Tag: News

Pandora Report 12.6.2024

by dkellogg97, posted in Pandora Report

This week’s Pandora Report covers news from the Biodefense Graduate Program, the winners of the 2024 OPCW-The Hague Award, reports of a mysterious illness in the DRC, and much more.

Biodefense Doctoral Student Selected for Next Generation Leader Program

First-year Biodefense PhD student Katie Dammer was recently selected for the Next Generation Leaders program as part of the Spirit of Asilomar conference that will be held in February 2025. “The Spirit of Asilomar and the Future of Biotechnology” summit will occur on the 50th anniversary of the 1975 international meeting on recombinant DNA, where scientists discussed the hazards and benefits of emerging biotechnology and voluntarily agreed to set new standards for the regulation of biohazards. The 2025 iteration of this summit will focus on artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, pathogen research, and other related topics. Dammer currently is a Biosecurity Fellow at the Horizon Institute for Public Service working as the Special Assistant for Global Health Security & Biodefense at the National Security Council.

2024 OPCW-The Hague Award Recipients Announced

Last month, OPCW Director-General Amb. Fernando Arias and The Hague Mayor Jan van Zanen announced the winners of this year’s OPCW-The Hague award: Alegeria’s National Institute of Criminalistics and Criminology of the National Gendarmerie (NICC/NG) and the Indian Chemical Council (ICC). NICC/NG is “a forensic science institute focused on advancing crime-fighting capabilities by integrating scientific methods into judicial and criminal processes.” The ICC “is a chemical industry body recognized for its role in promoting chemical safety, compliance with the Convention, and enhancing industry-wide security practices in India.” Read more about the recipients and this year’s award selection here.

DRC Reports Outbreak of Unknown Flu-Like Illness

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Africa CDC, and WHO are investigating an outbreak of an unknown, influenza-like disease in Kwango province that has infected at least 376 people and killed at least 67 (though some outlets report 143 deaths) since late October. Africa CDC reports that symptoms include fever, headache, cough, difficulties breathing, and anemia. Children under five are the most affected group, accounting for more than half of all cases and the majority of deaths. The outbreak started in the Panzi Health Zone, a remote part of the province. Officials report that they did not learn of the outbreak until six weeks after it began. In better news, the WHO has confirmed that the DRC’s mpox outbreak appears to be “plateauing”.

Raw Milk Recalled in California Following Bird Flu Detection

In a predictable turn of events, a farm in California has made a voluntary recall of its products and halted production after samples of its products tested positive for avian influenza. The recall has expanded since the initial recall of two lots of product on November 21. The California Department of Food and Agriculture has quarantined the farm and suspended the distribution of raw milk, cream, kefir, butter, and cheese products produced on or after November 27. The farm in question, Raw Farm of Fresno, has gained popularity with fans of social media “health influencers” and HHS Secretary nominee RFK Jr.. It frequently sells its products in natural supermarket chains like Sprouts Farmers Market.

The brand fell under FDA and CDC scrutiny earlier this year amid E. coli concerns, though the company insists it was the victim of “severe bias” from the agencies. Mark McAfee, CEO of Raw Farm, is insisting now that the actions taken by the state are politically-driven, despite samples of his company’s products testing positive for the virus. McAfee appears to have been encouraged by RFK Jr. to apply for a position at the FDA as the “FDA advisor on raw milk policy and standards development.”

Further Reading:

House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Releases Final Report

The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic recently published its final report, “AFTER ACTION REVIEW OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: The Lessons Learned and a Path Forward”. The more than 500-page document covers a variety of topics, including vaccines, use of pandemic relief funds, and public health guidance. The report begins with the claim that SARS-CoV-2 “likely emerged because of a laboratory or research related accident,” despite the Intelligence Community remaining split on the consensus and many in the scientific community disagreeing. The report is also critical of mitigation efforts like face masking and social distancing, though it praises travel restrictions. The report also focuses its attention heavily on the EcoHealth Alliance.

The Select Subcommittee’s minority released its own final report. A spokesperson for the minority said in a statement, “Select Subcommittee Republicans’ final report reflects two years wasted on political stunts instead of preventing and preparing for the next pandemic…Instead of coming together with Democrats to get ahead of future viruses or fortify America’s public health infrastructure and workforce, Select Subcommittee Republicans prioritized extreme probes that vilified our nation’s scientists and public health officials in an effort to whitewash former President Trump’s disastrous COVID-19 response.”

The minority report blasts the majority’s criticism and targeting of former NIAID Director Anthony Fauci as “baseless and frivolous” and explains that “Today, a zoonotic origin and lab accident are both plausible, as is a ‘hybrid’ scenario reflecting a mixture of the two…It was repeatedly explained to the Select Subcommittee that all prior epidemics and pandemics, as well as almost all prior outbreaks, have zoonotic origins. At the same time, a lab origin for SARS-CoV-2 also remains plausible.”

Further Reading: “Sick Animals Suggest COVID Pandemic Started in Wuhan Market,” Smriti Mallapaty, Nature

Trump Continues to Make Controversial Administration Selections

Trump Picks Jay Bhattacharya to Lead NIH

Late last month, President-Elect Trump announced Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford-trained physician and economist, as his pick to lead the NIH. Bhattacharya gained national attention for co-authoring the October 2020 letter known as the Great Barrington Declaration, which called for the rollback of pandemic-related shutdowns, drawing rebuke from then NIH director Francis S. Collins. Bhattacharya also was among several academics who met with Trump in August of 2020, claiming that the pandemic was not as severe as public health officials had warned. The letter gained broader criticism for its focus on herd immunity, especially as COVID-19 vaccines were not available at that point, so relying on herd immunity would lead to even more unnecessary illnesses and deaths.

Trump Picks Jim O’Neill for HHS Deputy Secretary

Trump also announced in late November that he will select Jim O’Neill, a Silicon Valley investor and former federal health official, as his selection to be Deputy Secretary at HHS. O’Neill joined HHS in 2002, holding several roles throughout his tenure, including serving as a top aide to the then-deputy secretary of the department. He then moved on to Silicon Valley, becoming a close ally of Peter Thiel, a close adviser to Trump during his first term who has also long championed VP-Elect JD Vance.

Trump Announces Dave Weldon as CDC Director Pick

In an unforeseen move, Trump picked former Congressman Dave Weldon as his nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Weldon has been out of politics for the last fifteen years, running a private medical practice in Florida. During his tenure in Congress, he made controversial statements about the safety of MMR and and HPV vaccines. His views have often aligned with those of RFK Jr., whom he has been friends with for more than two decades. Weldon has said of his time in Congress that he worked with Kennedy “to get the mercury out of the childhood vaccines.”

Further Reading:

White Helmets Urge International Community to Take Action to Protect Syrian Civilians from Chemical Warfare

The Director of the White Helmets, Raed Al-Saleh, warned recently that Syria’s authoritarian president, Bashar Al-Assad, could very soon use CW against civilians in an effort to stop rebels advancing in the northwest of the country. In a statement, Al-Saleh said “”For six days now, as the map of military control has changed, brutal attacks launched by the Syrian regime, Russia, and Iranian cross-border militias on Syrians have escalated especially in areas outside their control in northwest Syria…I am gravely concerned about the lives of every Syrian because of the real threat of chemical attacks.”

“Strategic Report on Research and Development in Biotechnology for Defense Innovation”

From NASEM: “At the request of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology, Strategic Report on Research and Development in Biotechnology for Defense Innovation provides an overview of the current landscape of artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML)-enabled biotechnology, the opportunities it presents, and the challenges it poses. This report offers a strategic vision for connecting scientists and technologists to build on, leverage, and tailor advances at the intersection of AI/ML, automated experimentation, and biotechnology to drive innovation in defense-related biotechnologies. Strategic Report on Research and Development in Biotechnology for Defense Innovation makes recommendations to address long-standing challenges that have limited research, development, prototyping, testing and evaluation, and eventual use of biotechnologies. Addressing these challenges will help to advance U.S. national security and defense by improving the performance of existing capabilities, enabling the creation of domestic supply chains of valuable products, reducing reliance on processes and chemicals that are harmful to the environment, and/or adding new capabilities not currently possible with established technologies.”

“Anticipating Biological Risk: A Toolkit for Strategic Biosecurity Policy”

Stephen Batalis for CSET: “Artificial intelligence (AI) tools pose exciting possibilities to advance scientific, biomedical, and public health research. At the same time, these tools have raised concerns about their potential to contribute to biological threats, like those from pathogens and toxins. This report describes pathways that result in biological harm, with or without AI, and a range of governance tools and mitigation measures to address them.”

“Strengthening the Biological Weapons Convention”

Jez Littlewood and Filippa Lentzos recently published this piece with the Arms Control Association discussing the BWC working group and its efforts to improve the BWC. They write in part, “Substantial progress has been made in some areas, but beneath the surface is a broader conflict about the shape of arms control agreements generally. This raises a question about whether strengthening the BWC needs to follow the traditional model of legally binding multilateral agreements with declarations, inspections, investigations, and an international organization where consensus rules or whether states-parties can agree to a new model that allows states to opt in to the mechanisms with which they agree and opt out of any processes or new commitments they are unable to support.”

“BWC at 50: Taking Bold Steps to Secure the Future”

Gabrielle Essix recently authored this rundown on the BWC’s successes, shortcomings, and future for NTI| bio. She writes in part, “As we look ahead to the future of the BWC, the role of civil society will become increasingly critical. Organizations like NTI provide a bridge between governments, scientists, and the public, ensuring that biosecurity remains a global priority. By advocating for stronger international norms and pushing for innovative solutions to new challenges, NTI can help make the BWC an effective tool in the fight against the development and use of biological weapons.”

“Possible Models of BWC Verification”

James Revill authored this brief for UNIDIR: “This briefing serves as a primer for consideration of possible models of verification. Past discussions of verification in the Biological Weapons Conference (BWC) have largely focused on the development of a more traditional disarmament verification regime, akin to the model established in the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and envisaged in the BWC Protocol Negotiations. Such a model is often considered the standard model for verification and could provide greater confidence in compliance with the BWC.”

“However, the traditional model of verification is not the only model available to BWC States Parties. Depending on the function(s) and focus of any verification mechanism, other options could be developed for BWC verification that might more effectively address the concerns of BWC States Parties and potentially reduce costs of verification while still increasing confidence in compliance.”

BioWeapons Prevention Project: “The Closure of the Fourth Sessions Preparations for the Fifth”

From BWPP: “The Working Group (WG) on the strengthening of the 1972 Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC/BTWC), will convene for its Fifth Session on 2 December having finished the Fourth Session on 23 August. The topics for discussion in the WG were decided at Ninth BWC Review Conference, held in 2022. The two-week Fifth Session will be followed by the annual Meeting of States Parties (MSP) which is scheduled for 16-18 December…This report focuses on some overarching issues. Individual topics up for discussion during the Fifth Session have been examined in earlier reports in this series, and in particular in the ‘setting the scene’ reports.”

Read more here.

“Biocrimes: Safeguarding Clinical and Public Health Microbiology Labs Against Insider Threats”

Casey Shroeder authored this piece for Lab Manager, writing in part “Within clinical and public health microbiology laboratories where scientists work to diagnose infections and/or protect public health, the potential for biocrimes and insider threats is a serious risk that is often overlooked. These laboratories, which handle not only routine human pathogens but also antimicrobial resistant strains, emerging pathogens, and potential biothreat pathogens, must remain vigilant against those who might exploit their access for malicious purposes.”

“Bacteriologic and Genomic Investigation of Bacillus anthracis Isolated from World War II Site, China”

Wu et al. recently published this article in Emerging Infectious Diseases: “Records suggest Bacillus anthracis was used in biowarfare during World War II, but evidence remains limited. We isolated B. anthracis from soil at the remains of a World War II–era laboratory in China. Phenotypic and genomic analyses confirmed the finding, highlighting the value of microbial forensics in biothreat investigation.”

“Modern Warfare is Breeding Deadly Superbugs. Why?”

Francesca Mari recently published this piece in The New York Times Magazine, explaining in part “By 2050, The Lancet predicts that antimicrobial resistance will kill 8.22 million people per year, more than the number currently killed by cancer. (For context, Covid claimed an estimated three million lives during all of 2020.) And a growing body of research suggests that the 21st-century way of warfare has become a major driver of that spread. Nations of the Middle East, like Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Afghanistan, now suffer from particularly high rates of multidrug-resistant pathogens, and some of the world’s most fearsome superbugs have incubated in the region — Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, E. coli, MRSA and perhaps most notably A. baumannii, a strain of Acinetobacter that traveled home with U.S. soldiers, where it became nicknamed “Iraqibacter.”’

“Global Report on Infection Prevention and Control 2024”

From WHO: “Health care-associated infections (HAIs) affect patients and health systems every day, causing immense suffering, driving higher health-care costs and hampering efforts to achieve high-quality care for all. HAIs are often difficult to treat, are the major driver of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and cause premature deaths and disability. The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as outbreaks of Ebola, Marburg and mpox are the most dramatic demonstrations of how pathogens can spread rapidly and be amplified in health care settings. But HAIs are a daily threat in every hospital and clinic, not only during epidemics and pandemics. Lack of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in health care settings not only affects the application of infection prevention and control (IPC) best practices but also equity and dignity among both those providing and receiving care. However, there is strong evidence that a large proportion of these infections could be prevented with IPC measures and basic WASH services, with a high return on investment. This second global report on IPC provides updated evidence on the harm caused to patients and health workers by HAIs and AMR, and presents an updated global analysis of the implementation of IPC programmes at the national and health care facility levels across all WHO regions. “

Bloomberg FOIA Files: Kremlin Targeting Putin’s Political Adversaries, Has Ability to Assassinate Targets with Chemical and Biological Weapons

In this edition of Bloomberg News’ FOIA Files, Jason Leopold discusses a recently-released memo from ODNI discussing targeting killings of Vladimir Putin’s political adversaries, and the means by which the Russian state is able to accomplish this. In the memo, intelligence officials assessed that “Russia has the capability to assassinate individuals using chemical and biological agents,” and that they have the means to track dissidents and defectors. The memo also explains that “The development of chemical or biological agents with lower risk of attribution might tempt the Kremlin to consider assassinating individuals,” in addition to discussing the death of Russian businessman Alexander Perepilichnyy, who was “reportedly assassinated with a biological toxin in the UK in 2012 shortly before he was scheduled to testify about a Kremlin tax fraud network.”

“Reviving Chemical Weapons Accountability in a Multipolar World”

The Center for Strategic and Strategic & International Studies published this commentary by Natasha Hall and Doreen Horschig ahead of the 29th Session of the Conference of States Parties of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. In it, they discuss the strain the CWC has faced in the last decade and how its strength might be restored. They write in part, “Next week’s conference presents an opportunity to revitalize efforts toward accountability and global cooperation. The United States, in particular, is in a position to reverse course on the dangerous erosion of the chemical weapons norm and maintain the integrity of the CWC. But to do so, it will need to engage friend and foe alike.”

“The Islamic Republic’s Work on Pharmaceutical Based Agents”

This report was authored by Mohammadreza Giveh and the Good ISIS Team for the Institute for Science and International Security. “This report discusses multiple Iranian security complexes that have been preparing production of fentanyl and medetomidine based incapacitating and lethal agents. These complexes have been working on pillars of producing those weapons: large-scale cost-efficient synthesis of the compounds with maximum potency, evaluating a stable chemical mixture based on those agents that can be aerosolized using a propellant, and developing the delivery of the agents through grenades, bullets, or drones.”

“Chemical Weapons Disinformation in Ukraine”

From GP WMD Counter Disinfo, this series includes three briefs: “Understanding Russia’s Chemical Weapons Allegations in Ukraine,” “Selected Examples of CW Allegations and Related Disinformation Campaigns from the Russian Federation,” and “Strategy and Impacts of CW Disinformation”.

“Chemical Weapons Use in Ukraine Testa Global Norms to Breaking Point”

Lennie Phillips OBE and Gareth Williams discuss Russia’s use of CW in Ukraine and how it affects the CWC and OPCW in this RUSI piece, writing in part “A riot control agent found in samples collected from the confrontation lines in Ukraine by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons implicates Russia in yet another breach of the Chemical Weapons Convention. But what steps can states parties to the convention take next?”

“Russia Fails to Make OPCW Executive Council for Second Year Running”

Patrick Norén discusses Russia’s failure to be elected to the OPCW’s Executive Council for the second year in a row in this piece for CBNW.

“How Might Large Language Models Aid Actors in Reaching the Competency Threshold Required to Carry Out a Chemical Attack?”

Stendall et al. recently published this article in The Nonproliferation Review: “Artificial intelligence is a rapidly growing field, increasingly driving innovation in the sciences. This is a double-edged sword, with the benefits of scientific discovery tempered by potential opportunities for weaponization and misuse. Specifically, the implications for chemical security and chemical weapons are becoming increasingly clear. This article analyzes how large language models (LLMs)—particularly chatbots and chemical LLM assistants—might enable actors to better reach the competency threshold for a chemical attack, via enhanced methods for the identification, production, and use of chemical weapons. This would be particularly relevant for those at the lower end of the capability spectrum, such as terrorist groups and rogue individuals. An important historical context is provided throughout the article, with chemical attacks of the past illuminating the dangerous consequences of an easier-to-achieve competency threshold. A counterargument is also provided, analyzing the factors that might still limit malicious actors, as well as a description of how LLMs might be used to combat chemical terrorism. The article then concludes with a short list of key policy and governance suggestions for mitigating the risks.”

Read or listen to CNS’ interview with Stendall on this article here.

“Chemical Terrorism: Assessment of U.S. Strategies in the Era of Great Power Competition”

From NASEM: “Domestic and foreign violent extremist organizations, or terrorist groups, have caused a greater amount of harm with chemical agents than with biological or radiological weapons. The United States capacity and capability to identify, prevent, counter, and respond adequately to chemical threats is established by the strategies, policies, and laws enacted across multiple levels of government. While the number of chemical terrorism incidents has risen and fallen over time, there is no empirical or analytical indication that the threat is disappearing. This report comes at a time when the nation’s highest-level strategies have shifted from focusing primarily on violent extremist organizations to focusing more on Great Power Competition. This shift in relative perceived threat and consequent prioritization will impact efforts against chemical terrorism, and in turn, affect funding priorities. Revised risk assessments are needed to reprioritize risks guided by new strategies, so that strategy-aligned budgets can be created. The report recommends weapons of mass destruction budgets be aligned with evolving priorities and incentivize activities that transition promising research to operations.”

“Nuclear Terrorism: Assessment of U.S. Strategies to Prevent, Counter, and Respond to Weapons of Mass Destruction”

From NASEM: “For nearly eight decades, the world has been navigating the dangers of the nuclear age. Despite Cold War tensions and the rise of global terrorism, nuclear weapons have not been used in conflict since Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Efforts such as strategic deterrence, arms control and non-proliferation agreements, and the U.S.-led global counterterrorism have helped to keep nuclear incidents at bay. However, the nation’s success to date in countering nuclear terrorism does not come with a guarantee, success often carries the risk that other challenges will siphon away attention and resources and can lead to the perception that the threat no longer exists.”

“This report found that U.S. efforts to counter nuclear or radiological terrorism are not keeping pace with the evolving threat landscape. The U.S. government should maintain a strategic focus and effort on combatting terrorism across the national security community in coordination with international partners, State, Local, Tribal and Territorial authorities, the National Laboratories, universities and colleges, and civil society. Developing and sustaining adequate nuclear incident response and recovery capabilities at the local and state levels will likely require significant new investments in resources and empowerment of local response from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, and National Institutes of Health.”

“Ecological Threat Report”

The Institute for Economics & Peace recently released the fifth edition of its Ecological Threat Report, ” which analyses ecological threats in 207 independent states and territories. The report covers 3,518 sub-national areas which account for 99.99 per cent of the world’s population. The ETR assesses threats relating to food insecurity, water risk, natural disasters, and demographic pressure…The research takes a multi-faceted approach by analysing ecological threats at the national, subnational, and city level, while also assessing the threats against societal resilience and levels of peace. Comparing ecological threats against societal resilience enables IEP to identify the global regions, countries, and subnational areas most at risk of an ecological disaster, both now and into the future.”

“Healthcare Cybersecurity: HHS Continues to Have Challenges as Lead Agency”

This snapshot from the Government Accountability Office discusses previous GAO findings about HHS’ performance in healthcare cybersecurity, explaining that HHS has yet to implement all of GAO’s recommendations to address its challenges in this area. It concludes that “Until HHS implements our prior recommendations related to improving cybersecurity, the department risks not being able to effectively carry out its lead agency responsibilities, resulting in potential adverse impact on healthcare providers and patient care.”

“Lebanon: A Conflict Particularly Destructive to Health Care”

The WHO recently released this news post explaining that more health workers and patients have been killed proportionally in Lebanon than in Ukraine and Gaza, with 47% of attacks on health care in the country proving fatal as of November 21-a higher percentage than in any active conflict today globally. Read more here.

What We’re Listening To 🎧

Grow Everything Biotech Podcast, 103. DNA of Defense: Alexander Titus on How NSCEB is Advancing Biotech for National Security Challenges

“Karl and Erum bring on Dr. Alexander Titus, a commissioner on the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology, to explore the exciting and challenging intersections of biotechnology and policy. Alexander shares his experiences from his unique journey across academia, government, and industry, diving into the role of biosecurity, the potential of synthetic biology, and the emerging convergence of tech and bio. They discuss ambitious projects like de-extincting the woolly mammoth, advances in biodefense, and the impacts of AI on biotech innovation. It’s a conversation that sheds light on how cutting-edge biotech could shape the future and the necessary balance between innovation and ethical responsibility.”

Listen here.

NEW: How to Avoid Human-Made Pandemics

From the Asia Centre for Health Security: “Studying viruses that could potentially cause outbreaks is one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of pandemics. However, this type of research—especially when it involves collecting samples from the field and manipulating pathogens—can unintentionally lead to a pandemic if not managed carefully. Dr Lentzos will discuss her findings from the Pathogen Project, which brought together an international taskforce of scientists, biosecurity and public health experts, ethicists, and civil society leaders to seek consensus on this question: Can we agree on ways to manage research that carries pandemic risk as safely, securely and responsibly as possible?”

This event will take place on January 23 at 8 pm (GMT +8:00) via Zoom. RSVP here.

NEW: Preparedness in Rural Communities: National and State/Local Perspectives and Plans

From Penn State: “The COVID-19 pandemic and recent hurricanes have thrust the preparedness of rural communities into the national spotlight. At the federal level, the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have recently released national goals and plans for preparedness of rural communities. The overall objective of this virtual, 2-day mini-symposium is to identify opportunities in public health and agricultural preparedness and response in rural communities. The mini-symposium will focus upon national perspectives on Thursday, January 30 and the state/local perspectives on Friday, January 31. Speakers include representatives of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, the Department of Homeland Security, US Department of Agriculture, the USA Center for Rural Public Health Preparedness, and state/local leaders.”

This event will take place on January 30 and 31, from 11 am to 2 pm ET each day. Learn more and register here.

Enhancing the Resilience of Healthcare and Public Health Critical Infrastructure: A Workshop

From NASEM: “Healthcare and public health infrastructure, technology, and operations are rapidly changing and are increasingly interdependent and interconnected. Threats to the nation’s critical social and physical infrastructure systems are also rapidly evolving and highly complex—posing potentially new or growing risks of disruption and challenging the assumptions used to design and protect these systems.”

“The National Academies Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and Emergencies will host a hybrid public workshop to explore strategies, policies, and innovative actions to improve the resilience of healthcare and public health (HPH) critical infrastructure to impacts from disasters and other emergencies.”

This event will take place in DC on December 9 and 10. Register here.

A New Paradigm for Threat Agnostic Biodetection: Biological Intelligence (BIOINT)

From PNNL: “Please join us in welcoming Swati Sureka, Strategy and Policy Analyst at Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) Federal, where she supports the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Readiness Policy and Oversight. Her talk, titled “A New Paradigm for Threat Agnostic Biodetection: Biological Intelligence (BIOINT),” will take place on Tuesday, December 10th, at noon PT.”

Learn more and RSVP here.

Resilience in the Face of Global Risks

From CSR: “The Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) cordially invites you to our first annual CSR symposium, Resilience in the Face of Global Risks, scheduled for Tuesday, December 10, 2024. This is the first event bringing together all three of CSR’s institutions—the Center for Climate & Security, the Converging Risks Lab, and the Janne E. Nolan Center on Strategic Weapons—to engage with leaders across our mission sets.”

“The United States and its allies face a complex global security landscape where systemic risks like climate and ecological crisis, nuclear proliferation, and biological threats are blending with war, geopolitical competition, and human insecurity in new and profound ways. While there has been tremendous leadership—and meaningful progress—across these overlapping risk areas, they require persistent innovation in community building to meet the modern risk landscape.”

“The symposium will dive into the progress our communities have made—and how our passionate communities can better work together to help shape the future.”

“In addition to a keynote address, guests will hear from panels, take part in breakout sessions showcasing important issues and new ideas, plus engage with thought leaders between sessions. It will be a widely attended gathering, free to attendees.”

“As we enter a new year with an exceptionally dynamic security environment, we hope CSR’s December event will inspire and build a stronger community across professionals dedicated to anticipating and addressing the world’s greatest risks. We appreciate your consideration and hope you will be able to join us on the 10th of December.”

RSVP here.

Cyberbiosecurity Summit

From Johns Hopkins APL and Bio-ISAC: “Advancements in biomanufacturing and biotechnology drive the science we need to thrive, everything from apples to vaccines. The Cyberbiosecurity Summit 2025 convenes leading experts in biotechnology, biosecurity, and cybersecurity to explore the intersection of these fields and discuss the strategies to create a safe, secure future for us all.”
This event will take place February 25-26 in Laurel, MD. Register here and review the call for sessions here (closes 12/12).

NEW: Call for Experts, Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats

“The National Academies is seeking suggestions for experts to be considered for the membership rotation or other engagement with the Standing Committee on Emerging Infectious Diseases and 21st Century Health Threats. The group will help inform the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) on critical science and policy issues related to emerging infectious diseases and other health threats.”

“Since March 2020, the standing committee has consistently generated real-time policy recommendations and produced an unprecedented amount of timely, evidence-based guidance in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and other emerging public health threats. Looking ahead, the standing committee will continue to ensure that ASPR and decision-makers have access to the latest high-quality, evidence-based insights to inform medical and public health preparedness for, response to, and recovery from disasters and public health emergencies.”

“Approximately 12-15 volunteer experts are needed to serve on the standing committee of approximately 25 members.”

Learn more and submit nominations by December 13 here.

Pandora Report 11.22.2024

by dkellogg97, posted in Pandora Report

This week’s edition of the Pandora Report includes updates from the Biodefense Graduate Program, information on the upcoming BWC Working Group meeting, updates on mpox and avian influenza in California, and much more.

Mazanec Moving Up at ASPR

Brian Mazanec, Biodefense PhD ’14 and adjunct professor at the Schar School, has started a new role as Deputy Assistant Secretary and Director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Coordination Operations and Response Element (H-CORE) within the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR). H-CORE was born out of Operation Warp Speed– the COVID-19 medical countermeasures response led by HHS and the Department of Defense which transitioned to ASPR in 2021. H-CORE’s mission today is to lead and enable agile, data-driven operational coordination, logistics readiness, and scalable response for public health emergencies and disasters, including infectious disease outbreaks and cyber attacks. H-CORE also now includes the Office of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection, Secretary’s Operation Center, and Office of Data, Analytics, and Information Advantage.

Pandora Report Hosting the Gryphon Scientific Biosecurity Collection

The Pandora Report is now hosting a collection of papers published by Gryphon Scientific. This page serves as a repository for a selection of reports and publications from Gryphon Scientific, a research and policy consultancy that performed cutting-edge work in biosafety, biosecurity, and all-hazards preparedness and response. Over the past two decades, Gryphon supported senior decision makers within government and the commercial sector in evaluating emerging technologies and understanding how to enable their rapid development while safeguarding against their associated risks. Notably, Gryphon was commissioned by the NIH in 2016 to conduct an extensive risk-benefit analysis of gain-of-function research with potential pandemic pathogens. Gryphon was also at the forefront of AI safety, with a particular focus on the intersection of AI and biological and chemical threats. Gryphon is now continuing and expanding its work as part of Deloitte Consulting LLP. 

Transforming Defense with Biotechnology: Insights From DARPA’s Dr. Michael Koeris

Biotechnology is playing an increasingly pivotal role in strengthening national defense, with the potential to enhance military capabilities and address emerging security challenges. On November 13, the Biodefense Graduate Program at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University hosted a lecture by Dr. Michael Koeris, the recently appointed director of DARPA’s Biological Technologies Office (BTO). Dr. Koeris’ talk offered attendees a look into the cutting-edge research being done at BTO to revolutionize U.S. military capabilities through biotechnology. With a focus on warfighter readiness and operational biotechnology, Dr. Koeris shared how DARPA is developing next-generation solutions to enhance military personnel’s health and performance in increasingly complex environments. The discussion provided a unique opportunity to delve into the innovative technologies that DARPA is developing, from optimizing warfighter stamina in their AWARE (Alert Warfighter Enablement) program to their GOLDEVAC (Golden Hour Extended Evacuation) program, which is designed to provide wounded warfighters with expert-level care in austere environments when medical evacuation is delayed.

Dr. Michael Koeris

DARPA, created after the Sputnik crisis in 1957, was designed to prevent technological surprise by pushing the United States to the forefront of military innovation. DARPA focuses on strategic, high-yield programs that align with the latest technological realities, especially in fields like AI and biotechnology. DARPA intentionally pursues extremely risky programs, seeking transformational change over incremental progress, and often learns just as much from their failures. When projects do succeed—such as the development of self-driving vehicles, drones, and mRNA vaccines—they have had worldwide impacts. The agency aims to develop breakthrough technologies by maintaining agility and leveraging short program timelines to stay ahead of global technological developments. These technologies strengthen military readiness, enhance medical responses to biosecurity threats, and ensure peak performance under combat conditions. One of the main challenges discussed by Dr. Koeris was the global “data race,” especially in the field of biological data. While the United States is making progress, China’s aggressive collection of genetic and biological data has put it ahead in developing foundational biological models. This data gap poses risks to U.S. national security, as high-quality biological data is essential for AI and biotechnology advancements. To remain competitive, the United States must focus on generating diverse, original biological data to feed AI models and drive further innovation in biotechnology. As Dr. Koeris emphasized in his lecture, DARPA is committed to ensuring that the United States remains a global leader in biotechnology and national security. By strengthening its position in both data collection and its application in biotechnology, the United States can ensure it stays ahead in the race to shape the future of national defense. The lecture by Dr. Koeris shed light on the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead, leaving us better informed about the potential contributions that advances in biotechnology can make to national security.

This event summary was authored by Biodefense MS Student Katie Groves.

BWC Update
The fifth session of the Working Group on the Strengthening of the Biological Weapons Convention will take place from 2 to 13 December 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland. The agenda of the Working Group, as adopted at its first session, is available online as document BWC/WG/1/1. Details about the meeting, official documents, and side events can be found here.

Further reading:

Bonus: Check out NTI | bio’s two December 2024 BWC Meetings here (one of these is a hybrid event).

California Announces Suspected Avian Flu Case in Child

The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) announced this week that testing has identified a suspected avian influenza infection in a child in Alameda County. The child had mild upper respiratory symptoms and no known contact with any infected animals. The child is recovering at home, and CDPH says that the positive test “showed a low-level detection of the virus, indicating the child was not likely infectious to others.” Repeat testing four days later was negative. Furthermore, the child was found to also be positive for other respiratory viruses that may have caused the mild symptoms. No person-to-person spread has been detected nor is it suspected.

Further reading: “The World Is Watching the U.S. Deal With Bird Flu, and It’s Scary,” The New York Times, Tulio de Oliveira

California Confirms First Known US Clade I Mpox Case

CDPH also reported this week that it detected the first known US case of Clade I mpox. The case was identified in a person who recently traveled from Africa and it is related to the ongoing outbreak in Central and East Africa. The case has been reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The person received care in San Mateo County and is now isolating and recovering at home. Those who had close contact with this person are being contacted by public health workers, but there is currently no concern nor evidence that clade I mpox is spreading between people in California or the US in general.

Jay Bhattacharya Reportedly Top Candidate to Lead NIH

Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford University physician and economist who drew sharp criticism from the likes of Francis S. Collins for his “fringe” ideas about COVID-19 in the letter known as the Great Barrington Declaration, appears poised to be nominated to a top government health role. Bhattacharya is reportedly on the shortlist of contenders to lead the NIH compiled by RFK Jr., President-Elect Trump’s nominee for HHS Secretary. According to the The Washington Post, “Bhattacharya, who has said he was a victim of what felt like a “propaganda attack” led by public health experts after the Great Barrington Declaration, has testified in Congress, met with lawmakers in both parties, and offered advice to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and other leaders navigating the pandemic. Republicans have hailed him as a truth-teller, contrasting the Stanford physician with government officials whom they blame for an overly stringent response to the health crisis.”

Bhattacharya has no experience in a senior government role nor in a role overseeing a large bureaucratic organization. This position requires Senate confirmation. Read more about Bhattacharya’s previous experience and comments about the organization he may soon lead here.

Further reading: “Global Health Experts Sound Alarm Over RFK Jr., Citing Samoa Outbreak,” The Washington Post, Sammy Westfall and Lena H. Sun

Survey of Biosafety and Biosecurity Laws in G20 Nations
The Library of Congress has published a comprehensive overview of biosafety and biosecurity laws for the member of the Group of 20 (G20) as well as a comparative analysis of these laws. According to the report, “Among the G20 nations’ laws discussed in this report, the methods for defining the terms “biosafety” and “biosecurity” generally fall into one of four categories. In the first category, “biosafety” and “biosecurity” are clearly defined in legislation or regulations, with specific distinctions. In the second set of jurisdictions, the term “biosecurity” is applied generally to topics such as laboratory safety, protecting the environment, and guarding against criminal activity involving biological agents that may harm people, plants, animals, and the environment. In other nations, laws may include one identified term, but government strategy statements or publications by government-related scientific organizations supplement the available legal definitions with more detailed descriptions of “biosafety” and “biosecurity.” The remaining nations addressed in this report have enacted laws addressing biosecurity matters, but these laws contain no legal definitions for “biosafety,” “biosecurity,” or similar terminology.”

ISAB Report on PRC, MCF, and Biotechnology
The Secretary of State’s International Security Advisory Board (ISAB) has released a new report on the biotechnology components of the People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) Military-Civil Fusion (MCF) Strategy, with a focus on biotechnology development objectives, implementation, and implications for international biosecurity. ISAB provides the Department with a continuing source of independent insight, advice, and innovation on all aspects of arms control, disarmament, nonproliferation, outer space, critical infrastructure, cybersecurity, the national security aspects of emerging technologies, international security, and related aspects of public diplomacy.  The ISAB’s goal is to advise the State Department and other federal agencies on how the United States can adapt to the changing global biotech landscape, particularly in the context of strategic competition with PRC. The report proposes that the Department of State and other U.S. government agencies take steps to develop a global biotech system in which a broad range of partners cooperates on scientific research and trade. This requires a long-term strategic approach, and the leadership of the Department of State, to build this global environment that aligns with U.S. interests.

“WHO Technical Advisory Group on the Responsible Use of the Life Sciences and Dual-Use Research: Report of the Meeting, 25 June 2024”

From WHO: “The World Health Organization (WHO) Technical Advisory Group on the Responsible Use of the Life Sciences and Dual-Use Research (TAG-RULS DUR) (1) was established to provide independent advice to WHO on the monitoring and mitigation of biorisks, the advances in the life sciences and related technologies, the governance of dual-use research and the responsible use of the life sciences.””

“This meeting was the second virtual meeting and third overall meeting of 2024. Over the course of the meeting, participants discussed and provided feedback on the first draft of the BioRisk Implementation and Evaluation Framework (BRIEF) Tool, were briefed on the draft WHO course on Dual-Use Research and the Responsible Use of the Life Sciences and delivered updates on activities of the TAG’s four working groups.”

“The TAG-RULS DUR and its working groups will continue to undertake activities on the key topics identified. The group agreed that its next meeting will be held in October 2024.”

Read the meeting report here.

“Age of Biology Requires American Leadership”

Sen. Todd Young, Chair of the National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology, recently authored this opinion piece for Roll Call in which he discusses a forthcoming report from the Commission discussing actions needed to “maintain and strengthen America’s global leadership position” in biotechnology. He explains in this piece that “Congress must enact policies that accelerate innovations at home, onshore our supply chains, create data-sharing agreements with our allies, and support our military’s use of novel biotechnologies. Broadly, this will be the focus of the NSCEB’s forthcoming Final Report in 2025. Policymakers must protect and promote American biotechnology to ensure the United States leads the Age of Biology, and I am confident the NSCEB will contribute to these efforts.”

“Guidance for Human Genome Data Collection, Access, Use and Sharing”

From WHO: “The ethical, legal, and equitable sharing of human genomic data is critical to advancing global health research and ensuring fair access to the benefits of genomics. The WHO’s new document outlines a comprehensive set of globally applicable principles designed to guide stakeholders in the responsible collection, use, and sharing of human genome data. This document serves as a key resource to navigate complex issues surrounding data governance, with the aim of fostering transparency, promoting equity, and safeguarding individual and collective rights. These principles are intended to support the implementation of best practices across diverse settings, thereby enhancing the global capacity for genomic research and its translation into health benefits for all.”

“The Superbug Fight Needs a Better Business Model”

Annalies Winny published this piece in Global Health Now discussing the dearth of antibiotic research, writing in part “Researchers say that the current business model for developing antibiotics—and getting them to where they’re needed most—isn’t fit for purpose. Countries are starting to get behind incentives that absorb some of the risk, and offer a significant return on investment. But funding for these programs still lags far behind what’s needed to save millions of lives, and billions of dollars in health care costs, and there are doubts about whether incentives led by wealthy nations will satisfy needs in low- and middle-income countries.”

“Gaza Bombardment Worsens Superbug Outbreaks”

Misbah Khan published this piece for The Bureau of Investigative Journalism describing the growing public health crisis in Gaza. She writes in part, “There is a growing and dire public health crisis taking place in Gaza. Israeli blockades and hospital bombings are fuelling a superbug emergency, with civilians who survive starvation and injury later facing untreatable, life-threatening infections…Doctors on the ground told the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) they were treating wounds infested with maggots and using vinegar to fight infections.”

“Potential Research Priorities to Inform U.S. Readiness and Response to Avian Influenza A (H5N1)”

From NASEM: “Avian Influenza A (H5) viruses have circulated globally for decades among migratory bird populations. The recent emergence of Avian Influenza A (H5N1) in U.S. dairy cattle has led to challenges in managing and controlling the spread of H5 viruses between livestock, wildlife, and companion animals, as well as to humans from infected animals. The National Academies hosted a public workshop in October 2024 to explore potential research priorities that could inform readiness and response to the outbreak. Discussions followed an interdisciplinary One Health approach, bringing together experts from across human, veterinary, plant, and environmental health disciplines, and builds on published federal research priorities for H5N1 to include perspectives beyond basic translational clinical sciences, to social sciences, veterinary health, agricultural economics, and occupational health, among others.”

Read the proceeding of this workshop here.

“Diagnosis in the Era of Digital Health and Artificial Intelligence: Proceedings of a Workshop-in Brief”

From NASEM: “To explore the opportunities and challenges of using artificial intelligence (AI) and digital health technologies to improve diagnostic processes and outcomes, the National Academies Forum on Advancing Diagnostic Excellence hosted a public workshop in July 2024. Speakers highlighted the role of these technologies throughout the diagnostic process and their impact on the patient experience, including to gain understanding of a patient’s onset of symptoms, to improve information gathering and patient-clinician communication, and to support clinical decision making. Discussions also emphasized the importance of ensuring these technologies do not perpetuate existing health disparities.”

Read the proceedings here.

“OPCW Investigation Confirms Russia’s Likely Use of Chemical Weapons Against Ukraine”

Andrea Stricker authored this analysis of recent OPCW findings regarding Russia’s likely use of CW in Ukraine. She explains that “Russia’s consistent denials that its military forces have deployed illegal chemical weapons in Ukraine were dealt a serious blow on November 18, when the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) announced that it had recently conducted a Technical Assistance Visit to Ukraine and established evidence of chemical weapons use. While the OPCW stopped short of attributing responsibility to Russia, a growing body of evidence points to numerous Russian chemical weapon attacks against Ukrainian front-line troops in violation of the 1997 Chemical Weapons Convention, to which Moscow is a party.”

“Research and Development Areas to the North of Hamhung”

Read the latest installment of RUSI’s Project Anthracite analysis of the DPRK’s chemical industry and CW program: “The area to the north of the city of Hamhung is home to academic institutions and research and development (R&D) facilities. Furthermore, there are access tunnels to likely underground areas in the vicinity, and the wider region is home to significant chemical industry. Although literature on these facilities is limited, satellite imagery has been analysed to determine whether it is possible to discern any linkages with or provide insight on North Korea’s chemical industry or chemical weapons (CW) programme. Although evidence was circumstantial and no direct linkages could be identified on imagery, the analysis was able to confirm the location of several academic and R&D facilities and contribute to baselining potential academic and R&D facilities in the area.”

“While the location of at least part of a CW programme in or around these facilities cannot be ruled out, there were no features that would indicate the likely presence of a CW programme in these facilities.”

“NNSA celebrating 50 years of the Nuclear Emergency Support Team – NEST”

“This month, NNSA is observing the 50th anniversary of what is now called the Nuclear Emergency Support Team – or NEST. During a recent ceremony at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, leaders from around the government gathered to celebrate the birthday of one its most diverse and capable assets…NEST, created by President Ford in 1974, has a mission to provide federal emergency response in case of a radiological or nuclear threat, incident or accident.”

Read more about NEST, its formation, and its future here.

NEW: DC Biosecurity Happy Hour

From DC Biosecurity Professionals Across Academia, Industry, and Think Tanks: “Please join us for the Biosecurity Happy Hour, an informal event for biosecurity professionals in DC to get to know each other outside of Zoom calls and talk about new ideas in this space. Please note that drinks will be at attendee’s own expense!”

This event will take place on December 5 from 6:30-8 pm EST at Dacha Beer Garden in Washington, DC. Learn more and reserve a spot here.

NEW: A New Paradigm for Threat Agnostic Biodetection: Biological Intelligence (BIOINT)

From PNNL: “Please join us in welcoming Swati Sureka, Strategy and Policy Analyst at Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) Federal, where she supports the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Readiness Policy and Oversight. Her talk, titled “A New Paradigm for Threat Agnostic Biodetection: Biological Intelligence (BIOINT),” will take place on Tuesday, December 10th, at noon PT.”

Learn more and RSVP here.

NEW: Cyberbiosecurity Summit

From Johns Hopkins APL and Bio-ISAC: “Advancements in biomanufacturing and biotechnology drive the science we need to thrive, everything from apples to vaccines. The Cyberbiosecurity Summit 2025 convenes leading experts in biotechnology, biosecurity, and cybersecurity to explore the intersection of these fields and discuss the strategies to create a safe, secure future for us all.”
This event will take place February 25-26 in Laurel, MD. Register here and review the call for sessions here.

One Health and the Politics of COVID-19 Book Launch

The Writer’s Center is hosting a book launch for Dr. Laura Kahn’s new book, One Health and the Politics of COVID-19 (blurb below) on November 23 at 2 pm EST in Bethesda, MD. Learn more and RSVP here.

“One Health and the Politics of COVID-19 unpacks the mysteries of COVID-19’s origins to impart important lessons for future outbreaks. The One Health concept recognizes the interconnected links among the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment. By comparing the history, science, and clinical presentations of three different coronaviruses—SARS-CoV-1, MERS, and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)—Kahn uncovers insights with important repercussions for how to prepare and avoid future pandemics. The One Health approach provides a useful framework for examining the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the origins of this zoonotic disease requires investigating the environmental and molecular biological factors that allowed the virus to spread to humans. The book explores the many ways in which the wild animal trade, wet markets, and the camel industry contributed to the spread of the earlier SARS-CoV-1 and MERS coronaviruses. For SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), Kahn examines the biosafety, biosecurity, and bioethics implications of gain-of-function research on pandemic potential pathogens. This book is a must read to understand the geopolitics of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

2024 CBD S&T Conference

From DTRA: “The CBD S&T Conference brings together the most innovative and influential chemical and biological defense community members from around the globe to share insights and collaborate on the emerging chem-bio threats of tomorrow.”

“Join the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA) Chemical and Biological Technologies Department in its role as the Joint Science and Technology Office (JSTO) for Chemical and Biological Defense, an integral component of the Chemical and Biological Defense Program, as we Focus Forward to uncover novel concepts and examine groundbreaking discoveries within the chem-bio defense landscape.”

“The 2024 CBD S&T Conference will be held at the Broward County Convention Center, December 2–5, 2024.”

Learn more and register here.

Health Security Intelligence: Managing Threats Risks and Hazards Post-Covid 19
“As  the acute impact of the COVID-19 pandemic recedes, many unaddressed questions remain for Australia about how to better prepare for the next likely health threat, risk or hazard.”

“In addition to how we enhance national public health capacity, what are the important lessons we can learn from the pandemic from national security and biosecurity perspectives?”

“Given the likelihood of another pandemic at some point, an increasingly uncertain geo-political order and the potential exploitation of biotechnology by bad actors how does Australia and its allies better prepare for a future of increasingly complex health security and biological security threats, risks and hazards?”

“This event is for all health security intelligence stakeholders (policy-makers, national security staff, scientists, researchers and clinicians) who work across the one health continuum and national security agencies.”

“It will introduce participants to Charles Sturt’s extensive research agenda across the one health biosecurity, health and biological security and discuss both their national security and scientific implications.  You will hear briefings from key researchers across both STEM and social sciences disciplines working on assessing key health security threats, risks and hazards relevant to your work.”

This event will take place in-person and over livestream on December 4 from 2-4 pm AEDT. Learn more and register here.

Enhancing the Resilience of Healthcare and Public Health Critical Infrastructure: A Workshop

From NASEM: “Healthcare and public health infrastructure, technology, and operations are rapidly changing and are increasingly interdependent and interconnected. Threats to the nation’s critical social and physical infrastructure systems are also rapidly evolving and highly complex—posing potentially new or growing risks of disruption and challenging the assumptions used to design and protect these systems.”

“The National Academies Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and Emergencies will host a hybrid public workshop to explore strategies, policies, and innovative actions to improve the resilience of healthcare and public health (HPH) critical infrastructure to impacts from disasters and other emergencies.”

This event will take place in DC on December 9 and 10. Register here.

Resilience in the Face of Global Risks

From CSR: “The Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) cordially invites you to our first annual CSR symposium, Resilience in the Face of Global Risks, scheduled for Tuesday, December 10, 2024. This is the first event bringing together all three of CSR’s institutions—the Center for Climate & Security, the Converging Risks Lab, and the Janne E. Nolan Center on Strategic Weapons—to engage with leaders across our mission sets.”

“The United States and its allies face a complex global security landscape where systemic risks like climate and ecological crisis, nuclear proliferation, and biological threats are blending with war, geopolitical competition, and human insecurity in new and profound ways. While there has been tremendous leadership—and meaningful progress—across these overlapping risk areas, they require persistent innovation in community building to meet the modern risk landscape.”

“The symposium will dive into the progress our communities have made—and how our passionate communities can better work together to help shape the future.”

“In addition to a keynote address, guests will hear from panels, take part in breakout sessions showcasing important issues and new ideas, plus engage with thought leaders between sessions. It will be a widely attended gathering, free to attendees.”

“As we enter a new year with an exceptionally dynamic security environment, we hope CSR’s December event will inspire and build a stronger community across professionals dedicated to anticipating and addressing the world’s greatest risks. We appreciate your consideration and hope you will be able to join us on the 10th of December.”

RSVP here.

NEW: Call for Nominees: National Biodefense Science Board
From Global Biodefense: “The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is currently seeking applications from qualified individuals to fill 7 vacancies on the National Biodefense Science Board (NBSB).”

“The NBSB advises the HHS Secretary or the ASPR on current and future trends, challenges, and opportunities presented by advances in biological and life sciences, biotechnology, and genetic engineering with respect to threats posed by naturally occurring infectious diseases and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear agents.”

Read more and access ASPR’s call for nominees here.

“New Public Health Cybersecurity Readiness Survey Set to Boost Preparedness Against Cyber Threats”

“The co-chairs of the Joint Public Health Cybersecurity Task Group of the Healthcare and Public Health Sector Coordinating Council (HSCC) published a special announcement letter announcing the launch of the Public Health Cybersecurity Readiness Survey. The move aims to enhance the cybersecurity preparedness of state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) public health agencies. Participants can expect the anonymous survey to take about 15 minutes to complete, and it will be open until Monday, Dec. 2, 2024.”

Read more and access the survey here.

The Schar School is Hiring!

The Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University is hiring a tenure-track assistant professor. Expertise in international security, national security, homeland security, emergency management, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, the defense industrial base, or transnational crime and corruption will be regarded positively. Candidates whose work focuses on climate security, technological change, and the future of warfare, or domestic extremism are also encouraged to apply, as are candidates with regional expertise. Details can be found here: https://listings.jobs.gmu.edu/jobs/assistant-professor-fairfax-va-virginia-united-states-other.

US AI Safety Institute Issues RFI on Responsible Development of Chem-Bio Models

From AISI: “The U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (U.S. AISI), housed within the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), released a Request for Information seeking insight from stakeholders regarding the responsible development and use of chemical and biological (chem-bio) AI models.”

“Input from a broad range of experts in this field will help the U.S. AISI to develop well-informed approaches to assess and mitigate the potential risks of chem-bio AI models, while enabling safe and responsible innovation.”

“Respondents are encouraged to provide concrete examples, best practices, case studies, and actionable recommendations where possible. The full RFI can be found here.”

“The comment period is now open and will close on December 3, 2024, at 11:59PM Eastern Time. Comments can be submitted online at www.regulations.gov, under docket no. 240920-0247.”

Pandora Report 11.15.2024

by dkellogg97, posted in Pandora Report

This week’s Pandora Report includes program news, updates on H5N1 and the pandemic agreement negotiations, and coverage of Africa CDC’s new mpox clinical trial and Ukrainian reporting on alleged Russian chemical weapons use.

All-BIOD Panel at the Tucker Symposium on Chemical and Biological Weapons

On November 13-14, the Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) at the Middlebury Institute for International Studies hosted the 13th Annual Jonathan B. Tucker Symposium. The symposium is held in honor of Jonathan Tucker who dedicated his career to fighting the scourge of chemical and biological weapons. The first panel of the symposium was composed of two alumni of the Biodefense Graduate Program at the Schar School of Policy and Government: Yong-Bee Lim, Biodefense PhD ’21, and Minh Ly, MS Biodefense ’21. Dr. Lim, who is the Deputy Director of the Converging Risks Lab at the Council for Strategic Risks, gave a presentation on “Technology Democratization and its Implications for CBW Safety and Security: Lessons Learned from Engagement with Non-Traditional Communities.” Ly, who is a Research Fellow at CNS, served as the moderator. In his talk, Dr. Lim discussed his research on the Do-It-Yourself Biology community: a grassroots, decentralized community drawn together by a shared passion for biological experimentation, fostering innovation, and a desire to democratize access and use of life sciences materials, equipment, knowledge, and tools. While often discussed as a potential biosecurity threat in policy circles, Dr. Lim’s research found that much of the conventional wisdom on this community is oversimplified or incorrect. Dr. Lim’s talk concluded with three key lessons learned from his engagement with the community: 1) there is often a gap between perception and reality about biorisks that can lead to improper metrics and incorrect assessments that complicate policy formulation and implementation; 2) as the life sciences are practiced by more people, it is imperative to positively engage and receive buy-in from these communities on addressing biorisk issues; and 3) preventing and countering CBW will be increasingly difficult in a world where definitions for key terms such as biosecurity, democratization, and terrorism are either changing or have no global consensus.

Minh Ly (left) and Yong-Bee Lim (right)

Biodefense Program Bowling Party at the White House

On November 7, a group of students, faculty, and alumni from the Biodefense Graduate Program at the Schar School of Policy and Government went bowling at the Harry S. Truman Bowling Alley in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Competition was fierce, but friendly, between Team Smallpox, Team Anthrax, Team Plague, and Team Ebola. In between strikes, spares, and gutter balls, the group enjoyed coffee, pastries, and lively conversations. Biodefense master’s student Tyler Smith won a fall-themed White House challenge coin for achieving the highest score. Team Smallpox, composed of MS Biodefense students Will MacDonald and Tyler Smith, Biodefense PhD student Annette Prieto, and Biodefense PhD alum Jen Osetek, emerged victorious and walked away with more White House merch. “This was an amazing experience,” said Annette, who works as a Technical Analyst at RAND, “The fun and friendly competition we shared in such an iconic setting made for an unforgettable day and helped build bonds that will extend beyond the lanes.” Program director Gregory Koblentz was rusty but managed to throw one strike and two spares after a healthy infusion of caffeine. The bowling party was graciously hosted by Biodefense PhD student Katherine Dammer who is Special Assistant for Global Health Security and Biodefense at the National Security Council.

Avian Influenza Updates

Canada Reports First Domestically Acquired Human H5N1 Case

The Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) confirmed the country’s first domestically acquired human case of avian influenza (caused by H5N1) earlier this week. On November 9, the Office of the Provincial Health Officer for British Columbia reported that a BC teenager was hospitalized and tested presumptive positive for H5N1. On November 13, PHAC’s National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg confirmed the test result and that genomic sequencing indicated that the virus is related to the H5N1 viruses circulating in poultry in British Columbia. Provincial officials are conducting an investigation and are taking actions like contact tracing, testing, and offering antiviral medication to contacts. No further cases have been identified at this time, and it is not clear how the teenager was infected.

PHAC says that the risk to the general public remains low at this time, but the risk is higher for those with unprotected exposure to infected animals. Importantly, the genotype of H5N1 avian influenza in US dairy cattle is not the same as the one confirmed in the domestically acquired human case in BC. No cases of avian influenza have been reported in Canadian dairy cattle, and there is no evidence of its presence in Canadian milk samples.

CDC Calls for Expanding Testing

Federal health officials called for more testing of farmworkers after a CDC study showed that 7% of those tested in Michigan and Colorado had antibodies indicative of a previous H5N1 infection. Only one of the eight workers reported working with infected cows, despite all eight of them doing so. CDC explained in a statement that “…there are two primary ways that workers in the United States have been infected with H5N1 virus: via exposure to infected poultry during culling activities, and through exposure to infected dairy cows, including while caring for sick cows, or when working in a milking parlor, the area on the farm where cows are milked.”

Based on this, the agency has updated its existing recommendation on actions to prevent exposures to H5N1 infected animals, including:

  • “Decreasing human exposure through One Health control strategies and biosecurity to limit H5N1 virus infections in animals.”
  • “Enhancing personal protective equipment (PPE) guidance to more clearly detail what PPE is appropriate for exposure risk levels (high, medium, and low) in farming and poultry culling operations, alongside more robust worker training on proper use of PPE.”
  • “Identifying exposed workers and providing appropriate testing as well as post-exposure prophylaxis (i.e., efforts to limit spread of disease), and treatment (e.g., antivirals).”
  • “Offering testing to asymptomatic workers with a high-risk exposure who reported not wearing relevant PPE or who experienced a PPE breach or failure.”
  • “Increasing outreach and education with farm workers, employers, and advocacy groups to stress and ensure understanding of these messages and strategies.”

The CDC has also updated recommendations for testing and offering oral antiviral medications. This includes the recommendation that asymptomatic workers with a PPE-unprotected, high-risk exposure to sick animals be offered oseltamivir. The statement explains that a high-risk exposure “could include an unprotected splash in the face with raw cow milk from an infected or potentially infected cow, or not using recommended PPE during activities to depopulate poultry at a poultry farm with known H5N1.” The recommendations also include offering influenza A(H5) testing to asymptomatic workers who have had a high-risk exposure to animals infected with H5N1, whether or not that worker chooses to begin PEP.

The Pandemic Agreement Will Not Be Ready by December

Co-chairs of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), Ambassador Anne-Claire Amprou and Precious Matsoso, explained at a media briefing earlier this week that the pandemic agreement will not be adopted at a special World Health Assembly next month as initially thought. They indicated that this was because countries need “more time,” though the INB is already in its 12th meeting following 32 months of negotiations. Ambassador Amprou said at the briefing, “Today, member states agreed we need to conclude the agreement as soon as possible and continue negotiations into 2025 with the goal of concluding the agreement by the next WHA scheduled in May 2025, so we are moving in the right direction with a strong political commitment by member states.”’

Africa CDC Launches Mpox Drug Trial

The Africa CDC recently announced the launch of a trial of the antiviral drug brincidofovir as a treatment for mpox. Brincidofovir, sold under the brand name Tembexa, is a prodrug of cidofovir and is currently approved in the United States to treat smallpox. The trial, “The MpOx Study in Africa (MOSA),” will evaluate the safety and efficacy of brincidofovir with the drug’s developer, Emergent BioSolutions, announcing that it will be conducted and sponsored by PANTHER-the pandemic preparedness platform for health and emerging infectious response.

The trial was announced shortly after the total number of cases of mpox in this outbreak surpassed 50,000. Jean Kaseya, MD, Director General of Africa CDC, said in a statement “Africa is not just responding to the Mpox outbreak; we are leading the charge by spearheading research and development for Mpox therapeutics…The MpOx Study in Africa is a groundbreaking step toward developing an effective treatment that will save lives. This goes beyond research—it’s about African ownership and leadership in tackling our continent’s health challenges through essential research.”

Ukrainian General Staff Reports 323 Uses of Russian CW Use in October

Ukraine’s General Staff reported on November 8 that it had detected 323 Russian uses of CW on the battlefield in October. This brings the total to 4,613 uses reported by Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022. An August investigation from the Kyiv Independent showed that Russia’s use of CW is growing, with some Ukrainian soldiers reporting dealing with up to six attacks daily. The United Kingdom announced sanctions against relevant Russian units last month, and the US Department of State cited Russian use of chloropicrin against Ukrainian troops in its announcement of more than 280 sanctions against individuals and entities tied to Russia earlier this year.

Emerging Infectious Diseases-“Vol 30, No. 14 Supplement – Reports from the US Department of Defense Global Emerging Infections Surveillance Program”

David M. Brett-Major writes in this issue of CDC’s Emerging Infectious Diseases‘ introduction, “This supplement contains new technical outputs and perspectives from the Global Emerging Infections Surveillance (GEIS) program within the Department of Defense (DoD). GEIS develops, invests in, disseminates, and integrates information from health surveillance activities conducted by military, academic, public health, and other partners. GEIS-funded researchers from around the world provide novel surveillance data that are used to update the military and civilian outputs from this long-standing initiative.”

“Trump Administration’s Chance to Lead on Pandemic Preparedness”

Syra Madad discusses the incoming administration’s opportunity to leverage lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic in this piece from the Belfer Center, writing in part “As the Trump administration prepares to take office, it faces a pivotal moment to leverage hard-earned lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic and build a more resilient, pandemic-prepared nation. The challenges of managing the first year of COVID-19 exposed critical vulnerabilities in our fragmented public health infrastructure and decentralized healthcare system. The administration is now uniquely positioned to prioritize pandemic preparedness as a matter of national security. This proactive approach is more important than ever, particularly given the current threat posed by H5N1 avian influenza, which is spreading rapidly among wild birds – among other species and causing outbreaks in U.S. poultry and dairy herds. Recent human cases among farmworkers exposed to infected livestock further underscore the urgency of this threat.”

“Cyberattacks on Healthcare: A Global Threat That Can’t Be Ignored”

Vibhu Mishra wrote this piece discussing UNSC’s interest in protecting healthcare infrastructure against cyberattacks for UN News: “An alarming surge in ransomware attacks is putting the world’s healthcare infrastructure at critical risk, endangering patient safety and destabilising health systems, the head of the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday, as the Security Council convened to discuss strategies to counter the growing threat.”

Read more here and read the WHO Director-General’s remarks from the meeting here.

“Robust Biosecurity Measures Should Be Standardized at Scientific Cloud Labs”

Jeffrey Lee and Barbara Del Castello recently authored this commentary piece for the RAND Corporation. In it, they discuss clous labs and argue that “By adopting comprehensive security measures, including routine evaluations and monitoring via artificial intelligence (AI), the scientific community, ideally through a consortium, can harness the full potential of cloud labs while ensuring safe and secure research environments.”

“The U.S. Could Soon Face a Threat ‘More Powerful’ Than Nuclear Weapons”

Ashish K. Jha, Matt Pottinger and Matthew McKnight discuss the implications of rapid advancement in synthetic biology and how to achieve bioweapons deterrence in this Washington Post opinion piece. They point to the importance of superior intelligence gathering and analysis, writing that “For deterrence to work, Washington and its allies must have a robust, pervasive system for tracking and, where possible, eliminating highly dangerous research around the world.” However, they explain that the primary challenge to expanding and improving US BIOINT efforts is not technology, but resolve, with Congress having recently watered down the Biden administration’s budget request for pandemic prevention and biosurveillance efforts outlined in the 2023 Biodefense Posture Review remaining underfunded. They conclude that BIOINT alone won’t deter adversaries, but that all necessary elements of bioweapons deterrence depend on world-class BIOINT.

“Developing Guardrails for AI Biodesign Tools”

From NTI: “The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with the life sciences offers tremendous potential benefits to society, but advances in AI biodesign tools also pose significant risks of misuse, with the potential for global consequences.”

“AI biodesign tools (BDTs) are technologies that enable the engineering of biological systems. These tools are trained on biological data and are developed to provide insights, predictions, and designs related to biological systems. BDTs have the potential to drive progress in the development of new therapeutics and are likely to have a significant impact across the broader bioeconomy, including in agriculture, health, and materials science. However, there are risks BDTs could be misused to design dangerous pathogens, and few safeguards exist to ensure that the benefits of these technologies can be realized safely and securely.”

“Innovative strategies are needed to reduce the risks associated with potential misuse of biological design tools without significantly hindering beneficial uses. This report identifies a number of strategies, referred to as guardrails, that could be developed to safeguard BDTs against misuse.”

Read the report here.

What We’re Listening To🎧

Build the Base Podcast-Tracy Frost and Dr. Kate Sixt, DoD Research and Engineering OUSD
“In this episode of Building the Base, Lauren Bedula and Hondo Geurts sit down with Tracy Frost, Director of Technology Industrial Innovation Base, and Dr. Kate Sixt, Principal Director for Biotechnology at the Department of Defense. The conversation explores the revolutionary intersection of biotechnology and national security, diving into how the DoD is leveraging bio-manufacturing to strengthen domestic supply chains and innovate defense capabilities. From converting waste products into valuable materials to creating new pathways for manufacturing critical components, the discussion reveals how public-private partnerships are reshaping America’s industrial base.”

One Health and the Politics of COVID-19 Book Launch

The Writer’s Center is hosting a book launch for Dr. Laura Kahn’s new book, One Health and the Politics of COVID-19 (blurb below) on November 23 at 2 pm EST in Bethesda, MD. Learn more and RSVP here.

“One Health and the Politics of COVID-19 unpacks the mysteries of COVID-19’s origins to impart important lessons for future outbreaks. The One Health concept recognizes the interconnected links among the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment. By comparing the history, science, and clinical presentations of three different coronaviruses—SARS-CoV-1, MERS, and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)—Kahn uncovers insights with important repercussions for how to prepare and avoid future pandemics. The One Health approach provides a useful framework for examining the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the origins of this zoonotic disease requires investigating the environmental and molecular biological factors that allowed the virus to spread to humans. The book explores the many ways in which the wild animal trade, wet markets, and the camel industry contributed to the spread of the earlier SARS-CoV-1 and MERS coronaviruses. For SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), Kahn examines the biosafety, biosecurity, and bioethics implications of gain-of-function research on pandemic potential pathogens. This book is a must read to understand the geopolitics of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Enhancing the Resilience of Healthcare and Public Health Critical Infrastructure

From NASEM: “Healthcare and public health infrastructure, technology, and operations are rapidly changing and are increasingly interdependent and interconnected. Threats to the nation’s critical social and physical infrastructure systems are also rapidly evolving and highly complex—posing potentially new or growing risks of disruption and challenging the assumptions used to design and protect these systems.”

“The National Academies Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and Emergencies will host a hybrid public workshop to explore strategies, policies, and innovative actions to improve the resilience of healthcare and public health (HPH) critical infrastructure to impacts from disasters and other emergencies.”

This event will take place in DC on December 9 and 10. Register here.

Resilience in the Face of Global Risks

From CSR: “The Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) cordially invites you to our first annual CSR symposium, Resilience in the Face of Global Risks, scheduled for Tuesday, December 10, 2024. This is the first event bringing together all three of CSR’s institutions—the Center for Climate & Security, the Converging Risks Lab, and the Janne E. Nolan Center on Strategic Weapons—to engage with leaders across our mission sets.”

“The United States and its allies face a complex global security landscape where systemic risks like climate and ecological crisis, nuclear proliferation, and biological threats are blending with war, geopolitical competition, and human insecurity in new and profound ways. While there has been tremendous leadership—and meaningful progress—across these overlapping risk areas, they require persistent innovation in community building to meet the modern risk landscape.”

“The symposium will dive into the progress our communities have made—and how our passionate communities can better work together to help shape the future.”

“In addition to a keynote address, guests will hear from panels, take part in breakout sessions showcasing important issues and new ideas, plus engage with thought leaders between sessions. It will be a widely attended gathering, free to attendees.”

“As we enter a new year with an exceptionally dynamic security environment, we hope CSR’s December event will inspire and build a stronger community across professionals dedicated to anticipating and addressing the world’s greatest risks. We appreciate your consideration and hope you will be able to join us on the 10th of December.”

RSVP here.

2024 CBD S&T Conference

From DTRA: “The CBD S&T Conference brings together the most innovative and influential chemical and biological defense community members from around the globe to share insights and collaborate on the emerging chem-bio threats of tomorrow.”

“Join the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA) Chemical and Biological Technologies Department in its role as the Joint Science and Technology Office (JSTO) for Chemical and Biological Defense, an integral component of the Chemical and Biological Defense Program, as we Focus Forward to uncover novel concepts and examine groundbreaking discoveries within the chem-bio defense landscape.”

“The 2024 CBD S&T Conference will be held at the Broward County Convention Center, December 2–5, 2024.”

Learn more and register here.

Health Security Intelligence: Managing Threats Risks and Hazards Post-Covid 19
“As  the acute impact of the COVID-19 pandemic recedes, many unaddressed questions remain for Australia about how to better prepare for the next likely health threat, risk or hazard.”

“In addition to how we enhance national public health capacity, what are the important lessons we can learn from the pandemic from national security and biosecurity perspectives?”

“Given the likelihood of another pandemic at some point, an increasingly uncertain geo-political order and the potential exploitation of biotechnology by bad actors how does Australia and its allies better prepare for a future of increasingly complex health security and biological security threats, risks and hazards?”

“This event is for all health security intelligence stakeholders (policy-makers, national security staff, scientists, researchers and clinicians) who work across the one health continuum and national security agencies.”

“It will introduce participants to Charles Sturt’s extensive research agenda across the one health biosecurity, health and biological security and discuss both their national security and scientific implications.  You will hear briefings from key researchers across both STEM and social sciences disciplines working on assessing key health security threats, risks and hazards relevant to your work.”

This event will take place in-person and over livestream on December 4 from 2-4 pm AEDT. Learn more and register here.

NEW: “New Public Health Cybersecurity Readiness Survey Set to Boost Preparedness Against Cyber Threats”

“The co-chairs of the Joint Public Health Cybersecurity Task Group of the Healthcare and Public Health Sector Coordinating Council (HSCC) published a special announcement letter announcing the launch of the Public Health Cybersecurity Readiness Survey. The move aims to enhance the cybersecurity preparedness of state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) public health agencies. Participants can expect the anonymous survey to take about 15 minutes to complete, and it will be open until Monday, Dec. 2, 2024.”

Read more and access the survey here.

The Schar School is Hiring!

The Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University is hiring a tenure-track assistant professor. Expertise in international security, national security, homeland security, emergency management, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, the defense industrial base, or transnational crime and corruption will be regarded positively. Candidates whose work focuses on climate security, technological change, and the future of warfare, or domestic extremism are also encouraged to apply, as are candidates with regional expertise. Details can be found here: https://listings.jobs.gmu.edu/jobs/assistant-professor-fairfax-va-virginia-united-states-other.

US AI Safety Institute Issues RFI on Responsible Development of Chem-Bio Models

From AISI: “The U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (U.S. AISI), housed within the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), released a Request for Information seeking insight from stakeholders regarding the responsible development and use of chemical and biological (chem-bio) AI models.”

“Input from a broad range of experts in this field will help the U.S. AISI to develop well-informed approaches to assess and mitigate the potential risks of chem-bio AI models, while enabling safe and responsible innovation.”

“Respondents are encouraged to provide concrete examples, best practices, case studies, and actionable recommendations where possible. The full RFI can be found here.”

“The comment period is now open and will close on December 3, 2024, at 11:59PM Eastern Time. Comments can be submitted online at www.regulations.gov, under docket no. 240920-0247.”

Pandora Report 11.8.2024

by dkellogg97, posted in Pandora Report

This week’s Pandora Report discusses one Biodefense MS student’s research on malaria, the UK’s recently-announced sanctions against 56 people and entities linked to Russia, the CDC’s call for more avian influenza testing, and what a second Trump administration likely means for US public health and global health security.

Biodefense MS Student Presents at Malaria Research Symposium

Zachary Berliner, a Biodefense MS student, is presenting a poster at the 10th Annual Future of Malaria Research Symposium in Baltimore, MD, on November 8. This conference, jointly run by the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute and the University of Maryland School of Medicine, provides “a platform for early-career scientists to share their research with peers, emerging leaders, and established investigators.” In 2023, nine cases of locally acquired malaria occurred in the United States, the first such cases in twenty years. Zak’s project, Public Opinions Toward Malaria Control Interventions in the National Capital Region, featured a survey of adults in the National Capital Region about their opinions toward various malaria control interventions. His study serves as an indicator of preliminary opinions among a small group of Americans to better inform politicians. His poster can be found here, and the full paper can be found here. The poster is based on the capstone paper that Zak wrote as a culmination of his experience in the Biodefense program. Zak is graduating with his MS in Biodefense in December and is looking for policy and analysis opportunities focused on biodefense and health security.

United Kingdom Announces Sanctions on 56 People and Entities Linked to Russia

The UK announced its largest sanctions package against Russia since May of last year this week, in a series of actions the government hopes “disrupts the supply of vital equipment for Putin’s war machine and bears down on Russian malign activity globally, exposing the corrupt activities of Russian proxy military groups in Africa.” Those sanctioned include Denis Sergeev (who was charged by the Met Police in the attempted murder of Sergei Skripal), entities in China, Turkey, and Central Asia, Africa Corps and other private mercenary groups linked to the Kremlin, and others. The UK is the first G7 country to directly sanction Africa Corps, which has directly threatened peace and security in Libya, Mali, and the Central African Republic.

CDC Calls for Expanded Bird Flu Testing as California and Washington Report More Cases

Officials at the CDC called for more testing on farms with avian influenza cases after a recent study found some dairy workers have shown signs of infection even though they did not report feeling sick. The study that 7% of the 115 farmworkers whose blood was tested (eight) had antibodies consistent with previous H5N1 infection, pointing to more infections than the 46 identified so far. More cases in farmworkers have also been reported in recent days, including at least four in California and three in Washington. The California Department of Public Health also recently reported one other probable case in a dairy worker who met the case definition, though CDC’s confirmation test was negative.

What Lies Ahead in Trump’s Second Term

President-Elect Trump’s recent victory likely will have severe implications for both domestic health policy and global health security. The first Trump administration largely failed in its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the US ranking very well in pre-pandemic preparedness assessments like the Global Health Security Index and the Trump administration being handed a pandemic playbook by the preceding Obama administration that specifically flagged novel coronaviruses as a potential pandemic threat. The upcoming second Trump administration looks ready to fair just as poorly in terms of not just pandemic preparedness, but in general public health and global health engagement as well.

The president-elect, who has repeatedly and falsely claimed that climate change is a hoax, has promised to rollback federal regulations on the oil and gas industry that are aimed at slowing climate change. Trump pulled the United States out of the 2015 Paris Climate Accord in 2017, and his campaign has indicated it intends to do the same again once he is back in office. Trump is also expected to target the EPA during his second term. Changes like this are especially concerning as the effects of climate change, such as increased extreme weather and easier spread of infectious diseases, pose a growing threat globally.

Trump does plan to involve at least one environmental lawyer in his administration-Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an environmental lawyer who Trump has suggested may play a large role in public health in his administration. Unfortunately, Kennedy has no training in public health or medicine, and he has repeatedly peddled anti-vaccine conspiracy theories over the years. Kennedy also faced backlash for comments suggesting COVID-19 was “ethnically targeted,” saying “COVID-19 is targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people. The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese…We don’t know whether it was deliberately targeted or not but there are papers out there that show the racial or ethnic differential and impact.” Kennedy has also voiced criticism of the childhood vaccine schedule and public water fluoridation, claiming the latter is “lowering IQ in our children,” in contrast to what numerous studies over multiple decades show about its safety and efficacy.

Trump has promised to allow Kennedy to “go wild on” health, medicines, and food policy, with Kennedy saying he believes entire departments at the FDA “have to go.” Kennedy has also said he wants an eight-year-long “break” in NIH funding for infectious disease research, and that he would move that money to chronic disease research. Congressional Republicans have targeted the NIH in recent years, including efforts to strip its authority over gain of function research and repeatedly attacking former NIAID Director, Anthony Fauci.

Trump’s second term also may pose threats to global health security more directly. For example, in 2020, the Trump administration formally notified the United Nations that it intended to withdraw the country from the World Health Organization. This move would have cut off one of the largest funding sources to the WHO in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, some experts argue the attempt was unlawful, in addition to the threat it posed to domestic and global health and security. While the Trump campaign mentioned few specifics about foreign policy for a second term, the United Nations is bracing itself for this incoming administration.

This week’s election results have many experts deeply concerned about what this administration will bring. Saskia Popescu, an alumna of the Schar School’s Biodefense PhD Program and current adjunct professor at the school made this statement to The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists about the election result’s implications for public health: Right now, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find many in public health, healthcare, and pandemic preparedness/response, who are not deeply concerned. The recent notion that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. could be in charge of public health for the United States poses a real danger. From his claims that vaccines are harmful or unnecessary to his proposed efforts to remove fluoride from public water systems, Kennedy continuously pushes anti-science rhetoric and dis/misinformation.

History has shown us what might happen under another Trump administration during times of crises, from extreme weather events to a pandemic. We have seen how an administration that pits itself against science and dedicated public service officials reacts. As we face an ongoing H5N1 outbreak, persistent outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases, an erosion of trust in public health, a rise in dis/misinformation, and widening social disparities, we need leadership that will unite rather than divide.

We are at a critical time in forming effective and pragmatic policies to address complex issues such as the ways in which developments in artificial intelligence (AI) will affect biosecurity, the safety and security around critical research of dangerous pathogens, the effects of climate change on infectious diseases, and the need to strengthen global health through equity and partnership.

Developing policies in these areas will require strategies based on collaboration and evidence-based measures–not inflammatory, inaccurate, and harmful rhetoric that furthers partisan divides and enflames social discourse. It’s our responsibility to find a path that ensures the protection of public health and global health security. We’ve got a lot of work to do, and I fear a hard road ahead of us.

Others have voiced concerns about a return to US isolationism in global health, Trump not seeking out quality scientific advice, policies regarding vaccines, and more that can be read in this piece from The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.

“HHS’ ASPR Playing ‘Quarterback’ for Cyber Response, Resilience”

Jason Miller discusses ASPR’s cyber efforts with Biodefense PhD Program alumnus, Schar School adjunct professor, and current Deputy Director of ASPR’s Office of Preparedness in this piece for Federal News Network: “Just a little over a year ago, that coordination was occurring, but not as smooth as it needed to be. We took some steps, and actually now have a Public Health Service, captain, or an 06 officer, permanently embedded within the National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force, that the FBI leads. We have a HHS ASPR person embedded full time with the FBI agents and other law enforcement folks who work in that task force and really are dealing with very sensitive information and responding to cyber incidents in the healthcare sector every day,” said Mazanec on Ask the CIO. “That’s just another example where we’ve really tightened up and continue to mature our partnership with the FBI. We do work with the other health focused entities like the Veterans Affairs Department, the Defense Health Agency, certainly within HHS, with the Indian Health Service  and with the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.”

Read more here.

“GHSD Five-year Strategy 2024-2028 (October 2024)”

The State Department’s Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy recently released its strategic plan for 2024-2028: “The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the importance of preventing, detecting, and responding to health crises to safeguard American lives and the global economy. Building on the successes of the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), which has saved more than 25 million lives from HIV/AIDS, and to address the growing challenges posed by health threats, the State Department established the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy in August 2023.”

“Building on decades of leadership on global health within the State Department, the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy’s mission is to lead U.S. diplomatic engagement, help coordinate foreign assistance, and promote international cooperation against health threats, integrating global health security as a core component of national security and foreign policy. The bureau’s first ever five-year Strategy for 2024-2028 outlines the State Department’s role in ending HIV/AIDS as a public health threat and advancing global health security and pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response efforts for the U.S. government.”

“The goals of the Strategy are to:

  • End HIV/AIDS as a public health threat by 2030
  • Catalyze the political will, financing, and leadership necessary to achieve heath security and address public health threats, including HIV/AIDS
  • Improve global multisectoral preparedness and response through diplomacy to protect against health security threats
  • Empower the diplomatic workforce to prioritize and integrate global health security as a key pillar of U.S. foreign policy.”

Read the strategy here.

“Chemical Weapons Policymakers Must Act to Balance the Prospects and Perils of AI”

Patrick Norén recently published this CBNW article covering a conference organized by the OPCW and Kingdom of Morocco focused on the role of AI in advancing implementation of the CWC. Norén covers general trends in speakers’ comments, the dual use nature of AI, challenges in legislation, regulation, and cooperation, and issues with misinformation and disinformation.

“MATCH 2.0 Enters Demonstration and Live Testing Phase”

From Stimson: “Behind every chemical transfer is a story, and too often, that story includes discrepancies in reported data. The Stimson Center’s MATCH project team has completed development of an updated DLT prototype and is demonstrating to CWC National Authorities and other stakeholders how it traces these narratives and creates a clear, immutable record of each transaction, aligning records of national authorities and industry while maintaining data confidentiality, reducing risks of misreporting, and enhancing nonproliferation by enabling faster reconciliation of discrepancies in the annual reporting of chemicals covered by the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).”

Read more here.

“THE NEXUS BETWEEN SCIENCE AND NATIONAL SECURITY IN CANADA: THE CASE OF THE NATIONAL MICROBIOLOGY LABORATORY IN WINNIPEG”

The Canadian House of Commons’ Special Committee on the Canada-People’s Republic of China Relationship recently released this interim report. Among other things, the report reveals that CSIS “issued a direct and unheeded warning to senior health officials in August 2018, raising concerns about “insider threat activities” linked to Dr. Xiangguo Qiu and her husband, Keding Cheng.” The report explains in its conclusion “The events at the Winnipeg NML facility revealed, as outlined in this report, the fundamentally open and collaborative nature of Canadian scientific research as a means of contributing to the common good, on the one hand, and, on the other, the need for a cultural shift within the scientific field in terms of its vigilance over national security risks and the need to reconsider how we collaborate with entities or states that may not share the same interests as Canada. For example, with regard to the PRC, Mr. Vigneault said that “[i]t is sometimes in our own national interest to collaborate with Chinese entities, but we need to do it with our eyes wide open and make sure that we protect our own base.”’

Read Sam Cooper’s coverage of this report in The Bureau here.

NEW: Developing Guardrails for AI Biodesign Tools

From NTI: “Join us for a virtual webinar releasing the findings of NTI | bio’s new report, Developing Guardrails for AI Biodesign Tools, followed by a moderated discussion and Q+A with distinguished guest Claire Quereshi.”

“Artificial intelligence (AI) promises to revolutionize not only aspects of daily life but cutting-edge scientific research and development. Within the life sciences, AI biodesign tools (BDTs) have improved significantly in their ability to design biological molecules and make predictions about living systems, displaying potential for beneficial applications and posing significant potential risks if misused.”

“Authors Sarah R. Carter, Ph.D., Nicole E. Wheeler, Ph.D., Christopher R. Isaac, M.Sc., and Jaime M. Yassif, Ph.D. conducted interviews with experts with deep experience creating bioinformatic tools, developing BDTs, and crafting biosecurity policies. The report outlines several proposed measures that could be deployed to design governance approaches to reduce biological risks without unduly hindering scientific advances.”

This event will take place virtually on November 14 at 11 am ET. Learn more and register here.

NEW: A Year-End Review, Recapping Global AI Governance Efforts

From CSET: “This time last year seemed to herald a landmark period in establishing AI governance regimes around the world. After ChatGPT and other AI tools burst onto the scene, U.S. policymakers issued new executive orders, hosted hearings and high-profile learning sessions, and developed new frameworks and standards to support the safe and secure development of AI. Elsewhere, the European Union worked to finalize its AI Act, and China announced its Global AI Governance Initiative. One year later, where do the promises and commitments to govern AI stand?”

“Join us on November 14, as we look back on the last year of global AI governance efforts and evaluate what progress has been made, what work remains to be done, and what the actions of global partners and competitors alike mean for U.S. strategy going forward. CSET Associate Director of Analysis Owen J. Daniels will moderate a conversation with CSET researchers Mia Hoffmann, Mina Narayanan, and Cole McFaul as we survey governance developments around the world over the past year. The moderated discussion will be followed by audience Q&A.”

This event will take place at 1 pm ET on November 14. Learn more and RSVP here.

NEW: Enhancing the Resilience of Healthcare and Public Health Critical Infrastructure

From NASEM: “Healthcare and public health infrastructure, technology, and operations are rapidly changing and are increasingly interdependent and interconnected. Threats to the nation’s critical social and physical infrastructure systems are also rapidly evolving and highly complex—posing potentially new or growing risks of disruption and challenging the assumptions used to design and protect these systems.”

“The National Academies Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and Emergencies will host a hybrid public workshop to explore strategies, policies, and innovative actions to improve the resilience of healthcare and public health (HPH) critical infrastructure to impacts from disasters and other emergencies.”

This event will take place in DC on December 9 and 10. Register here.

NEW: Resilience in the Face of Global Risks

From CSR: “The Council on Strategic Risks (CSR) cordially invites you to our first annual CSR symposium, Resilience in the Face of Global Risks, scheduled for Tuesday, December 10, 2024. This is the first event bringing together all three of CSR’s institutions—the Center for Climate & Security, the Converging Risks Lab, and the Janne E. Nolan Center on Strategic Weapons—to engage with leaders across our mission sets.”

“The United States and its allies face a complex global security landscape where systemic risks like climate and ecological crisis, nuclear proliferation, and biological threats are blending with war, geopolitical competition, and human insecurity in new and profound ways. While there has been tremendous leadership—and meaningful progress—across these overlapping risk areas, they require persistent innovation in community building to meet the modern risk landscape.”

“The symposium will dive into the progress our communities have made—and how our passionate communities can better work together to help shape the future.”

“In addition to a keynote address, guests will hear from panels, take part in breakout sessions showcasing important issues and new ideas, plus engage with thought leaders between sessions. It will be a widely attended gathering, free to attendees.”

“As we enter a new year with an exceptionally dynamic security environment, we hope CSR’s December event will inspire and build a stronger community across professionals dedicated to anticipating and addressing the world’s greatest risks. We appreciate your consideration and hope you will be able to join us on the 10th of December.”

RSVP here.

Preparing for the Next Outbreak: Designing Closer Collaboration between Healthcare and Public Health to Deploy Pathogen-Agnostic Testing as an Early Warning System

From PNNL: “Please join us in welcoming Dr. Adi V. Gundlapalli, Senior Advisor for Data Readiness and Response in the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology at the CDC for his talk titled “Preparing for the Next Outbreak: Designing Closer Collaboration between Healthcare and Public Health to Deploy Pathogen-Agnostic Testing as an Early Warning System”. This webinar will take place Wednesday, November 13th, at noon PT.”

Learn more and register here.

Developing Guardrails for AI Biodesign Tools

From NTI: “Join us for a virtual webinar releasing the findings of NTI | bio’s new report, Developing Guardrails for AI Biodesign Tools, followed by a moderated discussion and Q+A with distinguished guest Claire Quereshi.”

“Artificial intelligence (AI) promises to revolutionize not only aspects of daily life but cutting-edge scientific research and development. Within the life sciences, AI biodesign tools (BDTs) have improved significantly in their ability to design biological molecules and make predictions about living systems, displaying potential for beneficial applications and posing significant potential risks if misused.”

This virtual event will take place on November 14 at 11 am EST. Learn more and register here.

13th Annual Jonathan Tucker Symposium

“The James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies cordially invites you to the 13th annual Jonathan Tucker Symposium on chemical and biological weapons issues on November 13th and 14th, 2024.”

Among this year’s speakers are Dr. Yong-Bee Lim, an alumnus of the Biodefense PhD Program and Deputy Director of the Converging Risks Lab and Biosecurity Projects Manager at the Council on Strategic Risks, who will give a talk titled “Technology Democratization and its Implications for CBW Safety and Security: Lessons Learned from Engagement with Non-Traditional Communities.”

Learn more and register here.

One Health and the Politics of COVID-19 Book Launch

The Writer’s Center is hosting a book launch for Dr. Laura Kahn’s new book, One Health and the Politics of COVID-19 (blurb below) on November 23 at 2 pm EST in Bethesda, MD. Learn more and RSVP here.

“One Health and the Politics of COVID-19 unpacks the mysteries of COVID-19’s origins to impart important lessons for future outbreaks. The One Health concept recognizes the interconnected links among the health of humans, animals, plants, and the environment. By comparing the history, science, and clinical presentations of three different coronaviruses—SARS-CoV-1, MERS, and SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)—Kahn uncovers insights with important repercussions for how to prepare and avoid future pandemics. The One Health approach provides a useful framework for examining the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the origins of this zoonotic disease requires investigating the environmental and molecular biological factors that allowed the virus to spread to humans. The book explores the many ways in which the wild animal trade, wet markets, and the camel industry contributed to the spread of the earlier SARS-CoV-1 and MERS coronaviruses. For SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), Kahn examines the biosafety, biosecurity, and bioethics implications of gain-of-function research on pandemic potential pathogens. This book is a must read to understand the geopolitics of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

2024 CBD S&T Conference

From DTRA: “The CBD S&T Conference brings together the most innovative and influential chemical and biological defense community members from around the globe to share insights and collaborate on the emerging chem-bio threats of tomorrow.”

“Join the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA) Chemical and Biological Technologies Department in its role as the Joint Science and Technology Office (JSTO) for Chemical and Biological Defense, an integral component of the Chemical and Biological Defense Program, as we Focus Forward to uncover novel concepts and examine groundbreaking discoveries within the chem-bio defense landscape.”

“The 2024 CBD S&T Conference will be held at the Broward County Convention Center, December 2–5, 2024.”

Learn more and register here.

Health Security Intelligence: Managing Threats Risks and Hazards Post-Covid 19
“As  the acute impact of the COVID-19 pandemic recedes, many unaddressed questions remain for Australia about how to better prepare for the next likely health threat, risk or hazard.”

“In addition to how we enhance national public health capacity, what are the important lessons we can learn from the pandemic from national security and biosecurity perspectives?”

“Given the likelihood of another pandemic at some point, an increasingly uncertain geo-political order and the potential exploitation of biotechnology by bad actors how does Australia and its allies better prepare for a future of increasingly complex health security and biological security threats, risks and hazards?”

“This event is for all health security intelligence stakeholders (policy-makers, national security staff, scientists, researchers and clinicians) who work across the one health continuum and national security agencies.”

“It will introduce participants to Charles Sturt’s extensive research agenda across the one health biosecurity, health and biological security and discuss both their national security and scientific implications.  You will hear briefings from key researchers across both STEM and social sciences disciplines working on assessing key health security threats, risks and hazards relevant to your work.”

This event will take place in-person and over livestream on December 4 from 2-4 pm AEDT. Learn more and register here.

US AI Safety Institute Issues RFI on Responsible Development of Chem-Bio Models

From AISI: “The U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute (U.S. AISI), housed within the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), released a Request for Information seeking insight from stakeholders regarding the responsible development and use of chemical and biological (chem-bio) AI models.”

“Input from a broad range of experts in this field will help the U.S. AISI to develop well-informed approaches to assess and mitigate the potential risks of chem-bio AI models, while enabling safe and responsible innovation.”

“Respondents are encouraged to provide concrete examples, best practices, case studies, and actionable recommendations where possible. The full RFI can be found here.”

“The comment period is now open and will close on December 3, 2024, at 11:59PM Eastern Time. Comments can be submitted online at www.regulations.gov, under docket no. 240920-0247.”

Pandora Report 3.22.2024

by dkellogg97, posted in Pandora Report

Happy Friday! This week’s Pandora Report covers progress on the ninth round of negotiations on a Pandemic Accord and proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations, Murthy v. Missouri and the evolving threat of health and medical misinformation, a recently launched Senate biodefense and life science research investigation, EPA’s warnings about cyberattacks against the United States’ water infrastructure and more.

Global Leaders Call for Urgent Agreement on a Pandemic Accord

More than 100 global leaders have made a call “to press for an urgent agreement from international negotiators on a Pandemic Accord, under the Constitution of the World Health Organization, to bolster the world’s collective preparedness and response to future pandemics,” according to a recent WHO press release. It comes as member states of the WHO look to finalize an agreement that would amend the 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR), which will be considered by the World Health Assembly in May. David P. Fidler explains what is at stake during this ninth round of deliberations in a recent piece for CFR’s Think Global Health, writing in part “WHO documents on the negotiations, along with commentary parsing the talks, indicate that WHO member states have much to do in a short period to deliver final drafts of a pandemic agreement and amended IHR to the World Health Assembly. Unresolved issues include problems that have long confounded global health governance, including equitable access to pharmaceutical products, financing for public health capacity-building, and government accountability. Even if the negotiations achieve breakthroughs on those problems, the task of turning reforms on paper into reality in practice confronts a world in which solidarity is increasingly in short supply.”

The letter challenges those who argue such amendments will harm national sovereignty, reading in part, “A new pandemic threat will emerge; there is no excuse not to be ready for it. It is thus imperative to build an effective, multisectoral, and multilateral approach to pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response. Given the unpredictable nature of public-health risks, a global strategy must embody a spirit of openness and inclusiveness. There is no time to waste, which is why we are calling on all national leaders to redouble their efforts to complete the accord by the May deadline.”

“Beyond protecting countless lives and livelihoods, the timely delivery of a global pandemic accord would send a powerful message: even in our fractured and fragmented world, international cooperation can still deliver global solutions to global problems.”

SCOTUS Hears Case Concerning Social Media Platforms, Pandemic Misinformation

The Supreme Court heard arguments this week in Murthy v. Missouri, a case concerning the First Amendment and whether the Biden administration violated the right to freedom of expression in its communications with social media companies regarding COVID-19-related misinformation. The lawsuit, one of 26 filed against the administration by former Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, alleges that the Biden administration was “…working with social media giants such as Meta, Twitter, and YouTube to censor and suppress free speech, including truthful information, related to COVID-19, election integrity, and other topics, under the guise of combating ‘misinformation.”

NYT‘s Dani Blum explains how this has refocused attention on misinformation and its evolving nature, writing in part “Health hacks not backed by science have spread widely on social media platforms. The same kinds of conspiracy theories that helped to fuel vaccine hesitancy during the Covid-19 pandemic are now undermining trust in vaccines against other diseases, including measles, as more people have lost confidence in public health experts and institutions. And rapid developments in artificial intelligence have made it even harder for people to tell what’s true and what’s false online.”

Blum continues, writing “Misinformation commonly includes “fake experts,” according to Sander van der Linden, a professor of social psychology in society at Cambridge who researches misinformation. These are either people making health claims who do not have any medical credentials, or doctors making statements about topics that they are not experts in. “You wouldn’t want to go to an ear and nose doctor to do a heart operation,” he said. “Is this a vaccine expert, or is this a doctor who actually does no research and has no expertise on vaccinations?”’

The effects of this are being keenly felt by healthcare providers. Amanda Johnson, a primary care physician in New York City, told USA Today about her approach to working with patients who have fallen victim to such information, saying “(Frustration) doesn’t get us anywhere. I think those conversations are more likely to go poorly if you take it as a personal affront.”

The same article explains further that “She has talked about misinformation with patients, some of whom have even asked her to review social media posts they’ve seen. The most animated responses come from patients who believe they’re losing control or having something forced on them, said Johnson, who also leads NYC Health + Hospitals’ AfterCare program for New Yorkers recovering from COVID-19 or living with long COVID.”

“Many people are disparaging or dismissive when talking about people who believe misinformation, but it can happen to anyone, said Sedona Chinn, an assistant professor in the life sciences communication department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.”

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Announces Bipartisan Biodefense and Life Science Research Investigation

In a statement this week, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee announced, “U.S. Senators Gary Peters (D-MI) and Rand Paul (R-KY), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, announced a joint investigation of national security threats posed by high-risk biological research and technology in the U.S. and abroad. Peters and Paul plan to hold hearings and conduct government-wide oversight on areas including high-risk life science research, biodefense, synthetic biology, biosafety and biosecurity lapses, early warning capabilities for emerging outbreaks or possible attacks, and potential origins of the COVID-19 pandemic. This bipartisan oversight effort will assess and identify measures to mitigate longstanding and emerging risks and threats that may result in serious biological incidents – whether deliberate, accidental, or natural. The investigation will also seek to increase transparency and strengthen oversight of taxpayer-funded life sciences research, laboratories in the U.S. and abroad, and detection of biological threats.”

This is likely to add fire to efforts to impose new restrictions on contracted Chinese research firms like WuXi AppTec, as highlighted by Axios. At the same time, this will likely further reveal partisan divides on the topic, particularly given Paul’s emphasis on the Biden administration’s alleged efforts to conceal critical information about the COVID-19 pandemic.

EPA Confirms China- and Iran-Backed Hackers Are Targeting US Drinking Water Systems

“The country’s water systems are being hit with an increasing number of nation-state cyberattacks, according to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),” explains a recent news article. In a recent letter to governors from EPA Administrator Michael Regan and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, the pair wrote ‘“We need your support to ensure that all water systems in your state comprehensively assess their current cybersecurity practices.”’ They also emphasized that, in many cases, “even basic cybersecurity precautions, are not present at water treatment facilities, urging that this “can mean the difference between business as usual and a disruptive cyberattack.”

CNN reports that “The EPA will also set up a “task force” to “identify the most significant vulnerabilities of water systems to cyberattacks,” among other pressing issues, Regan and Sullivan said in their letter. The Biden officials invited state homeland security and environmental officials to a meeting to discuss cybersecurity improvements needed in the water sector.”

This comes after industrial equipment at multiple water facilities in the US was hacked late last year, displaying an anti-Israel message, according to US officials. The administration blamed the Iranian government for these attacks. Hackers backed by the Chinese state have also recently infiltrated US water facilities, in “…a hacking campaign that the Biden administration worries Beijing could use to disrupt critical infrastructure in the event of a conflict with the US. China denies the allegations.”

US Hosts Launch for New Foreign Ministry Channel for Global Health Security

Recently, the US Department of State announced that Ambassador John Nkengasong – U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator and Senior Bureau Official for Global Health Security and Diplomacy, overseeing the Department’s Bureau for Global Health Security and Diplomacy – hosted a day-long discussion program to help plan priorities and review lines of efforts for the recently created Foreign Ministry Channel for Global Health Security.

The Department’s press statement explains that “The Channel builds on the 2022-2023 COVID-19 Pandemic Prioritized Global Action Plan for Enhanced Engagement (GAP).  The meeting is the first in a series of regular engagements between senior officials within Ministries of Foreign Affairs to focus diplomatic attention and action on critical global health security priorities.  The foreign ministries, and participants from other ministries, will build on progress in this first meeting to elevate global health security issues as a national security imperative, enhance pandemic preparedness, and advance concrete global health security deliverables.  Participants will collaborate on global efforts to:

  • Strengthen pandemic prevention and early-warning capacities
  • Address misinformation and disinformation on health issues, and leverage emerging technologies to strengthen global health security
  • Mitigate the human health impacts of climate change utilizing the One Health approach, which recognizes the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health
  • Enable sustainable medical countermeasures for health emergencies
  • Enhance diplomatic workforce capacity on health security.”

“‘Lab Leak’ Proponents at Rutgers Accused of Defaming and Intimidating COVID-19 Origin Researchers”

Jocelyn Kaiser covers a recent formal complaint filed with Rutgers University regarding the conduct of molecular biologist Richard Ebright and microbiologist Bryce Nickels, both employed by the university. Kaiser explains in the news piece for Science, “But now, their targets have had enough. A dozen scientists filed a formal complaint with Rutgers yesterday alleging that the two faculty members have violated the university’s policies on free expression by posting “provably false” comments that are often defamatory, and that some of their actions could even threaten scientists’ safety.”

Read more here.

“How to Better Research the Possible Threats Posed by AI-Driven Misuse of Biology”

Matthew E. Walsh recently authored this piece for The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, writing in part “Nonetheless, researchers have conducted experiments that aim to evaluate sub-components of biological threats—such as the ability to develop a plan for or obtain information that could enable misuse. Two recent efforts—by RAND Corporation and OpenAI—to understand how artificial intelligence could lower barriers to the development of biological weapons concluded that access to a large language model chatbot did not give users an edge in developing plans to misuse biology. But those findings are just one part of the story and should not be considered conclusive.”

“An Action Plan to Increase the Safety and Security of Advanced AI”

This action plan from Gladstone AI was completed following the release of an October 2022 State Department assessment of proliferation and security risks posed by weaponized and misaligned AI. The plan-“Defense in Depth: An Action Plan to Increase the Safety and Security of Advanced AI“-explains in part of its introduction that “This action plan is a blueprint for that intervention. Its aim is to increase the safety and security of advanced AI by countering catastrophic national security risks from AI weaponization and loss of control. It was developed over thirteen months, and informed by conversations with over two hundred stakeholders from across the U.S., U.K., and Canadian governments; major cloud providers; AI safety organizations; security and computing experts; and formal and informal contacts at the frontier AI labs themselves. The actions we propose follow a sequence that:
● Begins by establishing interim safeguards to stabilize advanced AI development,
including export controls on the advanced AI supply chain;
● Leverages the time gained to develop basic regulatory oversight and strengthen
U.S. government capacity for later stages;
● Transitions into a domestic legal regime of responsible AI development and
adoption, safeguarded by a new U.S. regulatory agency; and
● Extends that regime to the multilateral and international domains.”

“Government Commissioned Report: AI is Creating New Categories of Weapons of Mass Destruction”

This recent article in the Claims Journal covers the aforementioned report from the State Department focused on WMD threats and AI: “A U.S. State Department-commissioned report asserts that advanced artificial intelligence is creating entirely new categories of weapons of mass destruction-like (WMD-like) and WMD-enabling catastrophic…The risks associated with these developments are global, have deeply technical origins and are quickly evolving, leaving policymakers with diminishing opportunities to introduce safeguards to balance these considerations and ensure advanced AI is developed and adopted responsibly.”

Read more here.

“Why Are Large AI Models Being Red Teamed?”

Natasha Bajema covers AI red teaming in this piece for IEEE Spectrum, writing in part “In February, OpenAI announced the arrival of Sora, a stunning “text-to-video” tool. Simply enter a prompt, and Sora generates a realistic video within seconds. But it wasn’t immediately available to the public. Some of the delay is because OpenAI reportedly has a set of experts called a red team who, the company has said, will probe the model to understand its capacity for deepfake videos, misinformation, bias, and hateful content.”

“Red teaming, while having proved useful for cybersecurity applications, is a military tool that was never intended for widespread adoption by the private sector.”

‘“Done well, red teaming can identify and help address vulnerabilities in AI,” says Brian Chen, director of policy from the New York–based think tank Data & Society. “What it does not do is address the structural gap in regulating the technology in the public interest.”’

“Biodefense in the FY25 President’s Budget Request”

Lillian Parr and Dan Regan recently published this blog post with CSR’s Nolan Center in which they compare the FY25 budget request to the FY24 Continuing Resolution. They explain “On Monday, March 11, the Biden Administration released the President’s Budget Request (PBR) for Fiscal Year 2025. While the final budget appropriations bills enacted by Congress will likely differ substantially from this request, the PBR provides useful insight into the Administration’s priorities. This blog post will highlight a few notable funding lines and trends for biodefense-focused programs…The initial tranche of the PBR documents, namely the Budget of the United States Government and the budget-in-briefs from each agency, state the priority budget items and highlight significant changes in funding. This analysis is largely based on these highlights and the topline budget numbers available. Over the next several weeks the agencies will complete the release of their budget justification books, which contain the highest level of detail on budgetary resourcing. Once all of the final justification books are released, we’ll announce our updated CSR Biodefense Budget Breakdown.”

“Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise Multiyear Budget: Fiscal Years 2023-2027”

ASPR recently released the Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasure Enterprise (PHEMCE) Multiyear Budget (MYB) for fiscal years 2023-2027. “The report assesses funding needs to support medical countermeasure priorities, which would allow the U.S. Government to prepare for the next public health threat. The MYB projects an estimated overall funding need of $79.5 billion over the five-year period, an increase of $15.5 billion over the 2022-2026 report. The MYB is not a budget request and does not replace funding levels requested in the President’s Budget or accompanying documents.”

“The MYB forecasts to Congress and external stakeholders the funding required to fully prepare the country for a range of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats, without regard to the competing priorities considered in the President’s Budget. The MYB also illustrates the support needed for other key priorities — such as supporting innovative approaches to medical countermeasure (MCM) development and fostering clear, scientifically supported regulatory pathways for MCMs.”

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

From Trust for America’s Health: “As the nation experiences an increasing number of infectious disease outbreaks and extreme weather events, TFAH’s Ready or Not 2024: Protecting the Public’s Health from Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism report identifies key 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.”

“Op-Ed: Proposed LDTs Rule Threatens Outbreak Containment”

Linoj Samuel and Erin Graf, Chair and Vice Chair of the American Society for Microbiology’s Clinical and Public Health Microbiology Committee respectively, recently authored this opinion piece discussing how federal regulations currently under consideration might harm the effectiveness of of laboratory-developed tests for fast-moving outbreaks. They write in part, “The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently proposed a rule that would require the same premarket approval for LDTs as it does for medical devices, such as prosthetic joints or pacemakers. The potential rule could bring significant harm to patients by limiting the clinical microbiology and public health laboratories that serve them. The medical device pathway under consideration is designed for commercially developed medical devices. It’s ill-suited to regulate LDTs, and it’s especially at odds with the realities of infectious disease testing. If adopted, the FDA’s rule will disincentivize clinical and public health labs from developing and deploying essential LDTs. It will create gaps in diagnosis and care, and it could potentially impact underserved communities the most.”

“Clinical, Biomarker, and Research Tests Among US Government Personnel and Their Family Members Involved in Anomalous Health Incidents”

Chan, Hallett, and Zalewski recently published this article in JAMA: “Questions  Do US government officials and their family members involved in anomalous health incidents (AHIs) differ from control participants with respect to clinical, biomarker, and research assessments?”

“Findings  In this exploratory study that included 86 participants reporting AHIs and 30 vocationally matched control participants, there were no significant differences in most tests of auditory, vestibular, cognitive, visual function, or blood biomarkers between the groups. Participants with AHIs performed significantly worse on self-reported and objective measures of balance, and had significantly increased symptoms of fatigue, posttraumatic stress disorder, and depression compared with the control participants; 24 participants (28%) with AHIs presented with functional neurological disorders.”

“Meaning  In this exploratory study, there were no significant differences between individuals reporting AHIs and matched control participants with respect to most clinical, research, and biomarker measures, except for self-reported and objective measures of imbalance; symptoms of fatigue, posttraumatic stress, and depression; and the development of functional neurological disorders in some.”

“Russia Appears to Be Using Chemical Weapons in Ukraine. And Admitting It.”

Matt Field covers the debate over the validity of Ukraine’s claims that Russia is using CW in the ongoing war in Ukraine for The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, writing in part “For Lennie Phillips, a former inspector for the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which implements the Chemical Weapons Convention, some of Ukraine’s claims appear credible, including a segment on Russian state-controlled TV that included an interview with a man the US embassy in The Hague reports is a Russian soldier discussing the effectiveness of chemicals as weapons. “The piece on Russia’s Channel [One] alone makes the use of tear gas by the [Russian Federation] very credible,” Phillips, now a research fellow at the UK defense think tank RUSI, said.”

“The Centre for Chemistry and Technology and the Future of the OPCW”

Ian Anthony recently published this paper with the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute: “With the destruction of the final remaining stockpiles of declared chemical weapons in 2023, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) must adjust to a new role. The inauguration of the OPCW’s Centre for Chemistry and Technology (CCT) in 2023 provides a new resource to assist the organization and the international community in reducing and eliminating the threat from chemical weapons.”

“Now that the CCT is operational, it is important to build momentum behind a substantive programme of work. Projects for the programme could be grouped into four thematic categories: understanding technological developments; chemical forensics; broadening geographical representation; and tailored training programmes.”

“The CCT should be led by a director, who should work with a newly established Office of Science and Technology to develop the centre’s strategic direction. To provide the CCT with stable and secure financing, a trust fund for the CCT should be established.”

Report Release Webinar: Future State of Smallpox Medical Countermeasures

From National Academies of Science and Medicine: “Join the Committee on Current State of Research, Development, and Stockpiling of Smallpox Medical Countermeasures as it discusses its newly released report Future State of Smallpox Medical Countermeasures on Tuesday, March 26, 2024.”

Learn more and join the discussion 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.

Eighth Annual Next Generation for Biosecurity Competition Open for Applications

“The Eighth Annual Next Generation for Biosecurity Competition is now open. NTI | bio hosts this competition to provide a platform for the next generation of global leaders in biosecurity to develop original concepts and share them with the wider biosecurity community. This year’s co-sponsors include 80,000 Hours, the Global Health Security Network, the iGEM Foundation, the International Federation of Biosafety Associations, the Next Generation Global Health Security Network, Pandemic Action Network, SynBio Africa, and Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation.“

“This year, the competition invites innovative and creative papers focused on how investments in biosecurity can both contribute to a more equitable society and reduce biological risks. The full prompt is provided below.”

“Winners of the Biosecurity Competition will be awarded the following:

  • Online publication of their paper on the NTI website
  • The opportunity to attend a high-profile international biosecurity event, such as the Biological Weapons Convention, and present their paper at a prestigious side event.”

Learn more here.

Nonproliferation Review and CNS Announce McElvany Award Winners

“The Nonproliferation Review and the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) are pleased to announce that an article examining the George W. Bush administration’s policies toward the nuclear programs of Iran and South Korea, “A tale of two fuel cycles: defining enrichment and reprocessing in the nonproliferation regime” by Sidra Hamidi and Chantell Murphy, has won the Doreen and Jim McElvany Nonproliferation Award’s grand prize.”

“In examining the Bush administration’s policies toward two states with advanced nuclear fuel cycles, Hamidi and Murphy’s article also explores the various US and international definitions of uranium enrichment and spent-fuel reprocessing. Its analysis draws on the concept of “technopolitics,” the study of the mutually reinforcing processes by which political priorities shape technological systems while technology also limits and creates new kinds of politics.”

Read more here.

Increasing Refugees, Increased Risk of Communicable Diseases

by juliadhomstad, posted in News

by Alena M. James

Since the start of the Syrian crisis three years ago, refugees have fled to camps in Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, Egypt, and Lebanon. Last week the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported the number of refugees from Syria to Lebanon has passed one million.  According to the report, this influx has stretched Lebanon’s social and economic infrastructure thin in public services such as electricity, water, sanitation services, education, and the public health sector. Tourism, trade, and investment within the country has also decreased significantly. The increase in the population has led to decreased wages among competing workers.  Lebanese residents find themselves struggling financially; while the refugees find themselves struggling to build better lives.

The competition for depleting resources is not the only concern facing both residents and refugees.  A high influx of refugees into any state can lay the ground for increases risk of communicable diseases or outbreaks of emerging infectious diseases. With small Lebanese communities overwhelmed by the drastic increase in the population, public health services struggle to provide adequate health care, antibiotic treatments, immunizations, and other medical aid to those in need. Not only are critical public health services overextended, but the high volume of individuals seeking services creates the ideal transmission grounds for microbial organisms and viral agents.

In overcrowded populations with limited health resources, the risk of spreading diseases is incredibly high and transmission can occur in a variety of mediums. Direct or indirect contact, the release of respiratory droplets, ingestion of contaminated food and water sources, contact with mechanical  or biological vectors are all various modes by which pathogenic agents spread from person to person.

Direct contact occurs from direct exposure to the pathogenic source, for example, when a patient is bit by a rabid dog and develops rabies. Indirect contact occurs via exposure to septic fomites, for example, when an unsterilized syringe is used to dispense a treatment or drug intravenously into a patient.  Respiratory droplets allow illnesses like the common cold, influenza, and measles to spread at a rapid pace through sneezing or coughing on and around others. Ingestion of contaminated water and foods lead to major gastrointestinal complications and other illnesses. Mechanical vectors, like insect bodies, indirectly spread diseases. For example, flies feeding on fecal material can pick up and spread pathogens, via their feet, after landing on a patient’s untreated injury or open wound. Biological vectors like mosquitos transmit viral, bacterial, and other parasitic organisms to patients. The chances of these transmission modes being employed by pathogens remain high among densely packed populations lacking in substantial health care resources.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, there are several diseases that migrants to Lebanon are susceptible to if the proper vaccinations are not sought. Such diseases include Hepatitis A and B, Typhoid, Polio, and Rabies. Refugees from Syria also pose a dangerous risk of transmitting communicable diseases if they have not received proper immunizations before fleeing from their country. Malnourished refugees deprived of food and clean water are at risk of developing weakened immune systems which makes them even more susceptible to virulent pathogens.

Despite the three-year Syrian conflict, many humanitarian workers continue to immunize children against preventable diseases. UNICEF in particular is actively working towards the vaccination of more than 20 million children against Poliomyelitis. Last October, the WHO confirmed at least 10 cases of children infected with Polio in Syria. This past weekend UNICEF re-launched its campaign to help control the spread of this virus among other states impacted by Syrian refugees.  Iraq, Turkey, Jordan also pledged to join the campaign due to the threat of incidences of the virus occurring in their countries.  So far Iraq has reported one case of the disease while the UN has reported 27 cases among Lebanese children.

Approximately 500,000 Syrian refugees to Lebanon have been children–who are at the greatest risk of acquiring polio if no vaccination has been administered. The war in Syria and the displacement of refugees has made it difficult for medical personal to provide vaccinations needed to control the spread of this and other communicable diseases.  The continued fighting in Syria is likely to lead to more bloodshed, the displacement of more refugees, the depletion of public service resources in several states, and the spread of more communicable diseases if efforts to resolve the conflict are not soon reached.

 

Image Credit: AP Photo/Bilal Hussein

Experts Pre-Game before the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit

by juliadhomstad, posted in Events, News
By Alena M. James

On March 12, 2014, the “Future of Global Nuclear Security Policy Summit” was held at the Knight Broadcast Studio at the Newseum in Washington DC.  The summit was hosted by National Journal in preparation for the 2014 Nuclear Security being held in The Hague, Netherlands.  Participating in the event was White House Coordinator for Defense Policy, Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Arms Control, Dr. Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall.  Contributing editor of the National Journal, James Kittfield, moderated the event posing questions to Dr. Sherwood-Randall and to a 7 member panel of nuclear security experts.

The experts participating in the summit included Norwegian Ambassador to the US, Kåre R. Aas; Renée Jones-Bos Secretary General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands; Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government Professor,  Matthew Bunn;  Congressman, Jeff Fortenberry; President and Chief Executive Officer of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, Jane Harman; former US Senator, co-chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, Sam Nunn; and William Tobey, Senior Fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs.

The Summit opened with a welcome message from the Senior Vice President of  the National Journal Group Editor, Poppy MacDonald, and was followed by opening remarks from Senator Nunn; who outlined four primary principles that leaders attending the Hague summit should focus on to continue to secure nuclear materials around the globe.

“At the top of my list are four principles.

  1. Nuclear materials security is both a sovereign responsibility and a shared obligation.  Each nation’s security—as well as global security—is only as strong as the weakest link in the chain, and no single nation can present this threat alone.
  2. Accountability and assurances are essential.  It’s not sufficient to just declare, “Trust me.”
  3. Standards and best practices must be implemented by all states, and must cover all weapons-usable nuclear materials, including non-civilian.
  4. Our leaders must get serious about sustaining this focus and this effort, even if the Nuclear Summit process ends after 2016. If the IAEA is given this responsibility, it must be given the clear mandate and the resources to carry it out.”

Dr. Sherwood-Randall kicked off the summit discussion by providing keynote remarks in a moderated interview with Kittfield shortly after. During her interview, Dr. Sherwood-Randall made it clear that the purpose of the upcoming Nuclear Policy Summit would be to focus on the securing of nuclear materials and not on disarmament; where she believes there are other places for that topic to be discussed. Sherwood-Randall also acknowledged that NGOs play a critical role in providing intellectual capital and that there will be a Nuclear Knowledge Summit taking place in Amsterdam as a side event to the Nuclear Security Summit. This particular summit will be used as place to bring NGOs and nuclear security experts together. When asked about her thoughts on the role of Russia in nuclear security talks, Sherwood Randall said that she did not believe that the heightened tensions over the Ukrainian crisis would affect any of the arms control agreements held with Russia. She further noted that the US views Russia as “contributors” to the upcoming summit and is expecting “a constructive summit.”

According to Sherwood-Randall and to the members of the panel, The Nuclear Security Summit will include a variety of events to ensure the summit is constructive. These events include plenary sessions, prerecorded video speeches from leaders outlining their state’s goals, lively policy based discussions, and real-time crisis simulation. Jones-Bos and her fellow panelists believe the implementation of these events will help to actively engage all participants, more so than simply listening to long, boring speeches.

A video recording of the summit can be found here.

Photo by Alena M. James/ Caption: Nuclear Experts Panel (right to left): James Kittfield (moderator), Renée Jones-Bos, William Tobey, Ambassador Kåre R. Aas, Matthew Bunn, Representative Jeff Fortenberry, Sam Nunn, and Jane Harman.

Pandora Report 3.14.14

by juliadhomstad, posted in Pandora Report

Editor’s note: As Managing Editor, I know my job is never done because the news never stops. As a social scientist, I know there is always more than one side to any story. As such, before we get into the news roundup for March 14, here are two follow up articles from our report last week.

Mount Sinai Scientists Discover How Marburg Virus Grows in Cells

Last week we learned about BCX4430, a drug that could possibly treat Marburg virus. This week, news coming out of Mount Sinai in New York outlines further research findings on the virus that can lead to greater understanding or possible development of virus inhibitors. The full findings of this research are available at Cell Reports.

Newswise — “A protein that normally protects cells from environmental stresses has been shown to interact Marburg virus VP24, allowing the deadly Marburg virus to live longer and replicate better, according to a cell culture study led by scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The investigators say that deciphering the molecular details of how Marburg virus and the host protein interact may help in developing inhibitors of the virus.”

Nazi Scientists May Have Plotted Malaria Mosquito Warfare (Redux)

As was pointed out by our eagle-eyed reader Jean Pascal Zanders, there, of course, is disagreement about the supposed Nazi insect weapons program. Jean writes about it on his blog, and GMU Biodefense’s own, Dr. Gregory Koblentz, is incredulous.

National Geographic – “‘Research to assess the threat posed by different biological agents and vectors, such as May’s research on mosquitoes and malaria, is especially hard to categorize as offensive or defensive,’ Koblentz says. ‘Even if May’s intent was offensive, it was very preliminary-many steps away from actually producing a viable insect-borne biological weapon.’”

And now for our regularly scheduled Friday news…

Highlights include Project BioShield, Destruction of Syrian chemical weapons, and  Clostridium difficile with antibiotics. Happy Friday!

The Only Thing Scarier Than Bio-Warfare is the Antidote

Should we be afraid of bio-terror or bio-error? In this massive, front-page Newsweek story, the author looks at the creation of the Project BioShield Act and its resulting effects including the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act and increased availability of biological threat agents used for scientific research. The Soviet bioweapons program, BSL-4 labs, and the intersection of science and government are also addressed.

Newsweek – “Though BioShield’s initial goals made sense when the threat of biological warfare seemed imminent, the act may have permanently undermined some of the essential protections against unsafe practices in at least one area of science research: the regulations that keep untested drugs off the market, and labs from leaking deadly biological agents into the environment.”

Greeks protest against Syria chemical weapon destruction at sea

Under the UN Security Council backed deal to deal to destroy Syria’s chemical weapon arsenal, provisions are included for this to happen aboard a U.S. cargo ship in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.  Under the plan, hydrolysis systems aboard the ship are to mix heated water and other chemicals to break down the lethal agents, resulting in a sludge equivalent to industrial toxic waste. This plan has prompted protests in Italy, Malta, and Greece despite assurances there will be no negative impact on the surrounding environments.

Agence France-Presse – “‘If this happens it will obliterate the island’s economy, will pollute the sea and will lead the people of the Mediterranean to a grim future.’ Pavlos Polakis, mayor of the city of Sfakia told AFP.”

Severe diarrheal illness in children linked to antibiotics prescribed in doctor’s offices

According to the CDC, an overwhelming percentage of cases of pediatric Clostridium difficileinfection occur in children who were prescribed antibiotics during the 12 weeks prior to illness for unrelated conditions—such as ear, sinus, or upper respiratory infections.  C. difficile is a bacteria that causes severe diarrhea and is potentially life threatening.

CDC – “Taking antibiotics is the most important risk factor for developing C. difficile infections for both adults and children.  When a person takes antibiotics, beneficial bacteria that protect against infection can be altered or even eliminated for several weeks to months. During this time, patients can get sick from C. difficile picked up from contaminated surfaces or spread from a health care provider’s hands.”

 

(image courtesy of CDC/James Gathany)

Bacteria that cause Legionnaires’ disease are not uncommon

by juliadhomstad, posted in News

By Chris Healey

Legionellosis is on the rise in the United States.

A recent study published in Environmental Science & Technology described the presence of Legionella pneumophila in nearly half of the 272 water samples collected across the United States. The presence of L. pneumophila in well water is alarming because it can infect humans if the water becomes aerosolized.

Widespread detection of L. pneumophila in well water coincides with increasing cases of the illness. Health departments across the U.S. have reported rising rates of legionellosis.

L. pneumophila causes Legionellosis—an overarching term given to two clinically and epidemiologically distinct illnesses. Legionnaires’ disease is characterized by fever, myalgia, cough, and clinical or radiographic pneumonia. Pontiac fever is characterized by milder versions of same symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease with no pneumonia. Infection occurs after inhalation of bacteria or bacterial antigen aerosolize in a mist or spray. The disease is noncommunicable; it cannot be spread from person to person.

Symptoms of Legionnaire’s disease begin 2 to 10 days after exposure, but symptoms often appear in 5 to 6 days. Most cases of Legionnaires’ disease can be treated with antibiotics, specifically fluoroquinolones or macrolides. Hospitalization is often required, with a case fatality rate as high as 15%. Most individuals exposed to Legionella will show no symptoms of infection, or only experience a mild illness.

Those at greatest risk of developing symptoms include the elderly, current or former smokers, those with chronic lung disease, immunocompromised individuals, and those taking immunosuppression drugs.

Pontiac fever is a self-limited, non-lethal febrile illness that does not progress to pneumonia. Symptoms of appear 5 to 72, but most often 24 to 48, hours after antigen exposure and usually lasts 2 to 5 days. Antibiotics do nothing to alleviate Pontiac fever. Patients recover spontaneously without treatment.

According to the CDC, L. pneumophila colonizes the lungs and is difficult to diagnose. Bacterial isolation, direct fluorescent antibody testing, urine antigen, and serology can all be used to test for infection.

L. pneumophila gets its name from its manner of discovery. The bacterium was isolated and identified among members of the Pennsylvania American Legion who were attending a conference in Philadelphia in 1976. Of the 182 members who developed acute illness, 29 died.

Although it was discovered and named in 1976, the bacterium was isolated about 25 years earlier. L. pneumophila has been confirmed as the causative agent of outbreaks dating back to 1959.

Since there is no vaccine for legionellosis, prevention stems from maintaining warm water sources. Commercial cooling towers should be drained and scale and sediment removed when not in use. Hot water tanks should be maintained at a temperature greater than 122 degrees Fahrenheit. Hot tub and whirlpool maintenance should follow manufacturer recommendations. Hot tubs, for example, should have bromide levels between 4 and 6 parts per million, while pH should be kept slightly basic – between 7.2 and 7.8.

The natural presence of L. pneumophila also poses a security concern. Soviet scientists working on the Soviet bioweapons program reported they had genetically modified L. pneumophila to be more lethal. The possibility exists that modern state or non-state actors could modify the bacteria in a similar way for malicious purposes.

 

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons/ JJ Harrison

Putin: Spotlight Seeker, Peace Keeper, Russian Defender

by juliadhomstad, posted in News

By Alena James

For the past several months, Russia, it seems, has been unable to avoid the spotlight.

In June 2013, we watched Russian President Vladimir Putin pass legislation prohibiting the portrayal of homosexuality—or “propaganda”—in the media.  The action sparked a backlash among LGBT Rights protesters.

In August, we witnessed Putin serve as a liaison between Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad, and the rest of the international community by encouraging Assad to concede his country’s chemical weapons stock piles after the use of chemical weapons in Damascus. This action led to increased tensions between the US and Russia.

In February 2014, we saw Russia in all of its glory as they hosted the Winter Olympics in Sochi, even despite rumors that the games would be the target of a Chechen terrorist attack.  Now this March, we see Russia back in the spotlight for its gutsiest move of the year.

Last weekend, Russian troops (bearing no Russian insignia) invaded Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula.  The invasion came at a time when the ousting of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, created a leadership vaccum and left pro-Russian and pro-Ukrainian factions to fight against each other to determine the fate of the new Ukrainian government. Until last week, Putin had remained silent on the issue, but has now announced the mobilization of troops into the region to be at the request of PresidentYanukovych; who is wanted by the interim Ukrainian government for the mass murder of at least 75 protesters. Ukrainians protesting the mobilization in Crimea are appealing to western countries for support and a NATO meeting was scheduled for Wednesday to discuss the Crimean Crisis.

In an interview, Putin announced his unwillingness to consider the intermediate leaders controlling the Ukrainian government legitimate, and said Yanukoych is still Ukraine’s president. The Russian President further declared that the mobilization of troops into the peninsula was done at the request of the Yanukoych and within his scope as Russian President in order to protect all Russians residing in Ukraine.

So, what is Putin thinking? Could his negotiations with the ousted president be another display of his own political pageantry and expression of dominance in the region? Or are his intentions genuinely within the interests of the Russian people residing in Ukraine? Is it possible that Putin really just wants to test the US to see hard it can push? Or is Putin dreaming of a newly reconstructed Soviet Union envisioning himself as the supreme leader? Perhaps, he is just tired of western powers engaging in the region?  Let us know what you think by leaving your comments below.

For a transcript of Vladimir Putin’s interview can be found from the Washington Post.

Image Credit: http://www.kremlin.ru.