In a perspective penned for Science and Diplomacy, Margaret Hamburg, Jaime Yassif, Hayley Severance and R. Alta Charo highlight the increasing risks of accidental or deliberate misuse of modern bioscience and biotechnology, and propose the establishment of a new organization—the International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science (IBBIS)—to address this challenge and enable bioscience to flourish, safely and responsibly.

The challenging but vital work of reducing emerging biological risks associated with rapid technology advances is a peripheral concern of many stakeholders, and no international organization makes this their primary mission. National governments also have not been able to keep pace with these rapid advances and provide effective oversight for dual-use bioscience research. The authors suggest that “gaps in the biosecurity architecture highlight the need for a new international entity—one that spans multiple disciplines and sectors—focused on reducing the risks of catastrophic consequences due to accidents or the deliberate abuse of bioscience and biotechnology.”

As proposed, IBBIS, will work collaboratively with global partners to strengthen biosecurity norms and develop innovative, practical tools to uphold them.

Read the full article, Taking Action to Safeguard Bioscience and Protect Against Future Global Biological Risks, here.