Medical diagnostics, biomanufacturing, and many other parts of the bioeconomy rely on synthetic nucleic acids (NAs). Clinicians and researchers order custom DNA and RNA sequences from companies or, less commonly, print NAs on devices in their own labs.
Illustration: DALL-E generated illustration, symbolic image for illustration purposes.
Increasingly accessible and affordable NA synthesis both enables beneficial biotechnology and raises biosecurity concerns as some NAs can be used to construct pathogens, toxins, or other dangerous biological agents. If such sequences are misused, whether accidentally or deliberately, it could create catastrophic outcomes of pandemic proportions impacting population health and economic prosperity and resilience.
To safeguard global biosecurity, it is crucial to implement standardized screening protocols for synthetic nucleic acid synthesis. By aligning major markets like the U.S. and EU and involving international stakeholders, we can reduce the risks posed by the misuse of synthetic biology while supporting its vast potential for positive impact.
The International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science (IBBIS), Pandemic Action Network (PAN), Pour Demain, and RAND Europe developed the following brief detailing key risks, the current landscape, and reasons why the EU should act on NA synthesis screening to ensure better resilience against future health crises and national security challenges.
Read and use the full brief.