DNA Screening Standards Consortium
The Consortium aims to drive global convergence and implementation of DNA synthesis screening standards.
It brings together experts from across sectors and regions to assess technical gaps, develop practical implementation guidance, and support scalable, globally relevant screening practices.
It is an initiative under the International Standards programme.
Sophie Peresson
Policy Lead
Policy Lead
Members
Aamer Ikram
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Chair, Strategic Advisor, and Global Health Security Leader Fellow and Councilor, Pakistan Academy of Sciences
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Pakistan
Aditi Mankad
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Principal Research Scientist (Psychology) and Theme Leader, Advanced Engineering Biology Future Science Platform at CSIRO
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Australia
Andy Morgan
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Senior Policy Advisor, Biotechnology Policy and Regulation Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE)
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New Zealand
Angela Kane
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Former Senior Advisor, Nuclear Threat Initiative
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Germany
Becky Mackelprang
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Director for Security Programs, Engineering Biology Research Consortium (EBRC)
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United States
Christina LaPosa
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Program Manager (Applied Bio Group), Raytheon BBN Technologies / RTX Corporation
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United States
Cyril Martel
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Head of Biosecurity Division, Danish Centre for Biosecurity and Biopreparedness (CBB)
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Denmark
Dieudonné Nyamaifofe
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Assistant Lecturer & Researcher, Department of Biology, Université Officielle de Bukavu (DRC) Interim Vice-President, Central Africa Chapter, African Society for Synthetic Biology (ASSB)
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Democratic Republic of the Congo
D.J. Kleinbaum
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Co-Founder & Co-CEO, Emerald Cloud Lab (ECL)
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United States
Haoling Zhang
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Ph.D. candidate at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
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China
Herawati Sudoyo
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Principal Investigator, Mochtar Riady Institute for Nanotechnology (MRIN); Chairperson for Medical Sciences, Indonesian Academy of Sciences (AIPI)
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Indonesia
Iqbal Parker
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Professor of Medical Biochemistry and Structural Biology
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South Africa
James Diggans
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Vice President for Policy & Biosecurity, Twist Bioscience and President, International Gene Synthesis Consortium (IGSC)
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United States
Joseph Nkodyo M
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National Coordinator Biosafety Biosecurity Program, National Health Laboratory and Diagnostics Services (NHLDS), Ministry of Health
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Uganda
Keletso Masisi
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Biosecurity Policy & Training Leadership - UN Youth Delegate BWC
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Botswana
Kevin Flyangolts
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Founder & CEO, Aclid
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United States
Kim Trollope
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Senior Researcher Department of Microbiology, Stellenbosch
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South Africa
Kirsten Engel
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Director Strategic Partnerships and Client Engagement, SecureDNA
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Canada
Lawrence Mugisha
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Associate Professor, College of Veterinary Medicine, Animal Resources and Biosecurity (COVAB), Makerere University, Uganda Chairperson, National Biosafety Committee (NBC), UNCST
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Uganda
Lela Bakanidze
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Professor, National Center for Disease Control and Public Health (NCDC) of Georgia
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Georgia
Luis Ochoa Carrera
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High Containment Lab and Pandemic Safety Manager at Michigan State University and Past President at ABSA International
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United States
Mahaletchumy Arujanan
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Global Coordinator, ISAAA-BioTrust and Executive Director, Malaysian Biotechnology Information Centre (MABIC)
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Malaysia
Nataporn Chanvarasuth
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Policy Specialist, Office of National Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation Policy Council (NXPO)
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Thailand
Nisreen AL-Hmoud
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Director, Bio-Safety & Bio-Security Centre, Royal Scientific Society, Amman, Jordan
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Jordan
Okolo Judith Chukwuebinim
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Assistant Director (Research), Bioresource Development Centre National Biotechnology Research and Development Agency (NBRDA), Delta State, Nigeria
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Nigeria
Onyeka Nwosu
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Principal Scientist and Researcher, National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA) President, African Society for Synthetic Biology (ASSB)
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Nigeria
Rhodora Romero-Aldemita
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Executive Director, ISAAA
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Philippines
Rik Bleijs
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Head Biosecurity Office at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Co-Chair International Experts Groups of Biosafety and Biosecurity Regulators (IEGBBR)
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Netherlands
Robert Mikulak
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Former Senior Official, United States Department of State
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United States
Sacha Wallace-Sankarsingh
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Public Health Specialist, Caribbean Society for Biosafety and Biosecurity (CSBB)
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Caribbean
Sheng Lin-Gibson
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Chief of the Biosystems and Biomaterials Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology at NIST
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United States
Yue Shen
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Chief Scientist of Synthetic Biology in BGI Research, VP of BGI Group
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China
Talkmore Maruta
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Director of Programs, African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM)
Weiwen Zhang
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Baiyang Chair Professor and Director, Tianjin University
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China
Wladimir Labeikovsky
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Co-Founder & Head of Data Operations, Ribbon Bio
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Austria/United States
FAQ
What is the DNA Screening Standards Consortium (DSSC)?
The DSSC is a global, multi-stakeholder consortium convened by IBBIS to strengthen and operationalise international standards for DNA synthesis screening. It brings together industry, academia, government, standards bodies, and civil society to translate high-level biosecurity principles into clear, practical, and globally interoperable screening practices that can be implemented across different regulatory and resource contexts.
Why is international coordination on DNA screening standards needed now?
Advances in synthetic biology and AI-enabled design tools have rapidly expanded access to DNA synthesis, increasing both the benefits and the risks of misuse. Screening practices for DNA orders and customers remain uneven across providers and countries, creating gaps in global biosecurity and undermining trust in responsible providers. Without coordinated international approaches, fragmented standards risk leaving critical vulnerabilities in the global bioeconomy.
What are the core goals of the DSSC?
The DSSC has three interrelated goals:
- To strengthen and clarify DNA screening standards by identifying gaps and ambiguities in existing international and national frameworks
- To translate these standards into practical, implementable guidance for DNA synthesis providers of different sizes, capacities, and regulatory contexts
- To enable global coordination by aligning practices across voluntary initiatives, standards bodies, and government approaches
Who participates in the DSSC?
The DSSC brings together experts from industry, academia, government, and civil society, representing all major global regions and diverse parts of the synthetic biology ecosystem. This includes DNA synthesis providers, technical experts, regulators, and organisations working on biosecurity and responsible innovation. IBBIS serves as Secretariat, supporting coordination, transparency, and alignment with the broader International Standards Project.
How does the DSSC work in practice?
The DSSC meets virtually twice per year, complemented by regular virtual working sessions. Meetings are structured around technical drafting, peer review, and strategic alignment, with agendas and materials shared in advance to support effective collaboration. This working model is designed to build trust across sectors, enable sustained technical progress, and ensure outputs are globally relevant and practically grounded.
What will the DSSC deliver between 2025 and 2027?
Between 2025 and 2027, the DSSC will develop and pilot a supplementary implementation Guide to ISO 20688-2, setting out detailed requirements, workflows, and decision pathways for DNA sequence and customer screening. Alongside the Guide, the DSSC will produce practical tools, templates, case studies, and training materials, and will pilot test the guidance with providers in different regions to ensure usability, adaptability, and real-world relevance before publication and promotion.
The International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science (IBBIS)
Route de Frontenex 41A
1207 Geneva, Switzerland
1207 Geneva, Switzerland
IBBIS is a registered Swiss non-profit foundation (UID CHE-182.748.080)