’s digital-based biosurveillance system for pandemic response has evolved since the experience with the 2015 Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) outbreak, by citizens’ requests and self-help behaviors. The biocitizenship framework’s bottom-up approach offers a more robust explanation for the emergence of new biosurveillance in Korea in the context of health security, as opposed to the top-down approach of biopolitics. This article’s case study illustrates how the post-MERS digital biosurveillance in Korea serves as a new model of biocitizenship establishing governmental discipline by social compromise.

“False Russian Claims Hijacked the Biological Weapons Treaty. Here’s How to Reclaim It”

Eva Siegmann discusses Russia’s false information regarding the United States’ Cooperative Threat Reduction program and its work in Ukraine in this piece for The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in addition to how to prevent future efforts to misuse the processes outlined under the BWC. She writes in part, “Russia misused the consultation procedure to spread its unfounded allegations and continued to do so after the procedure’s conclusion, which undermined the consultation mechanism and hampered progress on other issues. This misuse highlighted a need to reassess the Article V procedure and its capacity to safeguard the functioning of the treaty, which is crucial in today’s evolving biothreat landscape. To prevent future misuse from happening and hampering treaty proceedings, treaty members need to agree on a pragmatic redefinition of the consultative process.”

“Regulation of Toxins and Bioregulators Under the Chemical Weapons Convention and the Biological and Toxins 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, Syria 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.”

“Chloropicrin and Its Alleged Use in the Ukrainian War (Part 2)”

JP Zanders continues his discussion of Russia’s alleged use of chloropicrin against Ukrainian forces in this post on The Trench: “The first of three parts in this blog series reviewed the allegations of Russian chemical weapon (CW) use in the Ukrainian war from its start in 2014 until today. The Ukrainian delegate reported 1,060 incidents since the Russian invasion in February 2022 at the meeting of the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in March 2024…This second instalment looks into the specific allegation of chloropicrin use. Despite the US assertion, only three such claims from Ukrainian sources are public, but concrete evidence of when, where and how the chloropicrin was used is lacking. Notwithstanding, the allegation cannot be entirely dismissed. In April 1989, Soviet troops violently broke up demonstrations in the Georgian capital Tbilisi. The three RCAs they used? CS, CN and chloropicrin.”

“Scientists Weigh in on the Challenges and Opportunities of High-Risk Pathogens Research Around the World”

The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists recently published this commentary package that focuses on gain of function research and countries’ recent changes and debates regarding policies governing such research. This series includes three commentaries: “The Risks of Underdeveloped Biorisk Management Policies in Pandemic Hotspots,” by Shahid Jameel, “TB Studies Illustrate the Importance of Properly Assessing the Risks of Pathogen Research,” by Anurag Agrawal, and “To Protect Global Health Security, Africa Needs More Pathogen Research Labs,” by Tom Kariuki and Denis Chopera.

“Canadian Laboratory Incidents with Human Pathogens and Toxins: An Overview of Reports, 2016-2022”

Balbontion et al. recently published this article in the Canada Communicable Disease Report: “Background: When the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Human Pathogens and Toxins Act and Human Pathogens and Toxins Regulations came into force, the reporting of laboratory incidents to the Laboratory Incident Notification Canada (LINC) surveillance system became mandatory. This report summarizes the laboratory exposure and non-exposure data reported from 2016 to 2022, with a particular focus on factors that are not typically presented in LINC’s annual report.”

“Methods: Reported laboratory incidents from 2016 to 2022 were analyzed. Exposures were analyzed by severity, occurrence and root cause, and affected individuals were analyzed by disease outcome, role and applied interventions. Non-exposures were analyzed by incident type. Exposure and non-exposure incident rates were calculated.”

“Results: Events reported to LINC totalled 928. Of those, 355 were confirmed non-exposures, 361 were confirmed exposures, and 111 were other events. Both exposure and non-exposure incident rates per 100 active licences peaked in 2018 (9.44 and 7.11, respectively). Most exposures were rated as minor or negligible severity. The most cited exposure occurrence types were sharps-related and procedure-related (23% each), and standard operating procedure-related root causes were most cited (24%). While 781 individuals were affected in the exposure incidents, most did not develop a laboratory-acquired infection (n=753; 96%) and received at least one form of treatment post-exposure (n=717; 92%). Inadvertent possession/production cases were the most common non-exposure incidents reported.”

“Conclusion: Exposure and non-exposure incident rates have decreased since 2018. Among exposure incidents, sharps-related and procedure-related occurrences were the most common, and the root cause was usually a standard operating procedure. Non-exposure incidents were mostly inadvertent possession/production cases. Exposure and illness outcome severity was mostly minor.”

“Cities Are the Canaries in the Public Health Coal Mines”

Ashwin Vasan, the 44th Health Commissioner of New York City, recently authored this piece for Foreign Policy, in which he explains “That’s because the sentinel cases for brooding public health threats, whether infectious or not, are often in cities. Cities are the canaries in the public health coal mine, for everything from mental health and homelessness, climate change to forced migration, substance use to sex trafficking. The way these challenges play out across our cities should not only drive national policy, but also serve as an important corollary for how to respond in less dense, less diverse, more rural areas. Yet when we consider the multilateral institutions where decisions are made and policymaking happens, cities rarely have any role in governance.”

“High H5N1 Influenza Levels Found in Mice Given Raw Milk from Infected Dairy Cows”

From NIH: “Mice administered raw milk samples from dairy cows infected with H5N1 influenza experienced high virus levels in their respiratory organs and lower virus levels in other vital organs, according to findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The results suggest that consumption of raw milk by animals poses a risk for H5N1 infection and raises questions about its potential risk in humans.”

Read more in this NIH media advisory.

“How Foes Can Defeat a Common Enemy: U.S.-China Collaboration to Combat Ebola”

Gayle Smith tackles questions of how the US and China can overcome their differences to address a common global health threat in this CSIS Brief: “As intense geostrategic rivalry becomes an enduring feature of the U.S.-China relationship, CSIS and the Brookings Institution have launched a joint project, Advancing Collaboration in an Era of Strategic Competition, to explore and expand the space for U.S.-China collaboration on matters of shared concern. In this essay, Gayle Smith, CEO of the ONE Campaign and former administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), discusses the threatening appearance of the Ebola virus in the mid-2010s and how the United States and China came together to address the crisis. Drawing on her first-hand experience, she identifies key lessons that should inform future collaborative efforts, including separating the key problem area and bilateral relations into two separate tracks, keeping focus on the right adversary, rooting discourse and communication in facts, and leaving the talking points on the table.”

NEW: Long-Term Health Effects of COVID-19: Disability and Function Following SARS-CoV-2 Infection

From NASEM: “Since the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in early 2020, many individuals infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), have continued to experience lingering symptoms for months or even years following infection. Some symptoms can affect a person’s ability to work or attend school for an extended period of time.”

“An ad hoc committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine drafted a detailed report on the current status of diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of long-term health effects related to Long COVID. In a public release webinar, members of the committee will provide an overview of key conclusions and answer audience questions.”

This webinar will take place on June 5 at 11 am ET. Learn more and register here.

NEW: The Advancing Threat Agnostic Biodefense Webinar Series-Computational and Systems Biology Advances to Enable Bioagent Agnostic Signatures

From PNNL: “Join us as we welcome Andy Lin, Computational Biologist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. His talk, titled “Computational and Systems Biology Advances to Enable Bioagent Agnostic Signatures” will be Tuesday, June 18, at noon PT.”

“Enumerated threat agent lists have long driven biodefense priorities. The global SARS-CoV-2 pandemic demonstrated the limitations of searching for known threat agents as compared to a more agnostic approach. Recent technological advances are enabling agent-agnostic biodefense, especially through the integration of multi-modal observations of host-pathogen interactions directed by a human immunological model.”

“Although well-developed technical assays exist for many aspects of human-pathogen interaction, the analytic methods and pipelines to combine and holistically interpret the results of such assays are immature and require further investments to exploit new technologies.”

“In this talk, we discuss potential immunologically based bioagent-agnostic approaches and the computational tool gaps the community should prioritize filling.”

Register here.

2024 ChABSA Annual Scientific Symposium

The Chesapeake Area Biological Safety Association (ChABSA) is hosting its 2024 Annual Scientific Symposium in-person in Rockville, MD, and virtually on June 5. This year’s keynote presentation will be delivered by Lisa Hensley, Zoonotic and Emerging Disease Research Unit USDA, National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility. Learn more and register here.

American Democracy and Health Security Initiative: Lighting a Path Amid Pandemic Polarization

“Please join the Brown University School of Public Health Pandemic Center, the COVID Collaborative, and the CSIS Bipartisan Alliance for Global Health Security for the launch of the American Democracy and Health Security Initiative.”

“The story of how America fared under the Covid-19 pandemic is actually two stories. While the more well-known story is one of failure, confusion, and polarization, the other story is one of American ingenuity amidst profound uncertainty. State and local leaders were at the center of this untold story—in serving their communities they innovated, bridged divides, and illuminated America’s path during the Covid-19 pandemic’s darkest days. The American Democracy and Health Security Initiative spotlights these lamplighters and harvests their hard-won lessons, to ensure the most successful strategies can be sustained or replicated in future crises.”

“On June 5, the American Democracy and Health Security Initiative will publish its findings on what actionable steps are needed to advance our health security for the future. The event will feature leaders from across the country from Governors, advisors, and health leaders to community organizations, educators, businesses, and crisis managers. We will discuss urgent opportunities to make the country more resilient against future threats to our health security and to our democracy and identify national and local innovations that must be retained and playbooks that are needed to reinvigorate leadership, bipartisanship, and equitable access in the face of the next health emergency in America.”

This event will take place on June 5 at 2 pm ET. Register here.

Security and Emerging Technology Series: Assessing the AIxBio Policy Landscapes

From CSET: “We are pleased to invite you to the next session of our Security and Emerging Technology Seminar Series on June 6 at 12PM ET, which will feature a discussion of the policy challenges at the intersection of AI and biotechnology.”

“The Biden Administration’s Executive Order on AI included several provisions relevant to AI, biology, and the intersection of the two. For example, the EO calls for a study on the biosecurity risks presented by novel AI tools and directs the creation of a DNA synthesis screening mechanism.”

“Now that we’ve passed the 180 day milestone since the EO’s signing, where do things stand? Join us on June 6 for a discussion on what’s been accomplished, what we have learned, and what challenges remain. CSET Research Analyst Vikram Venkatram will moderate a discussion with CSET Research Fellow Dr. Steph Batalis, National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology Fellow Matthew E. Walsh, and Science Policy Consulting Principal Dr. Sarah Carter. Their discussion will be followed by audience Q&A.”

Learn more and register here.

Advancing Data Sharing to Strengthen One Health Effectiveness: A Webinar Series

From the National Academies: “Data sharing is critical for evidence-based decision making for health security and resilience. The One Health approach, which is founded on the interconnectedness of human, plant, animal, and environmental health, demonstrates the need for cross-disciplinary data sharing and interoperability. The National Academies Forum on Microbial Threats will host the first event in a quarterly webinar series that explores how a One Health approach can inform more robust data sharing.”

“The series will present a call to action, identify barriers and success stories, and highlight potential future actions to advance data sharing through a One Health lens. The five webinars will provide an overview of data sharing and One Health and will demonstrate how data sharing is critical for addressing climate change, building resilient data systems, and developing trust among diverse stakeholders in order to address pressing global health issues.”

This event will take place on June 11 at 12 pm ET. Learn more and RSVP 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.

“Safely Inhibiting Gene Editors”

From DARPA: “The rapidly evolving field of advanced genome editing tools has enabled the ability to modify genetic material in a manner that is precise, rapid, cost-effective, and broadly accessible. Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) and CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) or CRISPR-Cas technologies represent one of the most widely adopted tools in the genome engineering toolkit, and its advancement has revolutionized the field of biotechnology and genetic engineering. However, concerns regarding the precision, specificity, and control of CRISPR-Cas systems remain.”

“One promising avenue to enhance safety, efficacy, and utility is the discovery or design of novel inhibitors which have the potential to obstruct and tune regulation of CRISPR-mediated and other genome editing tools by limiting unintended, off-target effects and enabling control of activity in time and space. The DARPA Broad-Spectrum Antagonists For Editors, or B-SAFE, program aims to develop platform technologies for highly potent inhibitors for multiple classes, types, and species of editors with enhanced activity, utility, and breadth of coverage. By harnessing advanced computational discovery capabilities such as deep learning, the program also seeks to develop a platform for rapid discovery and development of inhibitors of novel, emergent gene editor technologies.”

‘“Previous DARPA investments in the Safe Genes program demonstrated discovery of potent inhibitors for a wide array1 of CRISPR-Cas technologies, and developed platforms for discovery of inhibitors of these systems2,3,” said Dr. Shannon Greene, B-SAFE program manager. “The B-SAFE program seeks to leverage these and other efforts to develop tools for discovery, optimization, and validation of broad-spectrum inhibitors for gene editing technologies.”’

“If the 30-month B-SAFE program is successful, performers will demonstrate broad-spectrum, potent and durable solutions as outlined in the broad agency announcement. Speed – both from novel editor to candidate inhibitor discovery, and from novel editor to in vitro model – is also critical, as is inhibitor functionality for novel editors.”

“DARPA will assess novel inhibitor activity in vitro over the course of the program and a subset of top performing molecules will be selected for scale up at quantities sufficient for testing and evaluation by Department of Defense stakeholders. Performers will also engage with appropriate regulatory authorities to meet or exceed safety regulations. Teams may be required to meet with ethical, legal, and societal implications experts and ensure the research addresses any related concerns.”

‘“In concert, DARPA is interested in exploring methods to rapidly discover inhibitor molecules for novel gene editing technologies beyond CRISPR-Cas systems to keep pace with the rapidly advancing field while promoting safe use and minimizing off-target effects.” added Greene.”

“A special notice is now available on SAM.gov.”

Pandora Report 5.24.2024

by dkellogg97, posted in Pandora Report

Happy Friday! This week’s Pandora Report includes updates on H5N1 following the report of another human case in the United States, the Department of Health and Huaman Services’ announcement of actions against EcoHealth Alliance leader Peter Daszak, discussion of recently-introduced agricultural bills, and more.

H5N1 Updates

United States Reports Another Human Case

Earlier this week, the United States reported a third human case of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) in Michigan. This is the second human case associated with the current multistate outbreak of A(H5N1) in dairy cows. According to the CDC, “As with the case in Texas, the individual is a worker on a dairy farm where H5N1 virus has been identified in cows. While a nasal swab from the person tested negative for influenza in Michigan, an eye swab from the patient was shipped to CDC and tested positive for influenza A(H5) virus, indicating an eye infection. Similar to the Texas case, the patient only reported eye symptoms. CDC has been watching influenza surveillance systems closely, particularly in affected states, and there has been no sign of unusual influenza activity in people, including in syndromic surveillance.”

However, based on information currently available, CDC says that the risk to the general public remains low. People with exposure to potentially infected animals are urged to take recommended precautions. People with close or prolonged, unprotected exposures to infected birds and other animals-or to environments contaminated by them-are at a greater risk of infection. The CDC has issued interim recommendations for prevention, monitoring, and public health investigations of H5N1 cases in people as well as updated recommendations for worker protection and use of personal protective equipment.

Source: USDA

Putting the Vacca Back in Vaccination

Earlier this month, the USDA issued a request for information to US companies about their abilities to produce H5N1 vaccines for cows. However, Science explains that market uncertainties and concerns about safety rules and export standards could be major roadblocks to developing and using such vaccines widely. The same article also explains that “The outbreak of avian influenza in U.S. dairy herds raises an obvious question: Why not adopt the strategy many countries use to protect poultry and vaccinate the cows? An H5N1 vaccine might not only protect cattle from infection and the concomitant drop in milk production, but also reduce the risk of the virus sickening farm workers. And it could limit opportunities for the virus to mutate and further adapt to mammals, which in theory could trigger a pandemic.”

Early Warnings in Texas

Multiple articles published recently have discussed the early warning signs of H5N1’s spread in Texas, including this piece from KFF Health News, which explains “In early February, dairy farmers in the Texas Panhandle began to notice sick cattle. The buzz soon reached Darren Turley, executive director of the Texas Association of Dairymen: “They said there is something moving from herd to herd.”’

“Nearly 60 days passed before veterinarians identified the culprit: a highly pathogenic strain of the bird flu virus, H5N1. Had it been detected sooner, the outbreak might have been swiftly contained. Now it has spread to at least eight other states, and it will be hard to eliminate.”

A CNN article discusses the run-up to Texas’ announcement that H5N1 was spreading amongst dairy cattle in the state for the first time. It discusses how, in early March, scientists at the Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, and UTHealth Houston were aware of the spread of the virus because of wastewater surveillance.

As the KFF article explains, “Why did it take so long to recognize the virus on high-tech farms in the world’s richest country? Because even though H5N1 has circulated for nearly three decades, its arrival in dairy cattle was most unexpected. “People tend to think that an outbreak starts at Monday at 9 a.m. with a sign saying, ‘Outbreak has started,’” said Jeremy Farrar, chief scientist at the World Health Organization. “It’s rarely like that.”’

Biden Administration Suspends Peter Daszak’s Funding

This week, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) sent a letter to Peter Daszak announcing actions similar to those taken against his organization, the EcoHealth Alliance (EHA), less than a week prior. The administration has “…suspended from all federal funding programs the scientist at the heart of the lab leak theory of the origins of the coronavirus, and proposed blocking him from receiving federal funding in the future.”

The letter explains that HHS aims to hold Daszak accountable for EHA’s “failure to adequately monitor the activities of the Wuhan Institute of Virology and then subsequently failing to report on the lab’s high-risk virus studies.” It further stated, “The alleged conduct of EHA is imputed to you, because during all or part of the time relevant, you participated in, knew of, or had reason to know of EHA’s improper conduct, through your role as the President of EHA.”

Read more about this letter and the circumstances leading to it here.

National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology Announces Introduction of Agriculture Bills

The National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) announced this week that its Congressional Commissioners-Senators Padilla and Young and Representatives Bice and Khanna-have introduced multiple agriculture bills that incorporate recommendations from NSCEB’s first report. NSCEB explains that “Recognizing that food security and agricultural supply chains are key elements of national security, the Commission developed its first three legislative proposals: the Agriculture and National Security Act, the Agricultural Biotechnology Coordination Act, and the Biotechnology Oversight Coordination Act. These bills direct the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and other agencies to consider emerging technology in multiple ways. Each bill makes structural improvements that strengthen the government’s abilities at the intersection of national security and emerging biotechnology.”

Furthermore, in addition to the bills (the Agriculture and National Security Act, Agricultural Biotechnology Coordination Act, and Biotechnology Oversight Coordination Act), “…the Senate package includes the Synthetic Biology Advancement Act (originally sponsored by Commissioner Senator Young and endorsed by the Commission). This would create a Synthetic Biology Center under USDA with a focus on the application of synthetic biology to food security and agriculture. Endorsing legislation is another mechanism that the NSCEB can use to promote good policy options.”

Learn more about these bills and their potential impact here.

CORRECTION: Last week in our announcement about graduating Biodefense MS students, we erroneously announced the winner of this year’s Frances Harbour Award as Olivia Parker. The winner of this year’s Frances Harbour Award is Sophia Hirshfield in recognition of her community leadership in the Biodefense Program. Congratulations to Sophia!

“Lessons Learned From the Kyrgyz Republic’s Public Health Response to COVID-19”

Biodefense MS Program alumnus Lewis Grant recently published this commentary piece in Health Security. He explains in part, “Throughout the pandemic, the Kyrgyz Republic also experienced border clashes over water resources with its neighbor, the Republic of Tajikistan. On April 28, 2021, tensions between Kyrgyz residents of Batken Province and Tajik residents of Sughd Province escalated into armed conflict, resulting in over 40,000 Kyrgyz people evacuated, 36 deaths, and 173 injuries.7 The COVID-19 pandemic was described as a major challenge to care provision in the final report from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.7 The report states that social distancing was difficult for Red Crescent Society of Kyrgyzstan workers while assisting Kyrgyz citizens affected by the violence. The report also states that infection prevention measures were difficult to promote among the emotionally distressed population.”

“New Biotech Platforms Offer Better Paths to Biosecurity”

Ryan Morhard recently published this piece with Think Global Health, writing in part, “The emergence of improved cybersecurity across information technologies can point the way how to secure another technological domain undergoing revolutionary change—biotechnology. The tools of biotechnology continue to improve rapidly, and governments, including that of the United States, are rightfully prioritizing biotechnology in their economic and security strategies. Now is a good time to consider how lessons from securing digital tech can guide efforts to safeguard the potential of the bioeconomy.”

“Safeguarding the Pandemic Agreement from Disinformation”

Alexandra Finch, Kevin A. Klock, Lawrence O. Gostin, Sam F. Halabi, and Sarah Wetter recently published this piece in Think Global Health that discusses a “sustained disinformation campaign worldwide that is “undermining the highly anticipated pandemic agreement.” They write in part of their introduction, “Complicating matters has been a sustained disinformation campaign worldwide to undermine the agreement by making and amplifying spurious assertions about what it intends to accomplish and how it will do so. Central to the disinformation campaign are erroneous claims about national sovereignty and forcible takings of pandemic countermeasures. Further, legitimate and unfounded unease concern weakened intellectual property (IP) and speech rights…Having followed the negotiations and provided technical assistance to the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) leadership over the last three years, our team is here to set the record straight.”

“Loyce Pace: U.S. Priorities at the 77th World Health Assembly”

Brian Simpson interviews Loyce Pace, the Assistant Secretary for Global Affairs at the US Department of Health and Human Services and part of the US delegation to the upcoming World Health Assembly, about the United States’ priorities at this meeting. When asked about the United States’ big priorities, Pace explained “Broadly speaking, we want to make sure that we continue to have the important conversations around global health security, and not just around response or emergency mode. Preparedness or prevention is just as important.”

“Also, we need to get back to basics when it comes to global health access overall, and explicitly equity across global health services and other issues.”

“A third priority for the U.S. is to make sure we have a sound WHO. We talked about WHO reform for a number of years—and WHO resources. The [WHO] is going to be unveiling their draft program of work, which is their strategy for the next several years. And that, notably, is going to lift up some areas that are increasingly important for global health and for global health institutions to prioritize.”

Read more here.

“Fatal Attacks on Health-Care Workers Doubled in 2023”

Allison Krugman recently authored this piece for Think Global Health discussing the findings of a new report from the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition that indicates 2023 was the deadliest year for attacks against healthcare workers since the coalition began its reporting a decade ago. She explains, “SHCC documented 480 health worker killings last year, almost double the figure from 2022. The report draws on conflicts across 30 countries, the greatest number of killings taking place in Myanmar, Palestinian territories (including Gaza), Sudan, and Ukraine…Doctors, nurses, ambulance drivers, and pharmacists were among those targeted or caught in crossfire. In Gaza, the number of health workers killed in 2023 was the highest of any conflict documented by the SHCC since its reporting began in 2016.”

“Dstl Helps Develop National Microbial Forensics Capability”

From the UK’s Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, this post discusses a recent workshop focused on the United Kingdom Microbial Forensics Consortium (UKMFC). The post explains in part, “The attendees of the workshop considered the strategic aims of the UKMFC and examined what existing computational tools and approaches could help meet this requirement. They also considered what analytical tools the UKMFC would need in the future to address new and emerging areas of concern…This is the first time bioinformaticians from government genomics laboratories have come together to consider the microbial forensics question. The connections have already led to new cross government collaborations in human, animal and plant pathogen genomics.”

“Body Lice May Be Bigger Plague Spreaders Than Previously Thought”

This Science Daily piece summarizes a recent PLOS study on body lice and Y. pestis transmission: “A new laboratory study suggests that human body lice are more efficient at transmitting Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes plague, than previously thought, supporting the possibility that they may have contributed to past pandemics. David Bland and colleagues at the United States’ National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases present these findings in the open-access journal PLOS Biology on May 21.”

“Will Destruction Of Smallpox Virus Get Postponed Again?”

Mark Kortepeter discusses the elimination of variola virus in this piece for Forbes, writing in part, “Is it finally time to eliminate the remaining stocks of variola (smallpox) virus for good? The World Health Assembly will discuss the current status on May 27. The World Health Assembly in 1996 set a date for virus destruction, but in subsequent resolutions the destruction of the virus has been postponed repeatedly to provide opportunities for research on the deadly virus to develop new countermeasures. There has been a decades-long debate on whether to eliminate the virus.”

“Meeting China’s Nuclear and WMD Buildup: Regional Threat Perceptions and Responses”

“This NBR Special Report presents case studies of how six regional countries (Australia, India, Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam) view China’s development of its nuclear weapons and other WMD capabilities. The case studies are preceded by an introduction from editor Bates Gill that discusses key findings and policy implications.”

Nuclear Facilities in Times of Crisis

From the Nuclear Threat Initiative: “As increasingly frequent and intense global crises pose new threats to civilian nuclear facilities, NTI has released a new paper, Nuclear Facilities in Times of Crisis, that evaluates existing strategies for reducing risks and recommends additional steps that governments, industry, and other stakeholders can take to build resiliency.”

“The NTI Paper examines two types of crises: armed conflict and natural disasters. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and seizure of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is a stark example of the type of armed conflict that nuclear facilities were not designed for, but now find themselves facing. At the same time, over 90% of the world’s nuclear energy plants are in locations that face high or extremely high risks of wildfire, drought, or flooding. The risks associated with these crises are particularly important to prepare for now, as a growing number of countries embark on nuclear energy programs in an effort to reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, bolster energy security, and improve grid reliability.”

“The paper’s recommendations fall into four categories:

  1. Plugging gaps and planning for the future by developing an international code of conduct for dealing with armed conflict near nuclear facilities.
  2. Preventing attacks on nuclear facilities by establishing and strengthening political and legal commitments for protecting facilities during armed conflict
  3. Building resiliency at nuclear facilities and improving response and contingency planning
  4. Containing crises that may erupt at a nuclear facility by keeping the most dangerous weapons-usable nuclear materials out of the fuel cycle”

“Burning Skin, Teary Eyes: Ukraine’s Troops Say Russia Is Using a Banned Toxic Gas”

Jane Lytvynenko recently authored this piece for the Wall Street Journal, writing in its introduction, “The Ukrainian soldiers were hunkered down last month in a front-line dugout and under siege from Russian drones dropping grenades. They were relieved at first when bomblets landed that didn’t explode. Then a strong smell of chlorine filled the air: The grenades were seeping poisonous gas.”

“The Ukrainians felt their skin sting, eyes water and lungs fill with smoke, provoking a hard cough. They rushed to wet rags with water and place them over their faces as the heavy gas filled the air around them. One of the fighters left the protection of the dugout to distract the enemy drones, allowing his compatriots to escape.”

“Oleksiy Bozhko, a volunteer medic whose team examined the men near the eastern city of Avdiivka, identified the gas as chloropicrin, a banned chemical irritant, based on the men’s symptoms and description of the smell. U.S. and Ukrainian officials, as well as medics, soldiers and international researchers say Russian use of toxic gases on the battlefield is increasing as Moscow ramps up an offensive designed to seize more of Ukraine’s territory than the roughly 20% it already occupies.”

Read more here.

“International Scientific Report on the Safety of Advanced AI”

From the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and the AI Safety Institute: “The International Scientific Report on the Safety of Advanced AI interim report sets out an up-to-date, science-based understanding of the safety of advanced AI systems. The independent, international, and inclusive report is a landmark moment of international collaboration. It marks the first time the international community has come together to support efforts to build a shared scientific and evidence-based understanding of frontier AI risks.”

“The interim report restricts its focus to a summary of the evidence on general-purpose AI, which have advanced rapidly in recent years. The report synthesises the evidence base on the capabilities of, and risks from, general-purpose AI and evaluates technical methods for assessing and mitigating them.”

“The report underlines the need for continuing collaborative international efforts to research and share knowledge about these rapidly evolving technologies. The approach taken was deliberately inclusive of different views and perspectives, and areas of uncertainty, consensus or dissent are highlighted, promoting transparency.”

ICYMI-Death Dust: Why the World Should Still Worry about Radiological Weapons – A Geneva Security Debate

From the Middlebury Institute: “Should the world still worry about state-level radiological weapons—a category of nonconventional weapons often referred to as “dirty bombs” and usually associated with non-state actors? What factors account for the initial pursuit of radiological weapons in the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, Egypt, and Iraq, and what explains their eventual abandonment? Looking forward, what are the prospects for the proliferation and use of radiological weapons and what can be done to curb their spread?”

“Two distinguished arms control experts will discuss lessons from prior radiological weapons programs and past efforts at the Conference on Disarmament to prohibit this category of nonconventional weapons. They also will examine a new US-led initiative to revive negotiations on a legally binding prohibition of radiological weapons production and use.”

“This seminar focuses on the findings of the new book “Death Dust: The Rise, Decline and Future of Radiological Weapons Programs” co-authored by William Potter, Sarah Bidgood, Samuel Meyer, and Hanna Notte (Stanford University Press, 2023).”

Watch the recording here.

ICYMI-Today’s Threats, Tomorrow’s Health: A Discussion with CDC Leaders

From CSIS: “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) overseas mission is an integral part of its mandate to respond to outbreaks at their source, protect the health of all Americans, and strengthen global health security. But this global programming has long remained underpowered, under resourced, and unrecognized for the critical contributions it secures for both national security and the stability of the broader world. This oversight threatens the sustainability of these vital programs, which are essential not only globally but also for maintaining health security within the United States.”

A full recording of this event is available here.

ICYMI-Strengthening US Defense Capabilities Against Deliberate Biological Threats: What Congress Needs to Know

From Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: The panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Tom Inglesby, discussed how the US government views and prepares for deliberate biological threats. Panelists shared how each of their agencies contributes to US biodefense and how they work across government to advance this mission.”

Watch the event recording here.

NEW: Security and Emerging Technology Series: Assessing the AIxBio Policy Landscapes

From CSET: “We are pleased to invite you to the next session of our Security and Emerging Technology Seminar Series on June 6 at 12PM ET, which will feature a discussion of the policy challenges at the intersection of AI and biotechnology.”

“The Biden Administration’s Executive Order on AI included several provisions relevant to AI, biology, and the intersection of the two. For example, the EO calls for a study on the biosecurity risks presented by novel AI tools and directs the creation of a DNA synthesis screening mechanism.”

“Now that we’ve passed the 180 day milestone since the EO’s signing, where do things stand? Join us on June 6 for a discussion on what’s been accomplished, what we have learned, and what challenges remain. CSET Research Analyst Vikram Venkatram will moderate a discussion with CSET Research Fellow Dr. Steph Batalis, National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology Fellow Matthew E. Walsh, and Science Policy Consulting Principal Dr. Sarah Carter. Their discussion will be followed by audience Q&A.”

Learn more and register here.

NEW: Advancing Data Sharing to Strengthen One Health Effectiveness: A Webinar Series

From the National Academies: “Data sharing is critical for evidence-based decision making for health security and resilience. The One Health approach, which is founded on the interconnectedness of human, plant, animal, and environmental health, demonstrates the need for cross-disciplinary data sharing and interoperability. The National Academies Forum on Microbial Threats will host the first event in a quarterly webinar series that explores how a One Health approach can inform more robust data sharing.”

“The series will present a call to action, identify barriers and success stories, and highlight potential future actions to advance data sharing through a One Health lens. The five webinars will provide an overview of data sharing and One Health and will demonstrate how data sharing is critical for addressing climate change, building resilient data systems, and developing trust among diverse stakeholders in order to address pressing global health issues.”

This event will take place on June 11 at 12 pm ET. Learn more and RSVP here.

NEW: 2024 ChABSA Annual Scientific Symposium

The Chesapeake Area Biological Safety Association (ChABSA) is hosting its 2024 Annual Scientific Symposium in-person in Rockville, MD, and virtually on June 5. This year’s keynote presentation will be delivered by Lisa Hensley, Zoonotic and Emerging Disease Research Unit USDA, National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility. Learn more and register here.

Ready or Not 2024: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism

From TFAH: “Please join Trust for America’s Health (TFAH) for a virtual Congressional briefing and national webinar on our recent report, Ready or Not 2024: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism.”

“The report identifies gaps in national and state preparedness to protect residents’ health during emergencies and makes recommendations to strengthen the nation’s public health system and improve emergency readiness. As the nation experiences an increasing number of infectious disease outbreaks and extreme weather events, the report found that while emergency preparedness has improved in some areas, policymakers not heeding the lessons of past emergencies, funding cuts, and health misinformation are all putting decades of progress at risk.”

“A panel of subject matter experts will discuss the nation’s readiness for public health emergencies, examine the findings of the report, and discuss key recommendations for policymakers. The briefing will include time for Q&A from the audience.”

This event will take place on May 29 and 2 pm EST. Learn more and register here.

Optimizing Federal, State, and Local Response to Public Health Emergencies

From NASEM: “The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Committee on Science, Technology, and Law cordially invites you to attend a virtual workshop to examine how legal authorities affected the ability of public health agencies and federal, state, and local governments to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and explore approaches to ensure a more effective response to future public health crises. The allocation of legal authority has become an issue of immediate relevance as the United States confronts an H5N1 avian influenza outbreak in dairy cattle.”

“The workshop, which will highlight ideas for optimizing the response to future public health emergencies, will be held on Thursday, May 30, 2024 from 12:00 to 5:30 pm U.S. Eastern and Friday, May 31, 2024 from 12:00 to 4:30 pm U.S. Eastern. It will include the following sessions:

1) Optimizing Federal, State, and Local Public Health Preparedness  
2) The COVID-19 Pandemic: What happened? What went right? What went wrong?  
3) Public Health Emergency Authorities: What we know about them and how did we experience them before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic? 

  • Case Study I: Pandemic Orders and Religious Liberty
  • Case Study II: New York City Vaccine Mandates: Who Has the Authority?
  • Case Study III: The Experience with Public Health Emergency Authorities Before, During, and After COVID-19
  • Case Study IV: The Future of Public Health Authority at the Federal, State, and Local Level

4) Exploring Routes and Barriers to Effective Public Health Response Efforts During the COVID-19 Pandemic
5) Looking to the Future: Where do we go from here? 
6) Concluding Thoughts from Workshop Planning Committee”

Learn more and register here.

American Democracy and Health Security Initiative: Lighting a Path Amid Pandemic Polarization

“Please join the Brown University School of Public Health Pandemic Center, the COVID Collaborative, and the CSIS Bipartisan Alliance for Global Health Security for the launch of the American Democracy and Health Security Initiative.”

“The story of how America fared under the Covid-19 pandemic is actually two stories. While the more well-known story is one of failure, confusion, and polarization, the other story is one of American ingenuity amidst profound uncertainty. State and local leaders were at the center of this untold story—in serving their communities they innovated, bridged divides, and illuminated America’s path during the Covid-19 pandemic’s darkest days. The American Democracy and Health Security Initiative spotlights these lamplighters and harvests their hard-won lessons, to ensure the most successful strategies can be sustained or replicated in future crises.”

“On June 5, the American Democracy and Health Security Initiative will publish its findings on what actionable steps are needed to advance our health security for the future. The event will feature leaders from across the country from Governors, advisors, and health leaders to community organizations, educators, businesses, and crisis managers. We will discuss urgent opportunities to make the country more resilient against future threats to our health security and to our democracy and identify national and local innovations that must be retained and playbooks that are needed to reinvigorate leadership, bipartisanship, and equitable access in the face of the next health emergency in America.”

This event will take place on June 5 at 2 pm ET. 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.

IFBA Launches “BIORISK ADVENTURE” Online Risk Assessment Game

From the International Federation of Biosafety Association: “The IFBA is pleased to announce the launch of BIORISK ADVENTURE, an online game-based learning tool, illustrating the concepts of the risk-based approach for managing biological risks as outlined in the WHO 4th Edition Laboratory Biosafety Manual and its supporting monographs. Through real-life scenarios set in several geographical locations and incorporating the core requirements and options for heightened control measures, players use their judgment in selecting available risk mitigation measures depending on the nature of the pathogen and laboratory activities, local geographic conditions, and available resources.”

“Biological risk assessment forms the foundation of sustainable and impactful biosafety and biosecurity solutions. By playing this game, you will learn how to apply knowledge and make sound judgments in the selection of appropriate risk-control measures that are achievable using the local resources available, that are not overly restrictive, and that enable the work to proceed safely and securely.”

“Click here to create and account and start playing, earn achievement badges and see your name at the top of the leaderboard! http://ifbabioriskadventure.org/“

“On July 1st, after the first month of play, the highest-ranking individual on the leaderboard will be awarded a voucher towards a free online IFBA professional certification exam.”

AdvancingBiosecurity Tianjin Biosecurity Roleplay Challenge

AdvancingBiosecurity now offers this roleplaying challenge which allows users to “…take on the role of different stakeholders in the biosecurity realm, that face different dilemmas in their everyday lives.” It is designed to help better understand the Tianjin Biosecurity Guidelines for Codes of Conduct for Scientists. The page also includes several brief videos explaining different facets of the guidelines. Learn more and play here.

Pandora Report 4.26.2024

by dkellogg97, posted in Pandora Report

Happy Friday! This week’s edition of the Pandora Report covers Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s warning about Russia’s continued occupation of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on the 38th anniversary of the fateful explosion at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, updates on the federal government’s sluggish response amid continued spread of H5N1 in the United States, and more.

On Chornobyl Disaster Anniversary, Zelensky Warns Russian Seizure of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant Could Lead to Similar Disaster

Today, on International Chernobyl Disaster Remembrance Day and the 38th anniversary of the explosion at Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy highlighted the ongoing risk posed by Russia’s occupation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. Russia has occupied the plant since March 2022, and it briefly held the site in Chornobyl earlier in its invasion. Both incidents have sparked concern due to unsafe practices at both locations.

In his statement, Zelenskyy said “Radiation sees no borders or national flags. The Chornobyl disaster demonstrated how rapidly deadly threats can emerge. Tens of thousands of people mitigated the Chornobyl disaster at the cost of their own health and lives, eliminating its terrible consequences in 1986 and the years after…For 785 days now, Russian terrorists have held hostage the Zaporizhzhia NPP. And it is the entire world’s responsibility to put pressure on Russia to ensure that ZNPP is liberated and returned to full Ukrainian control, as well as that all Ukrainian nuclear facilities are protected from Russian strikes. This is the only way to prevent new radiation disasters, which the Russian occupiers’ presence at ZNPP constantly threatens.”

As of March this year, “The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board of governors resolution notes that the six-unit Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant (ZNPP) has been under Russian military control for more than two years and “expresses serious concern about the unstable state of nuclear safety and security at the ZNPP, especially the lack of adequately qualified personnel at the site, gaps in planning and prevention work, the lack of reliable supply chains, the vulnerable state of water and electricity supply outside the site, as well as the installation of anti-personnel mines in the buffer zone between the internal and external perimeter of the installation”.” (World Nuclear News)

Another Game of Infectious Disease Chicken? Federal Government Under Scrutiny for Slow H5N1 Response

Veterinarians and other professionals in the United States and abroad are increasingly criticizing the federal government for what they describe as a delayed effort to share data on viral changes, spread, and milk safety as H5N1 continues to spread in several states. So far, 33 dairy cattle herds in eight states have tested positive. Following the announcement of a human case in Texas recently, concern among scientists and the general public has continued to grow, though authorities continue to emphasize the US milk supply is safe and the risk to the general public is low.

Source: USDA

However, 1 in 5 retail milk samples in the country now test positive for H5N1 fragments according to the FDA, leaving some even more weary. This comes as the Department of Agriculture recently announced that there is growing evidence the virus is spreading among cows, in addition to continued spread from birds to cows. Furthermore, officials in North Carolina have reported a herd tested positive while remaining asymptomatic, though USDA has yet to discuss this publicly. The USDA is currently not requiring farms to test their herds for infection, though it did announce it will begin reimbursing farms for testing cows that are not symptomatic in addition to those that are visibly ill.

As STAT News explains, “Three and a half weeks after first announcing the startling news that cows from a milking herd in Texas had tested positive for H5N1, the government agencies involved in the investigations have not yet revealed what research shows about whether pasteurization of milk kills this specific virus. And until Thursday, U.S. officials had not disclosed whether the now 29 affected herds in eight states form a single linked outbreak fueled by the movement of cattle from the Texas panhandle, where the first outbreak was discovered. At present, STAT was told, that does not appear to be the case.”

The same article continues: “Other countries are trying to determine whether this event is a strange one-off, or proof that the wily virus has evolved to be able to infect cattle more easily, and what risk their own herds — and potentially people — could face if the latter is true. But they are operating largely in the dark because the United States has released such sparse information, said Marion Koopmans, head of the department of viroscience at Erasmus Medical Center in the Dutch city of Rotterdam.”

As this all points to the outbreak being larger than previously thought, the USDA has implemented a rule requiring the testing of all lactating cows before they can be moved across state lines, though experts think this is probably not going to do much to contain transmission at this point. There have also yet to be cases in pigs, which is good because pigs have human and avian receptors, making them especially dangerous in the context of H5N1 spread. However, the US government’s slow reaction and hesitancy to share information is deeply concerning for several key reasons.

A lack of transparency now holds the potential to be incredibly damaging if H5N1 spreads much further, particularly if it does begin spreading in pigs or person-to-person. While the US government does have stockpiled antivirals and vaccines that should be effective against this virus, depending on these measures and continuing to act as if everything is fine is a very dangerous game. Public trust in relevant institutions and these tools is at a dangerous low, and the public is likely to be more susceptible to mis- and disinformation if the federal government continues to drag its feet on sharing information now. This is a major threat to global health, and action needs to be taken now to give everyone, not just the US, the best chance to respond appropriately if this problem does escalate.

Donna E. Shalala Named Co-Chair of Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense

Former Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna E. Shalala was named Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense this week following the passing of former Senator Joe Lieberman, a founding Co-Chair of the Commission, last month. She will serve alongside former Pennsylvania Governor and DHS Secretary Tom Ridge. The Commission’s announcement explains that “Dr. Shalala is Trustee Professor of Political Science and Health Policy at the University of Miami, where she served as president from 2001-2015. She served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2018-2020, representing Florida’s 27th Congressional District. In 1993, President Clinton nominated her as Secretary for Health and Human Services, where she served for eight years. Most recently, Dr. Shalala was named interim president of The New School in New York City.”

‘“This issue of biodefense, of keeping us safe from biological weapons and pandemic-causing diseases, was of great importance to Joe as it is to each of us who continue this work,” said Dr. Shalala. “I thank Gov. Ridge for his steadfast leadership, and for welcoming me as his co-chair.”’

Michael Koeris Appointed Director of DARPA’s Biotechnologies Office

Michael Koeris, Professor of Bioprocessing and a member of the Amgen Bioprocessing Center at the Keck Graduate Institute, was recently tapped to lead the Defense Advanced Research Agency (DARPA) Biotechnology Office (BTO). Koeris has been influential in the field of synthetic biology for years, having recently led the NIH’s RADx initiative as a portfolio executive and serving as Senior Bio Advisor & Venture Partner to The Venture Collective. In this new role, Koeris will oversee DARPA’s efforts to prioritize advancements in synthetic biology, particularly as it relates to areas like AI and space.

Read more about Koeris’ background and path to DARPA’s BTO here.

“Reinforcing Global Biodefense: The Case for Amending the Biological Weapons Convention to Enhance International Law and Legitimacy”

Biodefense PhD Student Ryan Houser recently published this article in the Rutgers Law Record, explaining in his introduction “The BWC is the cornerstone of the biological weapons disarmament regime, but the treaty is having difficulty keeping up with changing threats due to its decision-making process and geopolitics. Fundamentally flawed, the BWC is “crippled by key compromises made by the great powers in pursuit of various self interested security objectives in the context of the Cold War.”5 In November 2022, over two years after the widescale emergence of COVID-19, the international community met to review the BWC for the ninth time. In early 2022, the prospects for strengthening the BWC were the best they had been in years as China, Russia, and the United States had articulated individual plans that reflected enough common ground to craft a workable compromise.6 This cautious optimism around the BWC’s improvement prospects were spoiled by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022. The illegal aggression of Russia undermined the rules-based international order that the BWC is intertwined with. As part of the invasion, Russia also deliberately fabricated allegations levied against Ukraine, the United States, and other partners7 which “stigmatizes and politicizes biosafety, biosecurity, and cooperative public health and life sciences research to the detriment of not just Ukraine, but global health security overall.”8 Efforts to misrepresent or undermine legitimate biosafety and biosecurity research and capacity building weaken the BWC and undermine international cooperation for peaceful purposes.”

“Bringing New Technologies to Bear for Biosurveillance”

Biodefense PhD program alumnus and Schar School adjunct faculty member Daniel M. Gerstein recently coauthored this piece for Food Safety Magazine, which explains in its introduction “Public health, agriculture, the environment, and the food supply could be severely affected by the presence of infectious agents that occur naturally, are the result of accidents, or are intentionally introduced. Yet today, the capability to detect these biological pathogens effectively and rapidly is lacking. This shortfall continues, despite recent key technological advances that could alter the biosurveillance landscape…The foundations of biosurveillance lie in the One Health concept, which the World Health Organization defines as “an integrated, unifying approach that aims to sustainably balance and optimize the health of people, animals, and ecosystems.”1 This approach acknowledges the direct relationship between the health outcomes of people, animals, and ecosystems. What affects one, affects all.”

“Teetering on the Edge: Retaliatory Strikes Between Iran and Israel”

Schar School faculty member Mahmut Cengiz recently published this article with Homeland Security Today, writing in his introduction “Once again, tensions are rising in the Middle East, and the continuous cycle of retaliatory strikes between Iran and Israel could lead to unintended consequences and jeopardize security in the region. The Hamas terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023, marked a significant turning point in the history of terrorism and its impact on regional dynamics in the Middle East. These attacks resulted in the deaths of more than 1,300 Israelis, prompting severe retaliatory measures from Israeli forces. However, Israel’s counterterrorism efforts have faced strong criticism due to the casualties of over 33,000 Palestinians and the destruction of thousands of buildings in Gaza. The disproportionate number of civilian casualties, particularly women and children, has sparked debate regarding the legitimacy of terrorist operations in the region. The Tehran regime has promptly engaged in the conflict to pursue regional and global opportunities.”

“Statement of the G7 Non-Proliferation Directors Group, G7 Italy 2024”

The G7 Non-Proliferation Directors Group recently released their statement ahead of the G7 meeting in Italy this June. Their statement covers numerous areas, including nuclear safeguards, conventional weapons, AI and emerging technologies, and more. On biological and chemical weapons, they explain in part “The G7 reaffirms its strongest commitment to effective multilateral actions against the proliferation of all weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery. As such, we continue to stress the centrality of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC), and the importance of ensuring their full and effective implementation and universalization.”

Read the entire statement here.

“Strengthening Global Biosecurity and Biosafety Efforts: The Role of the BWC National Implementation Database in Informing and Guiding National Policies”

Jaroslav Krasny recently authored this blog post for the National University of Singapore’s Centre for International Law, explaining in part “The Biological Weapons Convention National Implementation Database (“BWC Database”), developed collaboratively by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) and the Verification Research, Training and Information Centre or VERTIC, serves as a resource for understanding and supporting the implementation of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC). This new database compiles information on how State Parties meet their obligations under the BWC. It is designed to assist a wide range of stakeholders, such as government officials, legal professionals, researchers, non-governmental organizations, international bodies, and the private sector, by providing access to detailed information on national implementation practices. The objective is to support compliance with the BWC and contribute to global efforts in biosecurity and biosafety by making relevant information accessible to all interested parties.”

“NTI Convenes the First International AI-bio Forum”

From the Nuclear Threat Initiative: “NTI | bio convened more than 25 high-level biosecurity professionals, AI experts, and policymakers for the inaugural meeting of the International AI-Bio Forum. Participants included representatives from industry, such as Anthropic and Google DeepMind, experts from China, India, Nigeria, the U.K., the U.S., and representatives from multilateral institutions. The virtual meeting was held on April 10-11 and focused on defining the scope, institutional structure, and initial priorities of the International AI-Bio Forum to position it for success in reducing risks associated with rapidly advancing AI-enabled capabilities to engineering living systems.”

Read more here.

“Fighting ‘Smart’ Pandemics: Mitigating Risks and Harnessing the Potential of AI for Biosecurity”

This report was produced by Foreign Policy Analytics with support from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI): “Each year, FP Analytics (FPA) invites practitioners, experts, and thought leaders to participate in interactive, scenario-based simulations that foster dialogue and seek innovative solutions to pressing global issues. In February 2024, FPA partnered with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) and the Munich Security Conference (MSC) to produce a simulation, “Fighting ‘Smart’ Pandemics.” The simulation built upon a multistakeholder roundtable discussion that FPA and CEPI co-hosted on the sidelines of the 2023 UN General Assembly, which highlighted the intersection of AI and biosecurity as a key priority area warranting deeper and sustained engagement from global leaders. CEPI, alongside the International Pandemic Preparedness Secretariat, has led a “100 Days Mission” to enable the design, testing, and development of pandemic countermeasures within 100 days of an epidemic or pandemic threat’s emergence, a goal supported by the G7 but not yet realized.”

“A National Security Insider Does the Math on the Dangers of AI”

This Wired piece covers an interview with Jason Matheny, CEO of the RAND Corporation, and his thoughts on AI advancement making it easier to create biological and other weapons. In it, he explains his transition from working in public health to focusing on national security and how this has shaped his thinking, saying in part “When I first started getting interested in biosecurity in 2002, it cost many millions of dollars to construct a poliovirus, a very, very small virus. It would’ve cost close to $1 billion to synthesize a pox virus, a very large virus. Today, the cost is less than $100,000, so it’s a 10,000-fold decrease over that period. Meanwhile, vaccines have actually tripled in cost over that period. The defense-offense asymmetry is moving in the wrong direction.”

“Strengthening Biosecurity in Southeast Asia”

DTRA’s Andrea Chaney recently authored this piece that covers the recently-concluded Southeast Asia Strategic Biosecurity Dialogue. She explains in part, “In the context of Southeast Asia’s increasingly complex biosecurity landscape, dialogue participants engaged in several roundtable discussions covering a range of biosafety and biosecurity topics. Participants brought a broad scope of expertise, including health, defense and law enforcement, biology and biotechnology, international relations, and non-proliferation. The discussions encompassed Southeast Asia’s regional biosecurity priorities; building resilience to future threats; laboratory biosecurity and biosafety; the convergence of biology and emerging technologies; medical countermeasures development, production, and stockpiling strategies; and the role of the military in biosecurity.”

“Emerging Biotechnology Capacity and Emerging Biosecurity Threats in Colombia and Chile”

Steve S. Sin recently published this section in a report from the Army War College, “Emerging Technologies and Terrorism: An American Perspective”: “With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, countries around the world came to recognize the importance of maintaining a national stockpile of biologics (for example, vaccines) and, if possible, possessing domestic capabilities to produce the biologics required to fight the spread of communicable diseases. In South America, Colombia and Chile at one point possessed robust vaccine production capabilities but abandoned them decades ago.1 Although some within these countries called for a renewal of their vaccine production capabilities, the calls went unheard—that is, until the COVID-19 pandemic. As the world weathered the pandemic and countries scrambled to secure the vaccines needed to combat it, Colombia and Chile decided they would return to producing biologics domestically as well as double down on their already-active biotechnology policies that had been designed to encourage public-private partnerships and attract foreign investments.”

“Biotech Matters: Public-Private Coordination of Biotechnology”

Richard Danzig recently authored this piece for CNAS, writing in part “The U.S. successes and failings during the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with perceptions that China vigorously coordinates its public and private sectors, generated calls for an American industrial policy that would further orchestrate biotechnology work in the United States. In this context, the natural tendency is to regard improved coordination as straightforwardly achievable through improved processes and enlightened leadership…The nation would be well advised, however, to recognize that the difficulties are more deeply rooted than simply failures of will, imagination, or efficiency. Three deep-seated problems impede progress.”

APIC Emerging Infectious Diseases HPAI Playbook

The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology regularly publishes playbooks for specific diseases, including a new one for Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza: “To help infection preventionists quickly activate Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) prevention efforts, APIC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases Task Force has created an HPAI Playbook that IPs can download and customize for use in their facilities. The Playbook is a concise workflow document that is designed to be user-friendly and operational for busy IPs.”

“The Viral Most Wanted: The Hantaviruses”

CEPI’s Kate Kelland recently authored this latest entry in CEPI’s Viral Most Wanted focused on the hantaviruses, writing in the work’s introduction: “The Albuquerque Journal, a newspaper in the U.S. state of New Mexico, ran an alarming headline in its May 27th edition in 1993: “MYSTERY FLU KILLS 6 IN TRIBAL AREA”. The article told a story that had first come to light two weeks earlier, when a 19-year-old man was rushed to the emergency department of the Indian Medical Centre in Gallup.”

“The man, a Native American from the Navajo tribe, had been travelling with his family to his fiancée’s funeral when he began struggling to breathe in the car’s back seat. The family veered off the road to call for an ambulance. Both the first responders and, later, the emergency room doctors tried to revive the victim with cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but their efforts were in vain. The young man’s lungs were flooded with fluid. He had effectively drowned.”

“The ER doctors were shocked, not only at the speed and dramatic nature of the man’s death, but by the similarity of the case to that of a young woman a few weeks earlier who had suffered the same symptoms and also died.” 

“Over the next few weeks, more than a dozen more people in the area contracted the deadly disease, many of them young Navajos.”  

“During the same period, doctors and public health officials tried desperately to identify what was causing the outbreak. On June 11th, 1993, the weekly Morbidity And Mortality report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) revealed that the mystery pathogen was “a previously unrecognized Hantavirus”.” 

“The novel viral villain belonged to the Hantavirus family—a group of viruses normally carried by rats, mice and other rodents and known to cause severe disease in people. The Hantavirus family is one of The Viral Most Wanted.“

“Public Health Preparedness: Mpox Response Highlights Need for HHS to Address Recurring Challenges”

The Government Accountability Office recently published this report on HHS’ response to the mpox outbreak in the United States: “Health and Human Services was initially charged with coordinating the federal response to a 2022 global outbreak of mpox—a smallpox-related virus.”

“State and local jurisdictions cited challenges in the federal response such as difficulty accessing and using vaccines and tests, which may have led to unnecessary suffering. We added HHS’s leadership and coordination of public health emergencies to our High Risk List earlier in 2022 due to similar issues in past responses.”

“We recommended that HHS adopt a coordinated, department-wide program that incorporates input from external stakeholders to identify and resolve challenges.”

“Deadly Diseases and Inflatable Suits: How I Found My Niche in Virology Research”

Nikki Forrester recently authored this spotlight piece for Nature covering the career of  Hulda Jónsdóttir: “Virologist Hulda Jónsdóttir studies some of the world’s most pathogenic viruses at the Spiez Laboratory in Spiez, Switzerland. For her, highly pathogenic viruses are more often a source of curiosity than of concern. Jónsdóttir, who runs a research group at the Spiez Laboratory, regularly dons a giant, inflatable protective suit to research disinfectants and antiviral compounds to combat several lethal viruses, including Ebola virus and Lassa virus. Jónsdóttir spoke to Nature about carving her own path in virology research and why she chose to pursue a career in Switzerland and at the Spiez Laboratory, which is owned and funded by the Swiss government.”

What We’re Watching 🍿

IR Thinker, Chemical and Biological Weapons – Brett Edwards | 2024 Episode 7

“In this enlightening interview, Dr. Brett Edwards, an expert in chemical and biological weapons, describes the history, current capabilities, and future challenges associated with these formidable weapons systems. Dr. Edwards discusses the evolution of chemical and biological warfare, the verification processes for weapon destruction, and how these weapons integrate into national military strategies. He also addresses the ethical debates surrounding their use, international efforts to control such weapons, and the specific challenges posed by conflicts like the ongoing war in Ukraine.”

Watch here.

ICYMI-Oppenheimer: The Rest of the Story

Middlebury’s James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies recently hosted this event with Siegfried Hecker: “Christopher Nolan’s biopic Oppenheimer has captured the interest of nearly 100 million people around the world. Dr. Hecker will provide the back story to some key elements of the film and share his views on the legacy of Oppenheimer and the Manhattan Project, based on his more than five-decades associated with the laboratory Oppenheimer led.”

The event recording is available here.

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.

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.

Applied Biosafety Call for Papers, Special Issue: Biosafety and Biosecurity for Potential Pandemic Pathogens and Dual Use Research of Concern

“The fields of biosafety and biosecurity are crucial to managing risks associated with Potential Pandemic Pathogens (PPPs) and Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC), particularly as novel and reemerging pathogens increasingly impact global health. The Editors of Applied Biosafety are pleased to announce a forthcoming Special Issue focused on the myriad of risks associated with handling, transporting, and researching PPPs and DURC, as well as the measures needed to mitigate these risks effectively. This special issue aims to review and scrutinize existing and forthcoming government policies and regulations to identify gaps in addressing these concerns. It will also explore the integral role played by biosafety and biosecurity professionals in shaping policy and guidance.”

Learn more here.

Job Openings at the Institute for Progress

Senior Biotechnology Fellow

“Our biotechnology portfolio explores how we can advance policies that improve U.S. state capacity to accelerate and shape promising innovations in biotechnology and biotechnology governance. Innovations in biology may finally deliver cures to HIV, malaria, influenza, and some cancers. New AI models are unfolding the secrets of the molecular world before our eyes. Spurred by the urgency of the pandemic, we are now closer than ever before to developing technologies to prevent future such outbreaks.”

“Biotechnology fellows are expected to have a keen interest in these issues. Under the guidance of the IFP team, they will explore and become experts in specific biotechnology topics, both from a technology and policy perspective. Fellows will interact with policymakers, write articles and white-papers, and more. We encourage fellows to pursue creative routes that they think might have significant counterfactual policy impact.”

Biotechnology Fellow

“Biotechnology fellows are expected to have a keen interest in these issues and the ways the U.S. government supports and oversees them. Under the guidance of the IFP team, they will explore and become experts in specific biotechnology topics, both from a technical and policy perspective. Fellows will interact with policymakers, write articles and white papers, and more – we encourage fellows to pursue creative routes that they think might have significant counterfactual policy impact.”

Learn more and apply to these positions here.

Job Opening at Blueprint Biosecurity

“Blueprint Biosecurity is seeking a full-time Program Director to build and lead our portfolio of work on personal protective equipment (PPE). We are seeking a proactive leader who thrives in a dynamic and evolving environment. You will have a high degree of autonomy to design and steer a pioneering program that aims to advance the state of PPE for pandemic prevention. This effort will build on the roadmap for Pandemic Proof PPE, developing goals and objectives to translate our ambitious vision into tangible outcomes. A successful candidate will be excited about building an effort from the ground up and willing to pivot and iterate to find ways to succeed.”

“In this role, you will be working collaboratively with other teams within and external to Blueprint Biosecurity. The ideal candidate will have excellent interpersonal abilities and strong skills in project management, strategic prioritization, research, and analysis.”

Learn more and apply here.

Pandora Report 4.19.2024

by dkellogg97, posted in Pandora Report

This week’s edition of the Pandora Report covers GMU’s opening of the Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center, the United States’ latest Global Health Security Strategy, WHO’s new definitions for airborne pathogens, and more. New publications, upcoming events, and job openings are also included.

GMU College of Engineering and Computing Opens Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center

George Mason University’s College of Engineering and Computing formally opened the Mason Autonomy and Robotics Center (MARC) this week at an event on the University’s campus in Fairfax, VA. In his remarks at the event, Dean Ken Ball told the crowd “MARC is the focal point for our research in autonomy, robotics, and AI. Mason truly is a pace-setter in these areas.”

Both Ball and University President Gregory Washington noted that in addition to being a leader in AI, the university is focusing on responsible AI, with a graduate certificate in that field launching in fall 2024.

Learn more about MARC and GMU’s focus on responsible AI and other technologies here.

White House Releases Latest Global Health Security Strategy

This week, the Biden administration launched the new U.S. Global Health Security Strategy (GHSS), which broadly calls for a whole-of-government, science-based approach to strengthening global health security. In a statement, the White House said “Building on progress achieved since 2019 and incorporating lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Global Health Security Strategy lays out a path to deliver on the goals in the 2022 National Biodefense Strategy and Implementation Plan and the bipartisan Global Health Security and International Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response Act of 2022, which was enacted as part of the James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023. ­It places county-driven action, equity, and inclusion at its core to ensure the world is better prepared to prevent and respond to health emergencies, including pandemics. The Strategy also envisions using United States leadership to drive global action toward shared goals, including stronger investment and commitment by other countries.”

The GHSS sets three main goals to guide the country’s global health security agenda:

  1. “Strengthen global health security capacities through bilateral partnerships”
  2. “Catalyze political commitment, financing, and leadership to achieve health security,” and
  3. “Increase linkages between health security and complementary programs to maximize impact”

Read the summary of these goals and the overall strategy here.

WHO Updates Terminology for Pathogens That Transmit Through the Air

The WHO announced changes to how it defines airborne transmission and other related terms this week. In a statement, the Organization said “Following consultation with public health agencies and experts, the World Health Organization (WHO) publishes a global technical consultation report introducing updated terminology for pathogens that transmit through the air. The pathogens covered include those that cause respiratory infections, e.g. COVID-19, influenza, measles, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and tuberculosis, among others.”

“The publication, entitled “Global technical consultation report on proposed terminology for pathogens that transmit through the air”, is the result of an extensive, multi-year, collaborative effort and reflects shared agreement on terminology between WHO, experts and four major public health agencies: Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention; Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention; European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control; and United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This agreement underlines the collective commitment of public health agencies to move forward together on this matter.”

This document, among other things, explains that the term “through the air” may be used in reference to infectious diseases “where the main type of transmission involves the pathogen travelling through the air or being suspended in the air, in line with other terms such as “waterborne” diseases, which are understood across disciplines and by the public.”

As Reuters explains, “Agencies have historically required high levels of proof before calling diseases airborne, which required very stringent containment measures; the new definition says the risk of exposure and severity of disease should also be considered. Past disagreements also centred around whether infectious particles were “droplets” or “aerosols” based on size, which the new definition moves away from.”

NIH Revises Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules

The NIH recently published revisions to NIH Guidelines to outline biosafety practices for research involving gene drive modified organisms (GDMOs) in contained research settings. The revisions include:

  • “Specifying the minimum containment requirement for research involving GDMOs;
  • Articulating considerations for risk assessment and additional responsibilities for Institutional Biosafety Committees (IBCs) and Biosafety Officers”.

The revised version is now available here.

“Opinion: The Next Pandemic Threat Demands Action Now”

Jaime M. Yassif recently published this piece with CNN, writing in her introduction “The headlines are concerning: “Highly pathogenic avian influenza found in Texas, Kansas dairy cattle.” “Bird flu detected in dairy worker.” “First human case of avian flu in Texas raises alarm.” Could this be how the next pandemic begins? Well, so far US officials are saying they believe there is minimal risk to the public from the latest iteration of bird flu.”

“But with growing evidence of potential mammal-to-mammal spread just weeks after the new bird flu was detected in cows, many of us in the biosecurity and pandemic preparedness community believe that leaders in capitals around the globe should be working to get ahead of this new public health threat in case the H5N1 flu virus gains the ability to spread among humans.”

“H5N1 Bird Flu in U.S. Cattle: A Wake-Up Call to Action”

Luciana Borio and Phil Krause recently published this opinion piece with STAT News, in which they explain “Comparisons to seasonal flu management underestimate the unique challenges posed by H5N1. Unlike its seasonal counterparts, vaccines produced and stockpiled to tackle bird flu were not designed to match this particular strain and are available in such limited quantities that they could not make a dent in averting or mitigating a pandemic, even if deployed in the early stages to dairy workers. The FDA-approved H5N1 vaccines — licensed in 2013, 2017, and 2020 — do not elicit a protective immune response after just one dose. Even after two doses, it is unknown whether the elicited immune response is sufficient to protect against infection or severe disease, as these vaccines were licensed based on their ability to generate an immune response thought to be helpful in preventing the flu.”

The Outbreak Atlas

Rebecca Katz and Mackenzie S. Moore recently published this book: “Designed for the general public, this book provides an overview of outbreak activities alongside more than 100 engaging case studies and visuals to guide readers through the complexity involved in outbreak preparedness, response, and recovery and the many fields involved.”

“Outbreak Atlas lifts the curtain on the rationale and interconnectedness of outbreak responses across different fields and at various levels, presenting accessible information that ensures a shared understanding of the essential activities to control an outbreak.”

Learn more and purchase here.

“WHO Technical Advisory Group on the Responsible Use of the Life Sciences and Dual-Use Research (‎TAG-RULS DUR)‎:  Report of the Inaugural Meeting, 24 January 2024”

From WHO: “The Technical Advisory Group on the Responsible Use of the Life Sciences and Dual-Use Research (TAG-RULS DUR) was established in November 2023 to provide independent advice to WHO including on technical and strategic advice relevant to the monitoring and mitigation of biorisks, advances in the life sciences and related technologies, the governance of dual-use research and the responsible use of the life sciences.”

“On 24 January 2024, eighteen members of the TAG-RULS DUR virtually met to introduce TAG-RULS DUR members; to discuss current and future activities related to the responsible use of the life sciences and dual-use research; and to share the members’ perspectives and visions on the work ahead.”

Read the report here.

“Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction, Newsletter Issue No. 15, April 2024”

The Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction’s latest newsletter has several items of interest, including discussion of the recent creation of the Countering WMD Disinformation Initiative and the new home of the Global Partnership 1540 Assistance Support Initiative Database. Give the newsletter a read and subscribe here.

“The State of Compliance with Weapons of Mass Destruction-Related Treaties”

Shannon Green and Christine Parthemore recently authored this piece for the Council on Strategic Risks, explaining in their introduction “Every year, the US Department of State is mandated to provide an update to Congress on compliance with core treaties that focus on addressing weapons of mass destruction (WMD) risks: the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), and a host of agreements pertaining to nuclear weapons, including the New START Treaty, Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Threshold Test Ban Treaty, and nuclear testing moratoria. This post highlights a few key updates from these compliance reports, and examples of the many things the US government is pursuing to address these threats, with the greatest emphasis on the treaties banning chemical and biological weapons. On the whole, the reports show that most nations abide by these treaties, though the nations certified in non-compliance and those for which there is insufficient information to make a compliance determination, demonstrate increasingly troublesome developments such as the pursuit of dual-use programs.”

“NATO Releases First International Strategy on Biotechnology and Human Enhancement Technologies”

“NATO Allies broke new ground by adopting the first international strategy to govern the responsible development and use of biotechnologies and human enhancement technologies at a meeting of Allied Defence Ministers in February. On Friday (12 April 2024), NATO released a public version of the strategy.”

Read more here.

“Technological Risks Are Not the End of the World”

Jack Stilgoe, a sociologist, recently published this piece in Science discussing the risk AI and other technologies pose to humanity, writing in part “Sociologists have found that, when it comes to science and innovation, distance normally lends enchantment. Those on the fringes of innovation may see technology as magical, but the people who see it up close understand the messy reality. With AI, even the people nearest the technology seem in thrall to it. Hinton explained to me his surprise at the giant leaps made by the large language models that his research has helped enable: “it’s very exciting. It’s very nice to see all this work coming to fruition. But it’s also scary.” He, like other AI researchers, cannot fully explain how the machines do what they do and is troubled by the implications. Last year, Hinton stepped down from his role at Google and chose to speak out about what he saw as the existential dangers of AI.”

‘Astrobiodefense:’ Thinktank Calls for Defending Earth From Space Bugs”

In this piece for Space Insider, Leonard David discusses recent work done by members of the Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense focused on potential biodefense threats posed by space exploration. He writes in part “While many debate the possibility of advanced, intelligent life elsewhere, few consider the probability of non-intelligent alien microorganisms. These life forms could exist on other planets or moons, hitchhike on spacecraft, or move through the universe in the asteroids they inhabit.”

“They [there] could also be Earth microbes that mutate or evolve in response to the stress of spaceflight, becoming more virulent, resistant, or invasive. Either would seriously threaten the public health, safety, and security of humans, animals, and plants operating in space or living on Earth,” they noted.”

NEW-BWC: Scientific and Technological Advisory Mechanism

From UNIDIR: “The Friends of the Chair, together with UNIDIR and UNODA, are organizing an informal webinar on a BWC scientific and technological advisory mechanism. This webinar is intended to support ongoing activities of the BWC Working Group and stimulating thinking and discussion around a mechanism during the intersessional period. The event will consist of an expert panel followed by a moderated question-and-answer session with the audience.”

This online event will take place on April 25, 13:15-14:45 CEST. Learn more and RSVP here.

ICYMI: Capitol Hill Steering Committee on Pandemic Preparedness and Health Security, Preventing and Preparing for the Next Pandemic: A Focus on Funding Priorities

From the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security: “The panel discussion, moderated by Anita Cicero, discussed highlights from the finalized FY 2024 funding bills and looked ahead to appropriations for FY 2025 and beyond. It considered the priorities laid out in the recently released President’s Budget Request and discussed how sustainable investments in preparedness can lead to tangible improvements in our nation’s health security.”

Watch here.

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.

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.

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 Openings at the Institute for Progress

Senior Biotechnology Fellow

“Our biotechnology portfolio explores how we can advance policies that improve U.S. state capacity to accelerate and shape promising innovations in biotechnology and biotechnology governance. Innovations in biology may finally deliver cures to HIV, malaria, influenza, and some cancers. New AI models are unfolding the secrets of the molecular world before our eyes. Spurred by the urgency of the pandemic, we are now closer than ever before to developing technologies to prevent future such outbreaks.”

“Biotechnology fellows are expected to have a keen interest in these issues. Under the guidance of the IFP team, they will explore and become experts in specific biotechnology topics, both from a technology and policy perspective. Fellows will interact with policymakers, write articles and white-papers, and more. We encourage fellows to pursue creative routes that they think might have significant counterfactual policy impact.”

Biotechnology Fellow

“Biotechnology fellows are expected to have a keen interest in these issues and the ways the U.S. government supports and oversees them. Under the guidance of the IFP team, they will explore and become experts in specific biotechnology topics, both from a technical and policy perspective. Fellows will interact with policymakers, write articles and white papers, and more – we encourage fellows to pursue creative routes that they think might have significant counterfactual policy impact.”

Learn more and apply to these positions here.

Job Opening at Blueprint Biosecurity

“Blueprint Biosecurity is seeking a full-time Program Director to build and lead our portfolio of work on personal protective equipment (PPE). We are seeking a proactive leader who thrives in a dynamic and evolving environment. You will have a high degree of autonomy to design and steer a pioneering program that aims to advance the state of PPE for pandemic prevention. This effort will build on the roadmap for Pandemic Proof PPE, developing goals and objectives to translate our ambitious vision into tangible outcomes. A successful candidate will be excited about building an effort from the ground up and willing to pivot and iterate to find ways to succeed.”

“In this role, you will be working collaboratively with other teams within and external to Blueprint Biosecurity. The ideal candidate will have excellent interpersonal abilities and strong skills in project management, strategic prioritization, research, and analysis.”

Learn more and apply here.

Job Openings at NTI

(NTI | bio), Focus: Biosecurity Dialogue

“NTI is seeking a Senior Program Officer or Director (title to be determined based on candidate experience) to join the Global Biological Policy and Programs team. The selected candidate will help lead NTI | bio efforts to bolster biosecurity in countries around the world, among other areas of focus. This position reports to the NTI Vice President for Global Biological Policy and Programs. This is a full-time hybrid position, working a minimum of three days a week in our Washington, DC office.”

Senior Program Officer/Director, Global Biological Policy and Programs (NTI | bio), Focus: Biotech Governance

“NTI is seeking a Senior Program Officer or Director (title to be determined based on candidate experience) to join the Global Biological Policy and Programs team. This position reports to the NTI Vice President for Global Biological Policy and Programs. The selected candidate will help lead NTI | bio efforts to strengthen biotechnology governance. This is a full-time hybrid position, working a minimum of three days a week in our Washington, DC office.”

Learn more and apply to these positions here.

Pandora Report 4.12.2024

by dkellogg97, posted in Pandora Report

This week’s Pandora Report covers the Schar School’s recent performance in the US News and World Report rankings, updates on H5N1 and its spread in the United States, and discussion of recent Congressional action focused on the risk posed by synthetic nucleic acids. New publications, events, and professional opportunities are also included.

George Mason’s Schar School Ranked 4th Nationally for Graduate Programs in Homeland Security

For the seventh year in a row, George Mason’s Schar School of Policy and Government has been ranked in the top 10 graduate programs nationwide for homeland security, according to U.S. News and World Report. The Schar School also ranks 39th nationally and 26th overall among public universities for public affairs; 13th nationally and 10th among public universities in nonprofit management; 33rd nationally and 24th among publics for public management and leadership; and 31st nationally and 17th among publics for public policy analysis.

“These rankings are affirmation of the strong quality of the Schar School’s academic programs and cutting-edge research,” said Schar School Dean Mark Rozell. “The continued growth in the rankings aligns to the value proposition that Schar provides to students and career-seekers located in the Washington, D.C., region, offering direct access to leaders, news makers, policy advocates, and amazing faculty expertise.”

In addition to programs in political science, international security, and other disciplines, the Schar School is home to the Biodefense Graduate Program, which offers various certificates, an online and in-person MS in Biodefense, and a PhD in Biodefense.

H5N1 Continues to Spread in the US Amid Growing Concern About Threat to Public

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5) viruses continue to spread across the United States, with nearly 86 million birds affected in 1,118 reported outbreaks across 48 states as of April 10. The CDC issued a health advisory last week informing clinicians, state health departments, and the public of a confirmed case of H5N1 in a human patient in Texas. As just two humans-both of who worked closely with livestock-have been infected with H5N1 in the United States ever (one in Colorado in 2022 and the recent case in Texas), public health authorities continue to emphasize that the risk to the general public remains low, despite worrying trends in the spread of this virus amongst birds and mammals in the US and Canada.

However, not everyone is convinced. Luciana Borio and Phil Krause discuss this in their article for STAT News that was published today, writing “The recent detection of H5N1 bird flu in U.S. cattle, coupled with reports of a dairy worker contracting the virus, demands a departure from the usual reassurances offered by federal health officials. While they emphasize there’s no cause for alarm and assert diligent monitoring, it’s imperative we break from this familiar script.”

STAT’s Helen Branswell covered the same topic in a piece last week, writing in part “To put these developments in perspective, STAT turned to Dutch virologist Ron Fouchier, a leading expert on H5N1, for his assessment of these latest twists in the H5 saga. Fouchier, who studies avian influenza at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, was at the center of a controversy about H5N1 in 2012, when a U.S. scientific advisory group moved to restrict publication of research he and a team at the University of Wisconsin-Madison had done — separately — to see what mutations would be needed for the virus to be able to spread efficiently among people, so-called gain of function research.”

“Fouchier takes little solace from the fact that current versions of H5N1 seem to infect people less frequently, and to cause mostly mild illness when they do. The global range of H5 viruses — the sheer volume of the virus in nature — and the numbers of mammals H5 has shown itself capable of sickening is unprecedented, he said, making anticipating its future path harder than ever to gauge.”

Regardless of the official risk to the public, the last few weeks have brought several worrying developments as cows were once thought to be unlikely victims of H5N1, and frequent human contact with livestock gives the virus more opportunity to spread to people. Because of this, as Nature news explains, “Scientists are scrambling to assess how well candidate vaccines and antiviral drugs will work against the circulating strain and to update diagnostic kits for identifying infections in people quickly. They are also trying to understand whether the cows were infected by birds or another source, and are on alert for any changes in the situation that could raise the risk for people.”

avian-flu-transmissionDownload

Related Reading: Vietnam Reports First Human Infection with Avian Influenza Avian Influenza H9N2 Virus, CDC

Members of Congress Call On OSTP to Take Action on Risk of Misuse of Synthetic Nucleic Acids

This week, members of Congress, including Representatives Julia Brownley (D-CA), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Neal P. Dunn, MD (R-FL), Bill Foster (D-IL), Andy Harris, MD (R-MD), Sara Jacobs (D-CA), Rich McCormick (R-GA), August Pfluger (R-TX), Haley M. Stevens (D-MI), and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-MA), announced an action urging the US Office of Science, Technology, and Policy to “issue strong guidance that mitigates risk and misuse of synthetic nucleic acids, a vital bio-material.”

While synthetic nucleic acids have been instrumental in important innovations like new drugs and therapies, concerns regarding the increasing ease of synthesizing them and their general availability have grown in recent years. As a recent piece from NIST highlights, this is especially true given rising concerns about synthetic biology and the potential for its misuse in conjunction with advances in artificial intelligence.

Congresswoman Brownley said in a statement about the letter, “Given advances in biotechnology, common-sense oversight of synthetic nucleic acids has never been more necessary. There is the real possibility that things could go really wrong if a bad actor were to use these new biotechnologies to create a viable pathogen or other biological hazards. Certain common-sense regulations, like screening customers before they can acquire synthetic nucleic acids, should be commonplace and can be fully implemented while supporting scientific and commercial research.” 

Regarding the letter to OSTP, Jaime Yassif, Vice President for Global Biological Policy and Programs at the Nuclear Threat Institute, said “DNA synthesis is a powerful, fundamental tool for basic and applied bioscience research. Because DNA synthesis technology provides tremendous benefits but also could pose significant risks if misused, it will be critically important for the U.S. Government to play a leadership role in setting global standards for safeguarding this technology.”

Meanwhile, Jassi Pannu, Senior Biotechnology Fellow at the Institute for Progress, said “This bipartisan letter on the need for common-sense screening of synthetic nucleic acid orders and customers addresses a key check-point in providing oversight of emerging artificial intelligence and biotechnology risks without bottlenecking innovation.”

“What Will Australia’s Approach to Net Assessment Be?”

Peter Dortmans and Dan Gerstein, an alumnus of the Biodefense PhD Program and a Schar School adjunct faculty member, recently co-authored this piece for the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. In it, they discuss the recommendations of the 2023 Defense Strategic Review and its specific identification of net assessment as an important tool for overhauling the way Australia plans for and acquires defense capabilities. They explain that “To date, net assessment has been the tool of major powers—the US and USSR/Russia—and more recently NATO and the UK. The net assessment that Australia employs must be adapted to Australia’s middle-power status and its strategic location, as those are critical in establishing in what form and under what circumstances Australia can realise its strategic goal of deterrence by denial.”

“Charting Strategies: Analyzing Taliban and Regional Resolve in Combating ISIS-K”

Mahmut Cengiz, Schar School Associate Professor and Research Faculty with the Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center, recently published this article in the Small Wars Journal discussing the implications of recent attacks by ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K). He explains that “The attacks carried out by ISIS-K in Iran on 4 January 2024, resulting in 84 fatalities, and in Russia on 22 March 2024, resulting in 140 fatalities, significantly raised the organization’s prominence in 2024. Despite ISIS-K claiming responsibility for both attacks, discrepancies arose regarding the details. In Iran, ISIS-K’s claim of two suicide bombers and over 300 casualties contradicted Iranian officials’ reports of remotely detonated explosives and 84 deaths. Similarly, uncertainties surrounded the identities and plans of militants involved in the attack in Russia. Both the Iranian and Russian governments pointed fingers at state actors, blaming the US, UK, and Ukraine for the Russia attack and the US and Israel for the Iran attack. The reluctance of both countries to transparently investigate and share information has resulted in unresolved queries and persistent uncertainties. There is a likelihood of governmental involvement in these attacks, albeit shrouded in mystery, underscoring concerns about the susceptibility of jihadist organizations to infiltration by intelligence services.”

“Recent Changes in Patterns of Mammal Infection with Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N1) Virus Worldwide”

Pablo I. Plaza, Víctor Gamarra-Toledo, Juan Rodríguez Euguí, and Sergio A. Lambertucci recently published this Synopsis in Emerging Infectious Diseases: “We reviewed information about mammals naturally infected by highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus subtype H5N1 during 2 periods: the current panzootic (2020–2023) and previous waves of infection (2003–2019). In the current panzootic, 26 countries have reported >48 mammal species infected by H5N1 virus; in some cases, the virus has affected thousands of individual animals. The geographic area and the number of species affected by the current event are considerably larger than in previous waves of infection. The most plausible source of mammal infection in both periods appears to be close contact with infected birds, including their ingestion. Some studies, especially in the current panzootic, suggest that mammal-to-mammal transmission might be responsible for some infections; some mutations found could help this avian pathogen replicate in mammals. H5N1 virus may be changing and adapting to infect mammals. Continuous surveillance is essential to mitigate the risk for a global pandemic.”

“The Poxviruses”

In this latest installment of CEPI’s The Viral Most Wanted, Kate Kelland tackles the poxviruses, writing in the piece’s introduction: “With no cases to remind us, it’s easy to forget the scale and ferocity of Smallpox. It was – is – a truly horrific disease.”  

“The infection is caused by the Variola Virus, which is most often breathed in by its victims. Typically, it starts with a high fever, muscle aches, headaches and vomiting. A few days later, a rash begins to appear on the tongue, mouth and throat in the form of red spots and sores.”

“Within a day or so, the rash spreads in little bumps to the skin of the face, and then on to the arms, legs, torso and all over the body, including the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet. Only then do the disease’s signature pus-filled pustules feature, gradually bursting and scabbing up over the following days.” 

“Those who died of Smallpox usually did so within one to two weeks. In the 20th Century alone, the disease is estimated to have killed between 300 million and 500 million people. Among those it didn’t kill, it left many either blind or horribly disfigured, or both.”

“Today Smallpox is known as much for what it can no longer do. It no longer infects, disfigures or kills people in their millions. Thanks to a global vaccination campaign first made possible by the English physician and scientist Edward Jenner more than 200 years ago, Smallpox is the first and – so far – the only human disease ever to have been eradicated.”

“Unfortunately, however, the Poxvirus family behind the Variola Virus that causes Smallpox has plenty of other menacing members – making this family one of The Viral Most Wanted.”

Applied Biosafety Special Issue on Biosafety and Biosecurity for Synthetic Genomics

Applied Biosafety recently published a special edition focused on biosafety and biosecurity for synthetic genomics. Articles in this edition include “Enhancing Gene Synthesis Security: An Updated Framework for Synthetic Nucleic Acid Screening and the Responsible Use of Synthetic Biological Materials”, “Safeguarding Mail-Order DNA Synthesis in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”, “A Methodology for the Assessment and Prioritization of Genetic Biocontainment Technologies for Engineered Microbes”, and more.

“How to Avoid Human-Made Pandemics”

Filippa Lentzos and Jens H. Kuhn recently published this piece with The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, writing in their introduction “How do you pitch a news story about people agreeing rigorously with each other?”

“That question was raised by a journalist during a report presentation at the UN by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Independent Task Force on Research with Pandemic Risks. This 28-member task force, consisting of ourselves and other experts in biosafety, biosecurity, microbiology, epidemiology, and ethics from around the world, was taking questions about its new report, which tackles the highly challenging topic of recommending constructive ways to improve safety and security for research with known and potentially pandemic pathogens. The report was especially noteworthy because the diverse task force—some of whom publicly and vehemently disagree on which activities are risky and should be better monitored—was able to find common ground, and a lot of it.”

“Bold Goals Require Bold Funding Levels. The FY25 Requests For The U.S. Bioeconomy Fall Short”

Nazish Jeffery recently authored this article for the Federation of American Scientists in which they highlight funding decreases and shortfalls in the FY25 budget request as it pertains to the US bioeconomy. They write in part, “Despite this need for funding for the U.S. bioeconomy, the recently-completed FY2024 (FY24) appropriations were modest for some science agencies but abysmal for others, with decreases seen across many different scientific endeavors across agencies. The DOC, and specifically the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), saw massive cuts in funding base program funding, with earmarks swamping core activities in some accounts.” 

“There remains some hope that the FY2025 (FY25) budget will alleviate some of the cuts that have been seen to science endeavors, and in turn, to programs related to the bioeconomy. But the strictures of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, which contributed to the difficult outcomes in FY24, remain in place for FY25 as well.”

“NTI and CACDA Co-Convene Track II Biosecurity Dialogue”

From NTI: “On April 2, 2024, the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association (CACDA) and the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) jointly convened a virtual Track II Dialogue, a forum to promote mutual understanding among Chinese and U.S. experts about urgent and emerging biosafety and biosecurity risks.”

“Mr. Dai Huaicheng, Secretary General of CACDA and Dr. Jaime Yassif, NTI Vice President for Global Biological Policy and Programs, addressed U.S. and Chinese experts, emphasizing the importance of working together to safeguard bioscience and biotechnology so society can enjoy their benefits while reducing the risk of accidental or deliberate misuse. Experts had in-depth discussions that focused on defining key terms, sharing practical approaches to governing dual-use bioscience research and development, and exploring potential areas for U.S.-China collaboration. NTI and CACDA aim to continue this dialogue to advance joint efforts to reduce emerging biological risks associated with advances in technology.”

“More than 20 U.S. and Chinese experts and scholars from academia, industry, and non-governmental organizations participated in the dialogue.”

Read more here.

“WHO Technical Advisory Group on Biosafety (TAG-B) Report of the Annual Meeting, 26-27 September 2023, Istanbul, Türkiye”

From WHO: “The TAG-B held its annual in-person meeting in Istanbul, Türkiye on 26-27 September 2023. This meeting was convened to 1) Advance the work of the TAG-B by reviewing the progress of current projects and to facilitate in-depth and extensive discussions on these initiatives; 2) Meet with TAG-B Secretariat from WHO Headquarters, staff of Regional Offices and representatives of WHO Collaborating Centres to discuss perspectives and priorities, and identify Member States’ needs related to laboratory biosafety and biosecurity; 3) Discuss and reach consensus on the strategy for the remainder of 2023 and priority actions for the TAG-B; and 4) Review, discuss and provide advice for laboratory biosafety/laboratory biosecurity strategies, priority projects and deliverables for the next biennium (2024–2025). The report available here covers the presentations and discussions surrounding these objectives, as well as the agenda and list of participants for the meeting.”

“Biosecurity: Where Science and Diplomacy Combine”

From The World Academy of Sciences: “From virus detection to preventing biological weapon development—biosecurity is an arena in which science and diplomacy must ultimately combine, said the participants at the latest science diplomacy course co-organized by TWAS.”

“The event brought 18 early-career researchers from low- and middle-income countries to Trieste, all life scientists for whom science diplomacy was new, to teach them about the field, as well as research responsibility. The event also taught them ways to provide policy advice, contribute to international agreements, and build on the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). After two days of the course on science diplomacy, the participants relocated to International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) headquarters in Trieste for three days of hands-on biotechnology training in the laboratory.”

“Partnering with TWAS in organizing the event were the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) Implementation Support Unit, ICGEB and the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP).”

Read more here.

“How to Kill a Pandemic Treaty”

Rory O’Neill discusses the failure of countries to reach a deal for a pandemic treaty with just two months to go until the World Health Assembly in this piece for Politico. O’Neill discusses how the “specters of imperialism and Covid betrayal hang heavy over talks,” writing in part “The idea wasn’t just to hammer out details of a diplomatic text, but to talk through the frustrations and grievances that have hampered progress towards drawing up the world’s first pandemic treaty — a noble but ill-fated attempt to deal with the next pandemic quicker, better, and more equitably than happened with Covid-19…It was the third such retreat for diplomats since last year, taking place in the middle weekend of the latest round of negotiations. And judging by the state of the talks, this group therapy — courtesy of the International Peace Institute headed by Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein of Jordan — was much needed.”

“The Australia Group and the Prevention of the Re-Emergence of Chemical and Biological Weapons”

JP Zanders recently published this piece on his page, The Trench, covering the European Union Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Consortium’s 11th Consultative Meeting (hosted in 2022) and a resulting publication “The Australia Group and the Prevention of the Re-Emergence of Chemical and Biological Weapons – Ongoing Challenges“. Zanders explains a bit about the publication (which he edited), writing “The present publication by the Fondation pour la recherche stratégique is the direct result of this breakout session. The different angles to the analysis of the Australia Group with reference to the BTWC and the CWC revealed interesting viewpoints about how an informal arrangement relates to formal and quasi-universal treaties comprehensively banning two discrete weapon categories. Other export control arrangements are either standalone initiatives (e.g. the Missile Technology Control Regime or the Wassenaar Arrangement) or, in the case of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, linked to a non-proliferation rather than disarmament treaty. One of the central questions that came to the fore was whether to try and achieve greater integration and coordination among the four export control arrangements. If so, how might this intent affect the Australia Group that had adjusted its mission to support both global disarmament treaties? The BTWC and the CWC each have an article on international cooperation, development and scientific and technology exchanges for peaceful purposes. During the 1990s and 2000s, many developing countries came to view the Australia Group’s activities as incompatible with the disarmament objectives.”

“Project Sapphire: Harbinger of Kazakhstan’s Contribution to Global Security”

Aida Haidar discusses Project Sapphire and Kazakhstan’s choice to renounce the WMD it inherited from the USSR with Andy Weber in this piece for The Astana Times, explaining in part “Weber personally witnessed Kazakhstan’s initial steps towards a future without nuclear arms. He recalled a top-secret operation known as Project Sapphire that took place in 1994 and involved safeguarding 600 kilograms of highly enriched uranium (HEU) in the eastern part of Kazakhstan to prevent any misuse by terrorist or criminal organizations. There was no established protocol for experts to handle such a large amount of HEU capable of producing more than twenty Hiroshima-sized bombs. Weber, who served as the first secretary at the newly established U.S. Embassy in Almaty, played a key role in that operation.”

“Attacks on Ukrainian Nuclear Facilities ‘Must Cease Immediately’: UN Atomic Watchdog”

From UN News: “Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said the targeting marked a “major escalation” in the level of danger facing the power plant.”

“It was the first time since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 that the ZNPP – Europe’s largest nuclear power plant – has been directly targeted. It has been occupied by Russian forces since the early weeks of the fighting.”

“As of Sunday, while there were “no indications” of damage to critical nuclear safety or security systems, the strikes were “another stark reminder” of the threats to the power plant and other nuclear facilities during the ongoing war, IAEA said.”

‘“Although the damage at unit 6 has not compromised nuclear safety, this was a serious incident that had the potential to undermine the integrity of the reactor’s containment system,” Director General Grossi said.”

Read more here.

“Stories from Georgia’s Nuclear Odyssey: Adventures in Nuclear Risk Reduction”

From the Stanley Center for Peace and Security and Shorena Lortkipanidze, a co-founder and board member of the Civil Council on Defense and Security: “A good story doesn’t just help you understand something, it makes you feel something. As a Georgian, when I hear stories from Georgian professionals who worked on risk reduction in the post-Soviet years, I feel helpless, insecure, and deeply proud.”

“Last year, my colleagues and I partnered with the Stanley Center to bring forward stories from Georgian former officials and practitioners and elevate them for discussion at a workshop in Tbilisi.”

“The stories include ones from heroic individuals who chased orphan radioactive sources in an almost failed, newly independent state. They include stories from individuals who traced the cracks of the Soviet nuclear research legacy. They also show stories from individuals who had to act, often without the resources or mature institutions with which to manage these challenges. Such stories tell of how a small state survived the turbulent path to independence and aligned itself with international principles and standards.”

“Though the stories are unique, the lessons are broad. Georgian stories give a clear understanding of the existential importance of international support and partnership in preventing nuclear and radiological risks. They highlight how small countries are related to arms control issues, as such measures often have direct consequences on small states and their security.”

“I invite you to watch, listen to, and read the stories below. They are the latest in the series of stories on Adventures in Nuclear Risk Reduction.”

“By telling our stories and learning from them, we will be better prepared for challenges that the future may hold. Because the past never ends. Though its lessons can be forgotten if we do not share and reflect on our stories.”

What We’re Listening To 🎧

The BWC Global Forum: Biotech Biosecurity & Beyond, Episode #12: Fermentation Science

“In this episode, we discuss the convergence of fermentation, perhaps the world’s oldest biotechnology, with modern advancements in molecular biology to produce non-animal proteins as a sustainable food source. The exponential growth of the human population and our continued reliance on traditional processes for growing crops and raising animals for food risk widespread food security challenges, as we approach the limit of Earth’s arable land. Cutting-edge biotechnology tools and novel applications of ancient fermentation processes allow us to modify bacteria, fungi, and other organisms, so we can leverage their unique properties to produce sustainable and nutritious—and tasty!—alternatives to animal-based proteins.”

Poisons and Pestilence, 25 Movie Review Special: The Rock with Steve Johnson

“The second of our movie review specials. This one looking at The Rock (1996). With Steve Johnson https://x.com/CBRNEsteve?t=_sSXmOA7t4xGzvcW8TUYPA&s=09″

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.

Learn more and register here.

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.

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.

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 Announcements at NTI

(NTI | bio), Focus: Biosecurity Dialogue

“NTI is seeking a Senior Program Officer or Director (title to be determined based on candidate experience) to join the Global Biological Policy and Programs team. The selected candidate will help lead NTI | bio efforts to bolster biosecurity in countries around the world, among other areas of focus. This position reports to the NTI Vice President for Global Biological Policy and Programs. This is a full-time hybrid position, working a minimum of three days a week in our Washington, DC office.”

Senior Program Officer/Director, Global Biological Policy and Programs (NTI | bio), Focus: Biotech Governance

“NTI is seeking a Senior Program Officer or Director (title to be determined based on candidate experience) to join the Global Biological Policy and Programs team. This position reports to the NTI Vice President for Global Biological Policy and Programs. The selected candidate will help lead NTI | bio efforts to strengthen biotechnology governance. This is a full-time hybrid position, working a minimum of three days a week in our Washington, DC office.”

Learn more and apply to these positions here.

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 3.29.2024

by dkellogg97, posted in Pandora Report

This week’s Pandora Report covers the creation of the National Bioeconomy Board, reports of HPAI infections in cattle in multiple states, a new PBS public health docu series, new professional opportunities, and more.

Biodefense PhD Student Presents Research at 2024 Preparedness Summit

Kimberly Ma, a PhD student in the Biodefense Graduate Program, recently presented her research at the 2024 Preparedness Summit in Cleveland. She told the Pandora Report a bit about it, saying “This week, I had the fortune to once again attend the Preparedness Summit in Cleveland. This was my third time attending, but this time, instead of as a public health worker, I came in my personal and Ph.D. student capacity to present my poster “Bioterrorism Risk Communications: Where Are We Now?” and a session born out of a peer-reviewed article in Health Security that I wrote with preparedness leaders across the country, “Reimagining Incident Management Systems for Public Health Responses.”

Read more about her experience here.

White House Launches National Bioeconomy Board

The White House recently announced that it is launching the National Bioeconomy Board to help manage the economic impact of biotechnology and biomanufacturing. In a blog post for the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), Sarah Glaven, OSTP’s Principal Assistant Director for Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing, Industrial Innovation, explained “Biotechnology harnesses the power of biology to create new services and products, which provide opportunities to grow the U.S. economy and workforce and improve the quality of our lives and the environment. This week, the Biden-Harris Administration took an important step toward realizing the potential of biotechnology for the U.S. economy by launching the National Bioeconomy Board. The Board will work with partners across the public and private sectors to advance societal well-being, national security, sustainability, economic productivity, and competitiveness through biotechnology and biomanufacturing.”

The same blog explains that “The National Bioeconomy Board is co-chaired by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the Department of Commerce (DOC), and the Department of Defense. The Board also includes representatives from nine additional federal departments and agencies: The State Department, National Science Foundation, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Health and Human Services, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of Justice, Department of Energy, Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. Board members represent the variety of biotechnology and biomanufacturing stakeholders across the federal government, including departments and agencies that promote economic development, sponsor fundamental research, facilitate technology commercialization, focus on safety and security, and engage in workforce training.”

The creation of the Board accompanies the Inflation Reduction Act, Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and CHIPS and Science Act as part of the administration’s Investing in America agenda, which aims “…to revitalize U.S. manufacturing, bolster national security, and build a sustainable economy for all Americans. The strategy is catalyzing investment in the bioeconomy: since the start of the Biden-Harris Administration, private companies have announced over $20 billion in biomanufacturing investments.”

Bird Flu Detected in Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico

On March 25, USDA officials reported cows in Texas, Kansas, and New Mexico were sick with what is presumed to be the H5N1 influenza virus that has already killed millions of birds. These cattle infections are spoiling milk and causing disease in older animals, with some impacted farms also reporting that dead birds have been discovered on their property, potentially explaining the source of the cattle infections. A case of highly pathogenic avian influenza was detected in a Minnesotan goat earlier this month, marking the first US livestock case of a disease that very rarely spreads between mammalian species.

An article for Science News explains that “Gregory Gray, an epidemiologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch, calls the new detections in cows across multiple states a “worrisome” development because it may signal this bird flu strain is spreading directly between cattle, instead of via birds, and has mutated in ways that could allow it to better infect people. But preliminary studies on the affected cows show no signs that the virus has changed, the National Veterinary Services Laboratories said in a statement yesterday.”

The threat to the public is still considered low, though human cases have been reported recently in Cambodia and Vietnam.

“National Road Map to Invest in RNA Science and Biotechnology”

This write-up from Global Biodefense breaks down a recent report from the National Academies that “charts a course for developing technologies and infrastructure that would enable the determination of any epitranscriptome of scientific and public interest.” The write-up explains in part “Currently, without knowing the exact composition of all RNA molecules that derive from each gene, researchers’ ability to understand the molecular underpinnings of health and disease is severely limited. Every cell in every organism has a different set of modified RNA molecules that make up its epitranscriptome. Epitranscriptomes are constantly changing as cells develop and respond to their environment. RNA can act as an indicator about a patient’s health, is a potential pathway for delivering treatments, and provides real-time information about what is changing and happening in an organism.”

“Charting a Future for Sequencing RNA and Its Modifications: A New Era for Biology and Medicine”

From the National Academies: “Concerted efforts to deepen understanding of RNA modifications and their role in living systems hold the potential to advance human health, improve crop yields, and address other pressing societal challenges. RNA, which carries the information encoded by DNA to the places where it is needed, is amazingly diverse and dynamic. RNA is processed and modified through natural biological pathways, giving rise to hundreds, in some cases thousands, of distinct RNA molecules for each gene, thereby diversifying genetic information. RNA modifications are known to be pivotal players in nearly all biological processes, and their dysregulation has been implicated in a wide range of human diseases and disorders. Yet, our knowledge of RNA modifications remains incomplete, hindered by current technological limitations. Existing methods cannot discover all RNA modifications, let alone comprehensively sequence them on every RNA molecule. Nonetheless, what is known about RNA modifications has already been leveraged in the development of vaccines that helped saved millions of lives worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. RNA modifications also have applications beyond health, for example, enhancing agricultural productivity.”

“Charting a Future for Sequencing RNA and Its Modifications: A New Era for Biology and Medicine calls for a focused, large-scale effort to accelerate technological innovation to harness the full potential of RNA modifications to address pressing societal challenges in health, agriculture, and beyond. This report assesses the scientific and technological breakthroughs, workforce, and infrastructure needs to sequence RNA and its modifications, and ultimately understand the roles RNA modifications play in biological processes and disease. It proposes a roadmap of innovation that will make it possible for any RNA from any biological system to be sequenced end-to-end with all of its modifications – a capability that could lead to more personalized and targeted treatments and instigate transformative changes across various sectors beyond health and medicine.”

“Future State of Smallpox Medical Countermeasures”

From the National Academies: “At the request of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, the National Academies convened a committee to examine lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic and mpox multi-country outbreak to inform an evaluation of the state of smallpox research, development, and stockpiling of medical countermeasures (MCM). In the resulting report, the committee presents findings and conclusions that may inform U.S. Government investment decisions in smallpox MCM readiness, as well as the official U.S. position on the disposition of live viral collections at future World Health Assembly meetings.”

Bonus: Read Mary Van Beusekom’s discussion of this report for CIDRAP

“Ten Years of High-Consequence Pathogens—Research Gains, Readiness Gaps, and Future Goals”

McQuiston, Montgomery, and Hutson recently published this commentary article in Emerging Infectious Diseases, explaining in part: “Despite successful variola virus eradication, orthopoxviruses remain high-consequence pathogens that create complex control challenges. During 2014–2024, reports of mpox caused by MPXV surged in regions where the virus is enzootic. During 2017–2022, increased reports of mpox in Nigeria initially raised little concern, even though mpox was diagnosed in occasional travelers from Nigeria who had no history of animal contact (9). In May 2022, MPXV clade II began circulating person-to-person globally, primarily through sexual contact among gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (10). Thanks to smallpox preparedness work performed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other partners, regulatory agency-approved diagnostics, the JYNNEOS vaccine (https://www.jynneos.comExternal Link), and TPOXX therapeutic agent (SIGA Technologies, https://www.siga.comExternal Link) were available in some countries; however, limited early supplies of the JYNNEOS vaccine and lack of licensure in some countries meant the vaccine was not accessible to all persons at risk for MPXV exposure. Before the global mpox outbreak, no real-world efficacy data for TPOXX was available; clinical trials are ongoing. After the mpox outbreak peak in 2022, MPXV has continued to circulate at low levels through 2024; since 2022, >90,000 cases have been reported worldwide (11). Since 2023, similar surveillance signals have been seen in DRC with MPXV clade I (12), raising concerns for another global mpox outbreak caused by a more lethal virus clade.”

“The Impact of Vaccines and Behavior on US Cumulative Deaths from COVID-19”

This Brookings summary of a paper authored by Andrew Atkeson and Stephen Kissler offers insight into potential approaches to addressing shortfalls in how the federal government manages massive amounts of public health data and the importance of both vaccines and behavioral changes in reducing overall COVID-19 deaths. The summary explains in part, “However, the authors write in “The Impact of Vaccines and Behavior on U.S. Cumulative Deaths from COVID-19,” the ad hoc effort’s effectiveness came as a surprise. Public health officials could not precisely target mitigation because they lacked precise information on the routes and mechanisms of the disease’s transmission.”

“Awaiting a Decision On New Research Regulations, Scientists Pen Dueling Articles to Shape ‘Gain-of-Function’ Policies”

Matt Field breaks down the scientific community’s responses to recommendations made by the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity last year in this article for The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, writing in part “As they await a decision on policies for potential pandemic pathogen research, dueling camps of scientists have emerged, weighing in through a journal article, responses to the article, and even responses to the responses. Those camps are seeking to undercut or boost the advisory recommendations developed in the wake of the COVID pandemic—and to bolster or diminish the suspicion that a lab accident could have caused it.”

“Ecological Countermeasures to Prevent Pathogen Spillover and Subsequent Pandemics”

Plowright et al. recently published this article in Nature: “Substantial global attention is focused on how to reduce the risk of future pandemics. Reducing this risk requires investment in prevention, preparedness, and response. Although preparedness and response have received significant focus, prevention, especially the prevention of zoonotic spillover, remains largely absent from global conversations. This oversight is due in part to the lack of a clear definition of prevention and lack of guidance on how to achieve it. To address this gap, we elucidate the mechanisms linking environmental change and zoonotic spillover using spillover of viruses from bats as a case study. We identify ecological interventions that can disrupt these spillover mechanisms and propose policy frameworks for their implementation. Recognizing that pandemics originate in ecological systems, we advocate for integrating ecological approaches alongside biomedical approaches in a comprehensive and balanced pandemic prevention strategy.”

“To Prevent Global Catastrophe, Governments Must First Admit There’s a Problem”

Rumtin Sepasspour and Courtney Tee recently published this piece in The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists discussing political inaction on perceived risks of global catastrophe, writing in part “To properly prevent and prepare for the risk, governments must admit there’s a problem. Such an admission can only come with proper effort to assess and monitor global catastrophic risk, develop potential future scenarios, build and analyze intelligence, and invest in scientific and technical expertise.”

“Bibliometric Analysis of China’s Non-Therapeutic Brain-Computer Interface Research: Alternate Paths to Cognitive Augmentation and Control”

From CSET: “China’s brain-computer interface research has two dimensions. Besides its usual applications in neuropathology, China is extending the benefits of BCI to the general population, aiming at enhanced cognition and a “merger” of natural and artificial intelligence. This report, authored in collaboration with researchers from the Department of War Studies at King’s College London uses bibliometric analysis and expert assessment of technical documents to evaluate China’s BCI, and conclude that the research is on track to achieve its targets.”

“Russia’s Increasing Illegal Chemical Weapons Usage in Ukraine”

Tim Mak, Alessandra Hay, and Oksana Ostapchuk cover an interview with a survivor of a 2013 sarin gas attack in Syria and how inaction afterward has emboldened leaders like Vladimir Putin to use these weapons more frequently in this piece for The Counteroffensive. Warning: this article does contain graphic content.

“VX Nerve Agent Incident: Lessons Learned, Best Practices, and the Challenges Ahead”

From CBNW Magazine: “The 2017 VX nerve agent incident in Malaysia stands as a poignant demonstration of the catastrophic capability of asymmetrical chemical weapon threats, underscoring the critical necessity for increased attentiveness in averting and addressing such risks, writes Dr. Raja Subramanian.”

“CHEMEX Africa 2023: Interview with H.E. Ambassador Salima Abdelhak, P.R. of Algeria to OPCW”

From CBNW Magazine: “Taking place from September 23 to October 5, 2023, in the Algerian capital of Algiers, CHEMEX Africa was the first ever large-scale chemical emergency response exercise for African countries organized by the OPCW. CBNW Magazine Editor Patrick Norén spoke to the Permanent Representative (P.R.) of Algeria to the OPCW, H.E. Ambassador Salima Abdelhak, about the exercise and Algeria’s commitment to implementing the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). A full article on CHEMEX Africa containing extracts from this interview will be published in April.”

Read here.

What We’re Watching 🍿

The Invisible Shield

A new four-part docu series from PBS, “The Invisible Shield examines how public health makes modern life possible, but it is underfunded, undervalued and misunderstood putting our health at risk.”

Strem this series here.

NEW: The Future of U.S. Bulk Data Sharing and Use

From BIO-ISAC: “On February 28, 2024, the White House issued an Executive Order on Preventing Access to Americans’ Bulk Sensitive Personal Data and United States Government-Related Data by Countries of Concern.”

“The Executive Order (EO) seeks to secure sensitive data from being shared with individuals, companies, and investors outside the US, particularly those connected to countries that may harm the US or its people.”

“The Department of Justice (DOJ) also issued a fact sheet and advanced notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) regarding the proposed guidance and implementation strategies in the text.

  • What does this mean for the bioeconomy?
  • How has industry responded to this call for action?
  • What does this mean for the future of data sharing collaborations and research?”

“This collaborative discussion, with the BIO-ISAC community and representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice, will share an overview of the EO and ANPRM, explore the intent and efforts connected to these actions, and offer a Q&A session to review specific examples, pinch points, and ideas.”

This discussion will take place on April 5 at 12 pm EST. Learn more and register here.

NEW: 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.

NEW: 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.

Artificial Intelligence and Automated Laboratories for Biotechnology: Leveraging Opportunities and Mitigating Risks

From the National Academies’ Board on Life Sciences: “Please join us April 3-4, 2024 for a hybrid workshop on the opportunities and mitigation of risks of the use of artificial intelligence and automated laboratories (i.e., self-driving labs) for biotechnology.”

“The workshop will consider opportunities to leverage AI and laboratory automation capabilities for discovery and development, explore methods and approaches to identify, track, and forecast the domestic and international development of such technologies, and convene experts across sectors to highlight recent advances and explore implications for the development and use of these technologies.”

Learn more and 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: 1.27.2023

by dkellogg97, posted in Pandora Report

The year of the rabbit is off to one heck of a start. This week we cover COVID-19’s spread in China as the Party increasingly cracks down on Zero-COVID protesters, growing concern amount H5N1 in mammals, new insight into the history of the plague, and more. Several new publications are listed, including a fresh book from Ed Regis about the history of the Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program and multiple works on misinformation’s impact on COVID-19 responses. As always, we round out with events and announcements, including multiple great upcoming professional opportunities. Happy Friday!

COVID-19 Multiplying Like Rabbits in China

China’s CDC claimed this week that cases of critically ill COVID-19 patients are down 72% from a peak earlier this month in the country, with daily deaths of hospitalized COVID-19 patients down 79% as well. This comes as Wu Zunyou, Chief Epidemiologist at China CDC, claims that 80% of the country’s 1.4 billion people have already been infected. This seems like an effort to indicate that a rebound is unlikely in the coming months amid concerns that the new year travel season will cause further spread and deaths. Just last week, China claimed to have 60,000 COVID-19 deaths in the month since it rolled back its notorious Zero-COVID policies, a number far below the one million some models estimated the country will suffer this winter.

However, CNBC notes, “…some experts said that figure probably vastly undercounts the full impact, as it excludes those who die at home, and because many doctors have said they are discouraged from citing Covid as a cause of death.” This understanding better aligns with reports of over-crowded funeral homes and crematoriums, and reports of coffin makers and funeral decoration companies repeatedly selling out of their products amid the spread. Because of these discrepancies, many are doubtful of the government’s official statistics.

At the same time, reports of Zero-COVID protesters being arrested or intimidated are mounting. Four women in Beijing are known to have been arrested in connection with these protests, seemingly in retaliation for their role in what has been described as “the boldest challenge to the Communist Party’s rule in decades and an embarrassing affront to its leader, Xi Jinping.” The New York Times explains the Party’s need to do this, writing “The party seems determined to warn off anyone who may have been emboldened by the remarkable outburst of public discontent, which was followed just days later by Beijing’s abrupt decision to abandon Covid restrictions. Since then, domestic challenges have mounted: Youth unemployment is high, the economy is slowing, and Covid infections and deaths have accelerated.”

The same piece continues, “The party is also working to discredit the protesters by casting them as tools of malevolent foreign powers. Beijing has long dismissed dissent at home — from calls for women’s rights to pro-democracy activism to ethnic unrest — as the result of Western-backed subversion. The protests against “zero Covid” were no exception: One Chinese diplomat suggested that some of the demonstrators had been “bought by external forces.”

Chunyun, the Lunar New Year travel period in China, typically lasts from mid-January through late-February, meaning opportunities for spread in rural parts of the country are far from over, despite China CDC’s apparent claims to the contrary. The continued supply of highly suspect statistics and crackdowns on Zero-COVID protesters presents a troubling situation and indicates that the Party has done anything but change its ways.

Thinking of Offering a Nice Egg in This Trying Time? Mink Again

US egg prices skyrocketed in price by more than 137% between December 2021 and December 2022, leaving many in constant sticker shock at the grocery store as this once reliably cheap staple becomes increasingly expensive. Much of this is attributed to outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A(H5N1), which has been spreading in US flocks since January 2022, resulting in cullings of over 57 million birds across industrial and backyard flocks. However, over the past year, this virus has also demonstrated its ability to spread from birds to mammals, with infections found in several species in the US so far, including raccoons, foxes, seals, grizzly bears, and, most recently, minks. Naturally, this had led to increased concern about potential spread into other mammal populations.

“Transmission electron microscopic image of two Influenza A (H5N1) virions, a type of bird flu virus Note the glycoprotein spikes along the surface of the virion and as a stippled appearance of the viral envelope encasing each virion.” Credit: CDC PHIL

Nature covered this story this week, writing “Until this particular outbreak, all mammalian infections could be attributed to direct contact with virus-contaminated material, says Hualan Chen, a virologist at the Harbin Veterinary Research Institute in China. For example, animals that ingest wild-bird droppings, or that prey on infected animals, can develop the disease. But its spread between mammals “implies that this H5N1 virus may pose a higher risk to public health”, Chen says.”

A new article in Eurosurveillance discusses the alarming spread of HPAI A(H5N1) at an American mink farm in Galicia, Spain in October 2022. In it, Agüero et al. explain that the farm experienced an acute increase in its mortality rate (.77% versus an expected range of .2-.3%), prompting the facility’s clinical veterinarian to collect samples from affected animals. These animals tested positive for H5N1, and “Post-mortem examination revealed haemorrhagic pneumonia or red hepatisation of the lungs as the most notable lesions”

The authors further explain the set-up of the farm, which housed 51,986 minks, writing “The minks were housed in wire netting cages placed in rows and situated in a series of over 30 partially open barns, which provided overhead protection but not total shelter of their sides. The minks were fed with raw fish and poultry by-products, cereals and blood meal. Poultry farms and avian slaughterhouses supplying the poultry by-products were located in Galicia. Up to 10 January 2023, H5N1 poultry outbreaks have not been reported from this region.”

The outbreak soon peaked, with a weekly mortality rate of 4.3% documented between October 17 and 23. Culling measures were ordered quickly, and all minks from infected pens were culled by November 17, along with destruction of all carcasses, fomites, and waste. Of the farm’s 12 workers, 11 were in contact with infected and culled animals, though none of them tested positive and they all completed quarantine without any problems. However, as the authors note in their abstract, “The identified viruses belong to clade 2.3.4.4b, which is responsible of the ongoing epizootic in Europe. An uncommon mutation (T271A) in the PB2 gene with potential public health implications was found. Our investigations indicate onward mink transmission of the virus may have occurred in the affected farm.”

While the mink farm seems to have been thorough in its efforts to stop this outbreak, there are concerns that this new variant may be circulating in wild bird populations. Nature writes, “But Puryear thinks that because the new variant contains genetic material from gull flu, it’s likely that at least some of its genetic changes arose in gulls before entering the mink farm. This means that a strain containing those mutations is probably still circulating in the bird population. But for human populations, the outlook is still good: if the new strain did start to infect people, health authorities could probably produce a vaccine quickly, and the antiviral drug Tamiflu (oseltamivir) can reduce the severity of the disease.”

The Nature news piece concludes with, “The potential risk to wild animals is greater. Bird flu has consistently caused high levels of sickness and death among wild birds and mammals over the past year, and how the new variant will affect that trend remains to be seen. “We just simply don’t know,” says Puryear.”

Shake Ups and Mess Ups at the Department of Health and Human Services

CDC Takes Major Steps in Revamp

CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky announced a number of high-level changes to her agency this week, including the creation of the Office of Health Equity and the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology. These are steps taken in light of last year’s internal review that found, among other things, that the agency struggled with appropriately and rapidly sharing scientific findings, communications in general, and that it needed to strengthen relationships with federal, state, and local partners. Furthermore, most of the organizations under CDC will now report directly to the Office of the Director, moving away from what has been described as a “Community of Practice structure”.

MedPage Today explained this leadership re-structuring, writing “Today, additional details about that leadership structure became clear. There will be a centralized leadership team of experts housed within the director’s office, which will include the director of the CDC/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry; the principal deputy director; the deputy director for program and science/chief medical officer; the deputy director for policy, communications, and legislative affairs/chief strategy officer; the deputy director for global health; the chief operating officer; and the chief of staff.”

“These changes will improve efficiency, speed decision-making, and strengthen the communication of scientific information to the American public, ensuring CDC’s science reaches the public in an understandable, accessible, and implementable manner as quickly as possible,” an unnamed staffer told The Hill.

OIG Report Finds NIH and EcoHealth Alliance Fell Short in Monitoring and Oversight

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) at HHS released this week the findings of its audit of the National Institutes of Health’s grants to the EcoHealth Alliance. This audit was initiated because of concerns over NIH’s grant awards to EcoHealth as well as EcoHealth’s subawards to foreign entities. OIG aimed to “…determine whether NIH monitored grants to EcoHealth in accordance with Federal requirements, and whether EcoHealth used and managed its NIH grant funds in accordance with Federal requirements.”

The Office found that, “Despite identifying potential risks associated with research being performed under the EcoHealth awards, we found that NIH did not effectively monitor or take timely action to address EcoHealth’s compliance with some requirements. Although NIH and EcoHealth had established monitoring procedures, we found deficiencies in complying with those procedures limited NIH and EcoHealth’s ability to effectively monitor Federal grant awards and subawards to understand the nature of the research conducted, identify potential problem areas, and take corrective action. Using its discretion, NIH did not refer the research to HHS for an outside review for enhanced potential pandemic pathogens (ePPPs) because it determined the research did not involve and was not reasonably anticipated to create, use, or transfer an ePPP. However, NIH added a special term and condition in EcoHealth’s awards and provided limited guidance on how EcoHealth should comply with that requirement. We found that NIH was only able to conclude that research resulted in virus growth that met specified benchmarks based on a late progress report from EcoHealth that NIH failed to follow up on until nearly 2 years after its due date. Based on these findings, we conclude that NIH missed opportunities to more effectively monitor research. With improved oversight, NIH may have been able to take more timely corrective actions to mitigate the inherent risks associated with this type of research.”

Biodefense Graduate Program Director Dr. Gregory Koblentz was quoted in the New York Times‘ piece on this report, saying “Although concerns were identified by NIAID staff, the proposal was not referred to NIAID’s review committee for further consideration.” He continued, saying “On paper, NIAID staff were encouraged to ‘err on the side of caution’ in identifying and referring such proposals…but in practice it looks like they erred on the side of complacency.” 

Woman Pleads Guilty to Mailing Ricin Letters in 2020

Pascale Cecile Veronique Ferrier pleaded guilty this week in a US District Court “…to sending a threatening letter containing homemade ricin to then-President Donald J. Trump at the White House in September 2020, and eight similar letters, each containing ricin, to Texas State law enforcement officials.” Ferrier, a dual French-Canadian national, holds a French engineering degree and admitted in her plea agreements that she made ricin in her Quebec home in September 2020. According to the FBI, “Ferrier placed the ricin in envelopes containing letters she wrote to then-President Trump at the White House and to eight Texas State law enforcement officials.”

“Ferrier was detained in the State of Texas for around 10 weeks in the spring of 2019, and she believed that the law enforcement officials were connected to her period of detention. In early September 2020, Ferrier used the Twitter social media service to propose that someone should “please shoot [T]rump in the face.” The letters in the envelopes contained threatening language, and the letter addressed to then-President Trump instructed him to “[g]ive up and remove [his] application for this election.” Ferrier mailed each of the threatening ricin letters from Canada to the United States. Ferrier then drove a car from Canada to the Peace Bridge Border Crossing in Buffalo, New York, on Sept. 20, 2020, where border patrol officials found her in possession of a loaded firearm, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and other weapons.”

Ferrier is scheduled for sentencing on April 26. She faces 262 months imprisonment if her plea agreements are accepted.

An Oldie, But a (Not So) Goodie: Y. Pestis Strains May Have Been Around Centuries Before Outbreaks

A new article in Communications Biology discusses how Yersinia pestis spread globally over longer periods of time than previously estimated. Eaton et al. estimate that the strain of Y. pestis responsible for the Black Death in the mid-14th century diverged from the ancestral strain as early as 1214, while the one responsible for the Plague of Justinian may have cropped up between 272 and 465–up to nearly 270 years before the epidemic began in 541. “‘It shows that each major plague pandemic has likely emerged many decades to centuries earlier than what the historical record suggests,” study coauthor and evolutionary geneticist Hendrik Poinar, director of McMaster University’s Ancient DNA Centre in Canada,” said in a statement to CNN.

The authors write in their abstract: “Plague has an enigmatic history as a zoonotic pathogen. This infectious disease will unexpectedly appear in human populations and disappear just as suddenly. As a result, a long-standing line of inquiry has been to estimate when and where plague appeared in the past. However, there have been significant disparities between phylogenetic studies of the causative bacterium, Yersinia pestis, regarding the timing and geographic origins of its reemergence. Here, we curate and contextualize an updated phylogeny of Y. pestis using 601 genome sequences sampled globally. Through a detailed Bayesian evaluation of temporal signal in subsets of these data we demonstrate that a Y. pestis-wide molecular clock is unstable. To resolve this, we developed a new approach in which each Y. pestis population was assessed independently, enabling us to recover substantial temporal signal in five populations, including the ancient pandemic lineages which we now estimate may have emerged decades, or even centuries, before a pandemic was historically documented from European sources. Despite this methodological advancement, we only obtain robust divergence dates from populations sampled over a period of at least 90 years, indicating that genetic evidence alone is insufficient for accurately reconstructing the timing and spread of short-term plague epidemics.”

Read the entire article here.

“Produced by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), this digitally colorized scanning electron microscopic (SEM) image depicts a number of yellow-colored, Yersinia pestis bacteria, that had gathered on the proventricular spines of a Xenopsylla cheopis flea. These spines line the interior of the proventriculus, a part of the flea’s digestive system. The Y. pestis bacterium is the pathogen that causes bubonic plague.” Credit: CDC PHIL

It’s 90 Seconds to Midnight (That’s Not Good)

“This year, the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists moves the hands of the Doomsday Clock forward, largely (though not exclusively) because of the mounting dangers of the war in Ukraine. The Clock now stands at 90 seconds to midnight—the closest to global catastrophe it has ever been.” Read the Bulletin’s statement here (also available in РУССКИЙ and УКРАЇНСЬКА).

Say “Hello” to the International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science

The Nuclear Threat Initiative recently announced the creation of the International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science (IBBIS), an organization “trying to prevent dramatic advances in bioscience from unleashing engineered pathogens from the lab, and wants research funders, scientists and journals to help.” NTI explains: “NTI is working with international stakeholders to establish the International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science (IBBIS), an independent organization dedicated to reducing emerging biological risks associated with technology advances. A core element of the IBBIS mission will be to strengthen international biosecurity norms and develop innovative, practical tools and incentives to uphold them. IBBIS has a broadly defined mission, but initially it will focus on preventing the misuse of DNA synthesis technology—with the understanding that it will expand its remit over time.”

“IBBIS will collaborate with stakeholders across the global bioscience and biotechnology enterprise including academia, industry, the public health community, governments and philanthropy. These activities will complement the important work of the World Health Organization, the United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs, and other national, regional, and international organizations. NTI’s work to establish IBBIS is rooted in the vision of a world in which bioscience and biotechnology flourish, with safeguards against deliberate or accidental misuse with potentially catastrophic consequences.”

David Matthews discusses IBBIS in-depth, including the fraught geopolitical situation it faces, in this piece for Science Business.

The Lancet Series on One Health and Global Health Security

Check out this recent series from the Lancet: “Following the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak in West Africa, and the on-going global COVID-19 pandemic, the One Health approach (bridging the Animal-Environmental-Human Health interface)  has rapidly gained political and financial support, particularly in regional and transcontinental initiatives to improve Global Health Security, including through recently established institutions like Africa CDC and other multidisciplinary consortia. This four-paper Lancet Series explores the adoption of One Health approaches to improve health security and include an analysis of the current landscape of preventive, surveillance, and response measures in outbreak situations of emerging and re-emerging zoonotic infectious diseases with epidemic potential as well as other potential public health emergencies such as neglected endemic diseases, antimicrobial resistance, environmental and chemical hazards and natural disasters.”

“Combating Misinformation as a Core Function of Public Health”

Knudsen et al. discuss the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s role in countering misinformation in this New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst piece: “The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene determined that the spread of misinformation about Covid-19 was having a harmful health impact, particularly on communities of color with low vaccination rates. It established a dedicated Misinformation Response Unit to monitor messages containing dangerous misinformation presented on multiple media platforms, including social media, non-English media, and international sites, and proliferating in community forums. The Misinformation Response Unit and the Health Department collaborated with more than 100 community partners to tailor culturally appropriate, scientifically accurate messages to different populations. The Health Department and its partners were able to rapidly identify messages containing inaccurate information about Covid-19 vaccines, treatment, and other issues and to support the delivery of accurate information to various populations. Although the harms of misinformation and benefits of addressing the problem require additional evaluation, internal and external interviews suggested that the Misinformation Response Unit helped the Health Department counter misinformation and disseminate accurate scientific information to the community, thus improving health and vaccine equity during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

“Fault Lines: The Expert Panel on the Socioeconomic Impacts of Science and Health Misinformation”

This new report from the Council of Canadian Academies includes a number of important findings, including that COVID-19 misinformation cost at least 2,800 Canadian lives and CAD 300 million in hospital expenses over a period of just nine months. “Fault Lines details how science and health misinformation can proliferate and its impacts on individuals, communities, and society. It explores what makes us susceptible to misinformation and how we might use these insights to improve societal resilience to it. The report includes a model of the impacts of COVID‑19 misinformation on vaccination rates in Canada, producing quantitative estimates of its impacts on our health and the economy, and situating these within a broader context of societal and economic harms.”

“Battling Biological Threats: Complacency, Progress, or Both?”

“As 2023 opens, there is apprehension that partisan divisions and politicized health security approaches may worsen as the United States moves into a divided government of ultra-thin margins. But over the course of 2022, several important new national security directives and policies and bipartisan legislative actions significantly advanced thinking on health security and what is required to better protect Americans—proving that progress remains in reach, despite tough odds. Global health security, including biodefense, has been elevated to new prominence in U.S. national security thinking. The Biodefense Posture Review, expected to be released in early 2023, is mandated to unify and modernize DOD’s broad, comprehensive biodefense capabilities, and synchronize these efforts with those of other federal departments in line with the recently released National Defense and Biodefense Strategies. The United States must be resolute and clear, leaning forward not backwards, investing in new capabilities sustained over many years to protect Americans and the larger world against future dangerous pathogens. In a new commentary, Thomas R. Cullison and J. Stephen Morrison argue that it remains possible to bridge divides and make measurable progress to prepare the United States for inevitable future biological threats.” Read this CSIS report here.

“The Pentagon’s Chemical and Biological Defense Program Moves Towards Modernization, Yet Congress Slashes Funding”

Dan Regan discusses DoD’s seemingly mismatched objectives and funding decisions in this piece for the Council on Strategic Risks. He writes, “To achieve its mission set, including investing in emerging biotechnologies and bolstering industrial capacity to scale MCMs to novel threats, developing and investing in stand-off pathogen early warning detection, and advancing protective equipment for the Joint Force, the CBDP budget requires a nearly two-fold increase from the President’s request of $1.32 billion in FY23 to $3 billion for FY24. However, Congress unfortunately just dealt a 7% cut to chemical and biodefense programs with the FY23 omnibus spending bill, following years of declining funds for CBDP. As the FY24 Presidential Budget Request is being drafted, the Biden Administration and Congress should consider significant increases to CBDP’s budget, along with the other biodefense and global health security priorities outlined in the 10 + 10 over 10 strategy, to combat biological threats.”

“Virology Under the Microscope–a Call for Rational Discourse”

In this commentary in mBio, more than 130 authors call for a return to rational discourse about virology and its role in modern issues like pandemic response and debates over GoF research. “Viruses have brought humanity many challenges: respiratory infection, cancer, neurological impairment and immunosuppression to name a few. Virology research over the last 60+ years has responded to reduce this disease burden with vaccines and antivirals. Despite this long history, the COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented attention to the field of virology. Some of this attention is focused on concern about the safe conduct of research with human pathogens. A small but vocal group of individuals has seized upon these concerns – conflating legitimate questions about safely conducting virus-related research with uncertainties over the origins of SARS-CoV-2. The result has fueled public confusion and, in many instances, ill-informed condemnation of virology. With this article, we seek to promote a return to rational discourse. We explain the use of gain-of-function approaches in science, discuss the possible origins of SARS-CoV-2 and outline current regulatory structures that provide oversight for virological research in the United States. By offering our expertise, we – a broad group of working virologists – seek to aid policy makers in navigating these controversial issues. Balanced, evidence-based discourse is essential to addressing public concern while maintaining and expanding much-needed research in virology.”

“CRISPR Technology: A Decade of Genome Editing is Only the Beginning”

Wang and Doudna discuss the first decade of CRISPR in Science: “In the decade since the publication of CRISPR-Cas9 as a genome-editing technology, the CRISPR toolbox and its applications have profoundly changed basic and applied biological research. Wang and Doudna now review the origins and utility of CRISPR-based genome editing, the successes and current limitations of the technology, and where innovation and engineering are needed. The authors describe important advances in the development of CRISPR genome-editing technology and make predictions about where the field is headed. They also highlight specific examples in medicine and agriculture that show how CRISPR is already affecting society, with exciting opportunities for the future. —DJ”

“Zombie Viruses from the Arctic”

Jean-Michel Claverie’s new piece in Think Global Health discusses the threat global warming poses to global health by threatening Earth’s permafrost, potentially releasing ancient microbes. Claverie explains the evolution of this threat and how it may evolve throughout the piece, writing in part “This science fiction scenario became more realistic in 2015 when an international research team succeeded in resurrecting several viruses isolated from permafrost dating back 30,000 years. Following additional experiments, it is now clear that a significant proportion of prehistorical viruses can remain infectious for even longer periods of time. This article reviews the reality of the risks that their release might represent for the future.”

Science, Secrecy, and the Smithsonian

New from Ed Regis, author of The Biology of Doom, is this book, Science, Secrecy, and the Smithsonian:

“This is the story of how the Smithsonian Institute became intertwined in a secret biological warfare project.”

“During the 1960s, the Smithsonian Institution undertook a large-scale biological survey of a group of uninhabited tropical islands in the Pacific. It was one of the largest and most sweeping biological survey programs of all time, a six-year-long enterprise during which Smithsonian personnel banded 1.8 million birds, captured live specimens and took blood samples, and catalogued the avian, mammalian, reptile, and plant life of 48 Pacific islands.”

“But there was a twist. The study had been initiated, funded, and was overseen by the U.S. Biological Laboratories at Fort Detrick, Maryland. The home of the American biological warfare program. In signing the contract to perform the survey, the Smithsonian became a literal subcontractor to a secret biological warfare project. And by participating in the survey, the Smithsonian scientists were paving the way for top-secret biological warfare tests in the Pacific.”

“Critics charged the Smithsonian with having entered into a Faustian bargain that made the institution complicit in the sordid business of biological warfare, a form of combat which, if it were ever put into practice and used against human populations, could cause mass disease, suffering, and death. The Smithsonian had no proper role in any such activities, said the critics, and should never have undertaken the survey.”

Science, Secrecy, and the Smithsonian: The Strange History of the Pacific Ocean Biological Survey Program explores the workings of the survey program, places it in its historical context, describes the military tests that followed, and evaluates the critical objections to the Smithsonian’s participation in the project.”

Jonathan Tucker CBW Symposium

“The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies cordially invites you to the 11th annual Jonathan Tucker Symposium on chemical and biological weapons issues on February 9th and 10th, 2023.” BW topics include “Revisiting the Siege of Caffa & Catapulting Cadavers” and “Governance of Dual-Use Biological Research,” the latter of which will be moderated by Dr. Gregory Koblentz. CW topics include “Lessons learned from the U.S. Chemical Weapons Destruction Program” and “The 2023 CWC Review Conference”. Learn more and register for the virtual events 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.

High School and College Student Internship: Data Analytics for Elite Young Scholars – Biology and Medical Science Experience

“This Young Scholars Research Program is designed for Elite High School Students and Undergrad Students, who are interested in pursuing their study and/or career in the fields of biology or medical science with emphasis on advanced data analytics. You will work with our esteemed George Mason University faculty members on a specific team project. The team will consist of about three to four members of both high school and undergraduate students. The project will be assigned to the students at the beginning of the program based on the preference indicated by the students prior to the program. Two outputs will be expected from each team at the end of the programs: i) a final paper which will be published on the Center for Biomedical Science and Policy website as well as a special issue of World Medical & Health Policy; and ii) Team presentation at a symposium at which students compete for prizes.”

“During this program, students will be participating in a research project applying some of the following methods, including but not limited to biostatistics using R or Stata, data visualization using QGIS or ArcGIS, and network visualization using Gephi.”

“During this program, students will be participating in a research project applying some of the following methods, including but not limited to biostatistics using R or Stata, data visualization using QGIS or ArcGIS, and network visualization using Gephi.”

Special Call for Papers-Journal of Science Policy & Governance

The Journal of Science Policy & Governance recently announced a special call for papers “and competition to provide policymakers with a new perspective on how scientific expertise could be useful to the complex brew of 21st foreign policy and national security challenges, resulting in a special issue on Policy and Governance on Science, Technology and Global Security.” The journal invites “students, post-doctoral researchers, policy fellows, early career researchers and young professionals from around the world to submit op-eds, policy position papers and other articles addressing foreign policy and national security challenges. These include concerns about the use of nuclear or radiological weapons driven by the war in the Ukraine, hypersonic weapons, immigration driven by climate change, and emerging threats in cybersecurity and biosecurity.” The deadline for submission is April 30.

Additionally, there will be a science policy writing workshop on January 30 in addition to two webinars on February 20 and March 30 (one on Policy and Governance on Science and Technology and one on Foreign Policy and National Security, respectively) to help prospective authors prepare their submissions. Learn more about these events and register 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 “On April 22, 1915, the German Army infamously unleashed more than 160 tons of chlorine gas on French trenches near which Belgian city?”

Shout out to Morgan M. for winning last week’s trivia! The correct answer to “In 1985, an American extremist group’s compound was raided by more than 300 law enforcement officers from several federal, state, and local agencies following a three-day standoff. Among other items, officers seized about thirty gallons of potassium cyanide the group intended to use to poison water supplies of several cities. What was the name of this group?” is the Covenant, the Sword and the Arm of the Lord.

Pandora Report: 11.11.2022

by dkellogg97, posted in Pandora Report

This week we start by sharing some fun updates from the Biodefense Graduate Program and discussing the current situation with influenza, RSV, and COVID-19 in the United States. We also discuss new publications, including ones that discuss hypothetical BW use in Ukraine, highly pathogenic avian influenza in the US, and a new episode of the Poisons and Pestilence podcast focused on the M device. This issue concludes with details on a number of upcoming and recorded events (including a virtual open house for the Biodefense PhD Program!) and announcements, including open applications for the Biotechnology Innovation & International Security Fellowship at Stanford University’s Center for International Security and Cooperation. Happy Friday and, as always, please wash your hands.

George Mason Biodefense MS Students Tour BSL-3 Facility on Science and Technology Campus

Last month, students in the Biodefense Graduate Program made the trek from Arlington to Manassas, VA to tour George Mason’s Biomedical Research Laboratory (BRL) on our Science and Technology Campus. Check out the Schar School’s article about their tour of the 52,000-square-foot, $50 million, NIAID-funded facility here. If you would like to have this and similar opportunities in the future, check out our upcoming PhD virtual open house coming up this Wednesday at 7 pm EST.

Schar School Biodefense MS Students and Adjunct Professor Scott Wollek joined by Biodefense Graduate Program Director Dr. Gregory Koblentz (center) and Drs. Rachel Pepin and Farhang Alem of the BRL (far right)

If the Time Change Wasn’t Bad Enough…We Might Have a Triple Threat On Our Hands

As the days get shorter and colder, the United States is also experiencing upticks in influenza, RSV, and (of course) COVID-19. Children’s hospitals are already struggling with the burden this is causing and there are further concerns that hospitals across the country will become overwhelmed as we head into winter. In response, some health departments have ramped up drive-thru testing for COVID-19 while also offering drive-thru RSV and flu testing at those same sites. Some suspect this convergence and uncharacteristic spikes in respiratory illnesses may be the result of an immunity gap created by lack of exposure to other illnesses during harsher COVID-19-related restrictions.

CDC reported this week the “cumulative hospitalization rate in the FluSurv-NET system is higher than the rate observed in week 44 during every previous season since 2010-2011.” The agency also estimates that in this flu season so far, there have been at least 2.8 million cases, 23,000 hospitalizations, and 1,300 deaths associated with influenza. This year was also marked by an early increase in seasonal flu activity in the US, following earlier concerns that a rough flu season in the southern hemisphere provided warning of the same coming for the north. The US notably had historically low interseasonal influenza cases in 2020 when people were much more cautious and consistently took actions such as social distancing, masking, increased hand washing, etc.

This year has also brought an increase in cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections, with CDC reporting its surveillance “has shown an increase in RSV detections and RSV-associated emergency department visits and hospitalizations in multiple U.S. regions, with some regions nearing seasonal peak levels. Clinicians and public health professionals should be aware of increases in respiratory viruses, including RSV.” The US saw a much higher than normal rate of RSV infections over the summer that then surged throughout September and October. RSV causes mild, cold-like symptoms that most people typically recover from in one or two weeks. However, RSV can be serious in some cases, with infants and older adults at particular risk. In the US, RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis and pneumonia in children under the age of one. Annually, the US averages 60,000 pediatric RSV hospitalizations, but this is likely to be exceeded this year.

RSV hospitalization rates by season for children (ages 0-17) in the United States. Source: CDC RSV-NET Interactive Dashboard

While the updated, bivalent COVID-19 vaccines have proven more effective against BA.4/5 subvariants than original offerings, new concerns loom as the so-called “Scrabble variants” spread. While the BA.5 subvariant still accounts for about 40% of US cases, others like BQ.1, BQ.11, BA.4.6, and BF.7 are rising along with XBB and B.1.1.529. If this collection of subvariants is confusing to you, you’re not alone, as Dr. Peter Hotez acknowledged in initially describing them as “Scrabble variants”.

There is debate about how much the general public needs to understand about all these different subvariants. Some argue that the granular details differentiating between these is unhelpful and communication should instead focus on risk. However, others like Dr. Hotez argue it is important that people understand the differences. He points to the updated vaccines having been formulated for the BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, the latter of which BQ.1 and BQ.1.1 are descendants. This likely means the updated vaccines do offer protection against BQ.1 and BQ.1.1, making it important to communicate these facts to the general public. Others also argue that easier names should be offered to the public so that subvariants do not blend together and cause people to underestimate new emerging strains.

While these new subvariants are new enough that there is no available vaccine efficacy data on them yet, consensus is largely that a “booster is a booster” and that it is still worth getting one if you have not already. Both the bivalent vaccines and antivirals like Paxlovid are expected to remain effective against severe outcomes with these subvariants. However, US vaccine rates with the updated versions have remained underwhelming, with rates by age groups ranging from nearly 27% in adults over the age of 65 to under 12% for adults ages 18-65.

Total population vaccine rates with bivalent booster by state, Source: CDC COVID Data Tracker

The weather is cooling and we are all increasingly spending more time inside at a time with relaxed public health measures in place. These are each viral respiratory infections, so it is important to be vigilant on measures like covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands appropriately, staying home when sick, and so on.

Important to note is that there is currently no vaccine available for RSV, though certain children may qualify to receive preventative injections of the monoclonal antibody product palivizumab during RSV seasons. Furthermore, there is no antiviral for RSV, so treatment is supportive care. There are antivirals for COVID-19 and influenza available and, of course, it is important to be vaccinated for both of these if at all possible. You can schedule appointments to get your seasonal flu shot and updated COVID-19 booster at the same at plenty of locations, many of which can be found through Vaccines.gov’s search tool.

“Les « Frankenvirus » au cœur des débats, après l’émergence du Covid-19”

In this Le Monde article on gain of function research, Biodefense Graduate Program Director Dr. Gregory Koblentz discusses the announcements of 27 new BSL-4 laboratories since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and what these announcements, in light of loose international standards on biosafety, might mean in terms of increased risks of accidents.

“The World is Prepared for the Unthinkable”

This recent piece in CFR’s Think Global Health discusses the likely consequences of biological weapons use in Ukraine. McCloskey, Nuzzo, and Heymann write “A biological attack in Ukraine or anywhere would have profound and far-reaching political, military, and health consequences. The immediate impact would be to exacerbate the already profound human suffering that is occurring in the country and it would place further strain on already struggling health systems. Depending on the pathogen used, a biological attack could present risks beyond Ukraine. Unlike other weapons, biological agents have the potential to spread widely. Neighboring countries could be at immediate risk, but, as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has shown, diseases can travel widely around the globe before they are noticed.”

“Strategic Intelligence Assessment and Data on Domestic Terrorism”

This week the FBI and Department of Homeland Security released their second Strategic Intelligence Assessment and Data on Domestic Terrorism report. Overall, it details a continued increase in domestic terrorism investigations in the US, with the government opening 1,400 investigations in 2020 versus the average of 1,000 seen in previous years. It does note that this was in part because of investigations opened as a result of the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, but also that this anomaly does not fully account for the significant increase in that number. Most of these investigations were related to “…racially or ethnically driven violent extremism, anti-government or anti-authority violent extremism, and civil unrest.”

Other interesting points in the report include the that, as Lawfare explains, “…despite the increased threat, the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) does not employ a single analyst focused exclusively on domestic terrorism. One could argue that the NCTC is hamstrung in some respects because its mandate, or at least a narrow reading of its statute, limits its ability to focus on terrorism not related to the international variety of groups like the Islamic State and al-Qaeda. At the same time, the assessment states Homeland Security employs only ten analysts for domestic extremism threats. However, that number represents a meteoric increase from five years earlier, when there was not a dedicated domestic terrorism analyst squad.”

“Flu: When Spillovers Spill Over”

As the authors of this Think Global Health piece explain, the US is currently in the middle of one of the largest outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in animals in US history. At least 49 million birds from backyard and commercial flocks have been culled so far in 43 states as this year’s outbreaks continue.

The authors write “Case counts and distributions in wild birds have been equally astounding. Department of Agriculture surveillance efforts in 2022 have detected HPAI in wild birds in almost every state in the continental United States, plus Alaska. Active surveillance has found more than 3,300 infected wild birds. This extensive transmission through wild avian species is more pronounced than in previous U.S. epizootics, or animal epidemics; in the 2014-2015 outbreak, fewer than 100 wild birds tested positive for H5, primarily along the Pacific Flyway, one of four major North American migration routes for birds, especially waterfowl. Affected species in this outbreak range from the relatively abundant Canada goose and wild turkey to the more vulnerable bald eagle and snowy owl. How many of these birds are actually symptomatic is difficult to determine, as detections often occur opportunistically through the sampling of dead birds and hunter harvests. Mortality in wild species is varied with some species like gulls, terns, geese, and raptors experiencing higher than usual rates, while songbirds are relatively unaffected, even asymptomatic. The variation in morbidity and mortality makes this virus even harder to track.”

“Atoms are Local”

In this essay Elliot Hershberg, a PhD student in genetics at Stanford and the mind behind The Century of Biology, discusses the industrialization of biotech and proposes the biologization of industry as a preferable alternative. He explains this concept, writing “Biologization of Industry — Many people default to a mindset of industrialization. But, why naively inherit a metaphor that dominated 19th century Britain? Biology is the ultimate distributed manufacturing platform. We are keen to explore and make true future biotechnologies that enable people to more directly and freely make whatever they need where-ever they are.”

“Compendium of Best Practices on the Engagement and Advancement of Women in Chemical Safety and Security”

From the UN Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute: “The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), in close cooperation with international partners, stakeholders and practitioners, recognized the asymmetric portrayal of women and men in chemical safety and security; both in global literature and policy debates. To address this gap, amplify women’s voices and promote opportunities to increase their engagement in this field, OPCW and UNICRI, with the generous funding of the European Commission, developed the Compendium on “Engagement and Advancement of Women in Chemical Safety and Security”.”

“The Compendium aims to provide policymakers and practitioners in the field of chemistry with guidance to promote gender inclusivity in the chemical safety and security sector through the identification of best practices in recruiting, training and promoting gender-inclusive careers.”

What We’re Listening To 🎧

Poisons and Pestilence-13 Bonus Episode: The M Device with Simon Jones

Dr. Brett Edwards has released a new episode of his podcast, Poisons and Pestilence, covering the M device (a canister device used to release CW agents) with historian Simon Jones. In addition to the podcast, you can find Jones’ work on the M device here where he explains, “During the closing stages of the military intervention in North Russia in 1919, British chemical munitions were improvised as effective aerial bombs for the first time in history.”

Schar School PhD Virtual Open House Session

Come learn about the Schar School’s doctoral programs (including the Biodefense PhD!) and interact with faculty at this online open house. This event will take place Wednesday, November 16, at 7 pm EST. Register here.

Applying Lessons Learned from COVID-19 Research and Development to Future Epidemics

“The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Forum on Microbial Threats; Forum on Drug Discovery, Development, and Translation; and the Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and Emergencies will organize and conduct a public, hybrid workshop on December 7-8, 2022 to explore how innovative approaches in research sparked by COVID-19 can enhance health systems preparedness and responses to emerging infectious diseases. This workshop will consider basic scientific infrastructure and essential capabilities to support medical and behavioral countermeasures that were deployed during the COVID-19 pandemic response. Workshop participants will reflect on critical scientific infrastructure for stakeholder coordination and innovations that can facilitate rapid and effective responses to emerging infectious disease threats.” Register here.

Strategies to Reach Zero Dose Children in Fragile States and Cross-border Contexts in Africa

“CORE Group and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance invite you to register to attend a webinar where experts will discuss the importance of reaching Zero Dose Children and how addressing the challenges in reaching communities with immunization interventions could diminish disease outbreaks and health system disruptions. The webinar will also provide a platform for discussions on innovative ways to reach zero dose children beyond traditional government partners in fragile contexts. It will be an opportunity le learn more about the Zero-Dose Immunization Programme (ZIP) and will feature speakers from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, International Rescue Committee(IRC), CORE Group Polio Project (CGPP) and World Vision.” This event will be hosted virtually on November 15, at 10 am EST. Register here.

ICMYI: 8th African Conference on One Health and Biosecurity

The 8th African Conference on One Health and Biosecurity concluded recently in Lagos, Nigeria. The conference aimed to “…present a unique forum to raise National, Regional and Continental awareness and engage in deep introspection and robust interactions on existing health security measures and how to strengthen them, as the first urgent step toward mitigation of emerging biological threats in Africa.” Recordings from the conference are available on the Global Emerging Pathogens Treatment Consortium (GET) Africa YouTube Channel. You can read the conference’s “Communiqué of 8th African Conference on One Health and Biosecurity themed Strengthening Health Security and Mitigating Biological Threats in Africa”.

ICYMI: Briefings in Preparation for the Ninth BWC Review Conference

Check out the recording for this event on UNIDIR’s YouTube channel. “This virtual event brought together the authors of the latest UNIDIR publications on BWC topics to provide short outlines of the key insights and ideas in their respective reports for State Parties to consider ahead of the Review Conference. These include verification, advances in science and technology, international cooperation, and potential outcomes of the Review Conference. The presentations was followed by a moderated interactive discussion with the participants.”

Biotechnology Innovation and International Security Fellowships at Stanford University

“Stanford is seeking Biotechnology Innovation & International Security Fellows, to be appointed for one year renewable for a second.  Fellows will join a community of scholars hosted by the Center for International Security & Cooperation (CISAC), Bio.Polis, & the Department of Bioengineering, with mentoring by one or more faculty identified by each fellow.  Applications are being accepted thru 2 December 2022.”  Learn more and apply here.

START Announces Upcoming CBRN Data Suite and Portal

The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START)’s Unconventional Weapons and Technology division recently announced the creation of their CBRN Data Suite and Portal. The data suite is set to open in December and “…includes an event-level and an actor-level dataset. The event-level dataset is based on UWT’s Profiles of Incidents Involving CBRN and Non-state Actors (POICN) database, and is scheduled to be updated through May 2022 by the time the Data Suite and Portal goes live at the end of the year.”

“The actor-level dataset is a newly created dataset modeled after the Chemical and Biological Non-State Adversaries Database (CABNSAD) and the Radiological and Nuclear Non-State Adversaries (RANNSAD) dataset, with the new CBRN Actor dataset subsuming both CABNSAD and RANNSAD. As with the event-level dataset, the actor-level dataset is scheduled to be updated through May 2022 by the time the Data Suite and Portal launch.”

NIST Soliciting Feedback on Project Proposal to Improve Cybersecurity at Water Utility Facilities

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) recently released a white paper discussing ways to improve utility management, operations, and service delivery at water utility sites. The paper explains that “The NCCoE has undertaken a program to determine common scenarios for cybersecurity risks among WWS utilities. This project will profile several areas, including asset management, data integrity, remote access, and network segmentation. The NCCoE will also explore the utilization of existing commercially available products to mitigate and manage these risks. The findings can be used as a starting point by WWS utilities in mitigating cybersecurity risks for their specific production environment. This project will result in a freely available NIST Cybersecurity Practice Guide.” Read the announcement and submit feedback here.