On 7 November, IBBIS Executive Director, Piers Millett, participated in the Biosecurity Knowledge Day in Amersfoort, The Netherlands. The event was convened by the Bureau Biosecurity of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment.

In the morning, Piers delivered a keynote address exploring why, how, and when to think about the potential malign misuse of the biological and digital interface. He discussed how machine learning is impacting what can be accomplished with biotechnology, and how that might change the threat landscape. Piers highlighted the role that DNA synthesis screening can plan in mitigating these risks. He explored rules, guidance, and technical standards that call for DNA synthesis screening.

In the afternoon, Piers ran a workshop on on why and how to screen DNA synthesis orders and customers. This demonstrated that synthesis screening is worthwhile and practical, and involves making complex decisions about risk and trust. Piers introduced the Common Mechanism for DNA synthesis screening, explaining how it works and how it helps identify hazards posed by genetic material. The workshop culminated in an interactive role-playing exercise on customer screening.