In recent months, several publications have appeared that are relevant to biosecurity. UNIDIR published a report on how education can be improved, and an article was released about the lack of awareness among researchers, partly due to the absence of proper education. Additionally, there were publications on the use of AI and the synthesis of nucleic acids.

Biorisk Governance: Advancing Biosecurity Education for Life Scientists
UNIDIR, the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, recently published a report on establishing a system for biosecurity education. The report provides an overview of global initiatives in biosecurity and dual-use education. It emphasizes the challenge of incorporating these topics into already crowded curricula, especially given the many other priorities within scientific education and research.

To offer practical guidance, the report describes seven approaches to biosecurity education, based on a broad range of national and international examples. It also discusses the importance of biosecurity education for the work of, among others, the BTWC and the WHO. Furthermore, the report outlines a step-by-step plan to structurally integrate biosecurity into life sciences education. The annex of the report includes inspiring examples of biosecurity education initiatives from national, regional, and international organizations.

Sarah Ruth Opatowski, Biorisk Governance: Advancing Biosecurity Education for Life Scientists. (Geneva: UNIDIR, 2025), https://doi.org/10.37559/WMD/25/CBW/01.

Unmet Expectations: Life Scientists’ Views on Biorisk and Responsibility
A recent study among 127 researchers at a leading American university shows that biosecurity awareness among life scientists leaves much to be desired. Although most respondents consider it important to manage biosafety, biosecurity, and dual-use risks, the results indicate that, in practice, they do this less frequently than they themselves deem desirable. In particular, members who are not directly affiliated with a faculty rarely consider the risks of intentional misuse or the sharing of sensitive information. Formal training in biorisk management is often limited to mandatory biosafety courses. Practical barriers and the lack of career incentives are also cited as reasons for this limited engagement. The study highlights that there is still significant room for improvement among life scientists, especially regarding biosecurity and dual-use information.

Greene D, Relman DA, Palmer MJ. Unmet Expectations: Life Scientists' Views on Biorisk and Responsibility. Appl Biosaf. 2025 Jun 5;30(2):112-123. doi: https://doi.org/10.1089/apb.2024.0052.

EU report: Leveraging AI tools for a strengthened biosecurity framework
As part of its mission to better prepare Europe for health crises, the EU Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA) is working to promote the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the area of medical countermeasures (MCMs). In this context, HERA has commissioned five studies on the potential of AI to accelerate the development, production, and deployment of MCMs and to improve preparedness and response to health crises. One of the recent reports, “Leveraging AI tools for a strengthened biosecurity framework,” demonstrates how AI can assist in screening synthetic DNA orders, detecting unauthorized genetic modifications, and improving the detection of biological incidents.

The report makes recommendations such as fostering collaboration between different disciplines and countries, developing standards and legislation for AI in the life sciences, and investing in research and innovation. By using AI responsibly, the EU can strengthen biosecurity and respond more rapidly to emerging biological threats.

European Commission: European Health and Digital Executive Agency, Intellera Consulting and PredictBy, Studies and meetings on health emergency preparedness and response for HERA – Scientific background document – Leveraging AI tools for a strengthened biosecurity framework, Publications Office of the European Union, 2025, https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2925/5988109

Strengthening nucleic acid biosecurity screening against generative protein design tools
New developments in AI-assisted protein engineering are leading to major breakthroughs in the life sciences, but they also bring new biosecurity challenges. The synthesis of nucleic acids is a key control point in these processes. Therefore, strengthening screening methods at nucleic acid providers is crucial for biosecurity.

This research demonstrated that open-source AI software is capable of designing variants of high-risk proteins, which sometimes go undetected by the current screening systems used by DNA synthesis companies. This creates a vulnerability in existing biosecurity policies. In response, the researchers developed and implemented improvements, significantly enhancing the detection of synthetic variants with potentially hazardous functions.

Wittmann BJ, Alexanian T, Bartling C, Beal J, Clore A, Diggans J, Flyangolts K, Gemler BT, Mitchell T, Murphy ST, Wheeler NE, Horvitz E. Strengthening nucleic acid biosecurity screening against generative protein design tools. Science. 2025 Oct 2;390(6768):82-87. doi: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adu8578