Common Mechanism

A free, open-source, globally-available tool for synthesis screening


The Common Mechanism helps providers of synthetic DNA and RNA to effectively screen orders to prevent synthesis technology from being exploited. We provide free, distributed, open-source, automated software for screening sequences of nucleic acids (including DNA and RNA) as well as resources to facilitate customer screening.

The Common Mechanism will provide resources to support each step of synthesis screening, answering the questions shown below:






Screening sequences with the Common Mechanism

The Common Mechanism sequence screening tool is now available for use. The package is designed as a global baseline for nucleic acid synthesis screening, supporting users to:

  • Start screening in compliance with new requirements for nucleic acid synthesis screening

  • Boost existing screening systems with resilience to AI-generated sequences and subversion attempts

  • Serve a global science market with an internationally-designed screening tool

  • Maintain control and privacy with local-first screening.

If you have any questions or would like assistance getting started, please get in touch with our team at screening@ibbis.bio. You can learn more about how to get started with the tool and see the results of performance testing at the links below.





Supporting a Common Global Baseline for Synthesis Screening

The Common Mechanism was designed to address a number of challenges that DNA providers face:

  • Developing and maintaining DNA synthesis screening tools is costly for many providers.

  • The price per base of synthesis is decreasing, and the volume of orders is increasing, which makes screening orders an increasingly difficult economic burden.

  • Sensitive intellectual property is embedded in the sequences ordered by customers, making it difficult to get outside help with screening.

  • Existing DNA synthesis screening tools and resources are not fully accessible to everyone, everywhere.

  • Benchtop DNA synthesis devices, which are becoming commercially available and which will decentralize the market for these services, will require more unambiguous and automated systems for flagging sequences in order to realize their benefit of faster turnaround time.

The Common Mechanism has been under development for several years in partnership with the international Technical Consortium for DNA Synthesis Screening, which was launched by the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) in partnership with the World Economic Forum in 2020. Discussions about technical specifications for the Common Mechanism began in 2020, initial databases and a screening algorithm were developed throughout 2021-2023, and beta testing commenced in late 2023.



Publications

A technical paper describing the screening algorithm, and additional resources to support customer screening, are forthcoming in 2024.

  • May 2024. Progress and Prospects for a Nucleic Acid Screening Test Set. Nicole E. Wheeler, Craig Bartling, Sarah R. Carter, Adam Clore, James Diggans, Kevin Flyangolts, Bryan T. Gemler, Brittany Rife Magalis, and Jacob Beal. Applied Biosafety. Available online.

  • April 2024. Overcoming Challenges to Developing a Common Global Baseline for Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening. Nicole Wheeler, Sarah R. Carter, Tessa Alexanian, Christopher Isaac, Piers Millett, Jaime Yassif. Applied Biosafety. Available online (archive).

  • February 2024. Verifying Legitimacy: Findings from the Customer Screening Working Group, 2020-2023. Tessa Alexanian, Sarah R. Carter. IBBIS White Paper. Available online.

  • May 2023. Benchtop DNA Synthesis Devices: Capabilities, Biosecurity Implications, and Governance. Sarah R. Carter, Jaime Yassif, Christopher Isaac, NTI | bio. Available online.

  • January 2020. Biosecurity Innovation and Risk Reduction: A Global Framework for Accessible, Safe and Secure DNA Synthesis. Elizabeth Cameron, Sarah R. Carter, Jacob Jordan, and Ryan Morhard. Report of the NTI-WEF Working Group on Working Group on Preventing Illicit Gene Synthesis. Available online.

  • October 2018. Universal Platform to Prevent Illicit Gene Synthesis. Patrick Boyle and Ryan Morhard. NTI Biosecurity Innovation and Risk Reduction Initiative Paper 1. Available online,





Now
Sequence screening software released
2024
Release of customer screening tools
Future
An open-source globally-available baseline for synthesis screening