News and Events
Preventing a Loss of Control: IBBIS, DNA Screening, and WEF’s Global Risks Report
The WEF Global Risks Report 2025 highlights growing concerns about AI, while a WEF blog post highlights how one company uses the Common Mechanism to reduce risk.
Coverage
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March 19, 2025
IBBIS joins call for next-generation Global South Leadership at Munich Security Conference
New biosecurity declaration, “Taking Biological Threats Off the Table Through Next-Generation Global South Leadership", launched at the MSC.
Events
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February 15, 2025
IBBIS at the AI Action Summit: Advancing Biosecurity in the Age of AI
Discussions centered on the need for expert- and industry-informed guiding principles that could shape international norms and frameworks.
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February 11, 2025
IBBIS hosts dual-use, bioethics, and synthesis screening workshop at IFBA Global Voices Conference
Participants in Arusha, Tanzania, highighted the importance of communicating both the risks and benefits of dual-use research, and the urgency of regulating AI.
Events
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January 21, 2025
IBBIS hosts inaugural Advisory Group meeting in Geneva
The IBBIS Advisory Group met in Geneva to discuss 2024 achievements, ongoing initiatives, and ambitious plans for 2025.
Events
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January 20, 2025
IBBIS Hosts MSP Side Event on Synthesis Screening and the Biological Weapons Convention
Synthesis screening is consistent with BWC obligations and has been highlighted as an important control measure by States Parties as far back as 2009.
Events
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December 16, 2024
Safeguarding the Responsible Transition to a Biobased Economy
IBBIS, CEPI and WEF brought together over 30 innovators from across the biotechnology industry to discuss mitigating risks and fostering innovation.
News
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November 27, 2024
IBBIS Takes the Stage at the 2024 Paris Peace Forum
IBBIS celebrated the culmination of a year in the Paris Peace Forum Scale Up Program with a talk and poster presentation.
News
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November 11, 2024
IBBIS talks DNA synthesis screening at Dutch Biosecurity Knowledge Day
Exploring the biosecurity implications of the convergence of artificial intelligence and DNA synthesis
Events
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November 7, 2024
IBBIS Leads Synthesis Screening Workshop at iGEM Responsibility Conference
IBBIS hosted a two-hour interactive workshop at the iGEM Responsibility Conference, including a predictions exercise, expert panel, screening game, and consensus statements exercise.
Events
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October 24, 2024
OECD Workshop on the governance of AI and SynBio convergence
IBBIS participated in an OECD forward-looking technology assessment exercise for these important dual-use capabilities
Events
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October 22, 2024
Global Biofoundary Alliance annual meeting
IBBIS supports the Global Biofoundary Alliance in addressing biosecurity concerns through DNA synthesis screening
Events
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October 11, 2024
Second IBBIS Foundation Council Meeting
The IBBIS Foundation Council held its second meeting in 2024 in Washington DC, USA
Events
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September 23, 2024
Biosecurity Game Changers workshop
IBBIS welcomes a new Fellow and contributes to efforts to build next generation biosecurity expertise in Africa
Events
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September 5, 2024
IBBIS Joins International Gene Synthesis Consortium
IBBIS is proud to announce its membership in the International Gene Synthesis Consortium.
News
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August 28, 2024
IBBIS participates in Global Pandemic Preparedness Summit 2024
A global gathering to transform the world’s ability to respond quickly and equitably to the next Disease X threat
Events
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July 30, 2024
IBBIS talks nucleic acid screening at SynBioAfrica
Piers Millett delivered a keynote speech at SBA 3.0, the International Synthetic Biology, AI, and Biosecurity Conference in Africa.
Events
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July 29, 2024
Common Mechanism highlighted in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists
Dr. Weiwen Zhang and Dr. Leifan Wang write that scientists are the best judge of research risks, but they need tools such as the Common Mechanism to support risk assessment.
Coverage
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June 12, 2024
A new appreciation for the difficulty of synthesis screening at the Global Health Security Conference
One biologist who frequently orders synthetic DNA said the sequence screening exercise gave him new appreciation for the difficulty faced by "the other side".
Events
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June 10, 2024
IBBIS launches the Common Mechanism at SynBioBeta
IBBIS was proud to launch its Common Mechanism for DNA Synthesis Screening on 8 May 2024 at SynBioBeta, in San Jose, California, USA
News
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May 9, 2024
Developing a Common Global Baseline for Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening
Released in April 2024, a new paper outlines the current barriers to the adoption of DNA synthesis screening and how the Common Mechanism helps overcome them.
Publication
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May 3, 2024
IBBIS Executive Director testifies to UK Parliament
On 30 April 2024, Piers Millett provided oral evidence on the biosecurity implications of engineering biology to the Lords Science and Technology Committee
Testimony
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April 30, 2024
IBBIS participates in launch of Asia Centre for Health Security
IBBIS Executive Director, Piers Millett, helps celebrate the launch of this important new regional initiative
Events
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April 25, 2024
Commentary: Five Things Not to Do When Discovering a Biosecurity Vulnerability
Anyone finding ways to circumvent gene synthesis screening needs to be responsible in how they share the knowledge.
Publication
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April 22, 2024
Progress and Prospects for a Nucleic Acid Screening Test Set
A new paper explores the rationale and process to develop a prototype DNA synthesis screening test dataset, aiming to establish a baseline of screening system accuracy to compare with various screening approaches.
Publication
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April 8, 2024
New International Biosecurity Organization Launched to Safeguard Bioscience
IBBIS is a first-of-its-kind organization to strengthen international biosecurity governance.
News
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February 15, 2024
IBBIS Executive Director chairs Biosecurity panel at SynbiTECH 2023
IBBIS Executive Director Dr. Piers Millett chaired the opening panel of SynbiTECH 2023 in London, UK on December 5
Events
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December 15, 2023
IBBIS Accepted to Paris Peace Forum Scale Up Program
IBBIS selected as one of 10 initiatives to receive support from the Paris Peace Forum community to accelerate its efforts to strengthen biosecurity norms.
News
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December 1, 2023
Dr. Piers Millett on how the Scientific Community can Move Beyond Taxonomic Lists for Biosecurity
Dr. Piers Millett is a lead author on a journal article for Health Security that examines how the scientific community can begin to move past using lists of organisms for biosecurity controls.
Publication
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October 20, 2023
Dr. Piers Millett Authors Editorial for Science Magazine
Dr. Piers Millett argues for greater safeguards to protect the dangerous pathogens kept in labs around the world in a new Science Magazine editorial.
Publication
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October 19, 2023
IBBIS Highlighted in 2023 UK National Biological Security Strategy
The new UK Government Biological Security Strategy explicitly recognized the important role played by IBBIS and the importance of DNA synthesis screening.
Coverage
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June 15, 2023
Millett Participates in OECD Global Forum on Technology
Dr. Millett participates in inaugural OECD Global Forum on Technology with more than 300 senior policymakers and leading technology experts to discuss "shaping our future at the tech frontier."
News
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June 10, 2023
IBBIS at Biosecurity Innovation and Risk Reduction Initiative Annual Meeting
IBBIS Executive Director Piers Millett provided a progress update to the annual meeting of the Biosecurity Innovation and Risk Reduction Initiative.
News
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June 5, 2023
Millett Outlines IBBIS Engagement with Industry at SynBioBeta 2023
IBBIS' Executive Director Piers Millett took to the main stage of the 2023 SynBioBeta Global Synthetic Biology Conference.
News
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June 1, 2023
Piers Millett Discusses the Common Mechanism in Council on Strategic Risks Interview
Millett discusses the need for the international Common Mechanism and why IBBIS is well-positioned to develop this tool for DNA providers.
Coverage
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April 11, 2023
Addressing Catastrophic Biological Risks at the Munich Security Conference
IBBIS Executive Director Dr. Piers Millett joined global leaders in public health, biotechnology, and international security at NTI's side event at the 2023 Munich Security Conference.
News
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February 22, 2023
Science | Business Article Makes the Case for IBBIS
Science | Business International Editor David Matthews explains how IBBIS will work with researchers, funders, and industry stakeholders.
Coverage
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January 17, 2023
Biosecurity Solutions Offered at the Biological Weapons Convention Review Conference
IBBIS was the main feature in a side event during the 9th Review Conference of the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) in Geneva, Switzerland.
News
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December 15, 2022
IBBIS at 2022 Global Tech Summit as India Assumes the G20 Presidency
IBBIS Executive Director Dr. Piers Millett attended the 7th annual Global Technology Summit in New Delhi.
News
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December 12, 2022
IBBIS introduced at G7 Global Partnership Working Group in Berlin
Dr. Piers Millett attended the G7 Global Partnership Against the Spread of Weapons and Materials of Mass Destruction Working Group and Conference on Biosecurity Challenges in Berlin, Germany on October 5, 2022.
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October 9, 2022
Leading Experts Propose IBBIS to Promote Stronger Global Biosecurity Norms
Margaret Hamburg, Jaime Yassif, Hayley Severance and R. Alta Charo propose the establishment of IBBIS to reduce biosecurity risks.
Publication
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February 9, 2022
Plans to Establish IBBIS Cited in Testimony at U.S. House Hearing on “Biosecurity for the Future: Strengthening Deterrence and Detection”
Plans to establish IBBIS were described in a testimony to a U.S. House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee.
Testimony
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December 8, 2021