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The biosecurity benefits of genetic engineering attribution

Author

Listed:
  • Gregory Lewis

    (Oxford University
    Alt. Technology Labs, Inc.)

  • Jacob L. Jordan

    (Nuclear Threat Initiative)

  • David A. Relman

    (Stanford University School of Medicine
    Stanford University)

  • Gregory D. Koblentz

    (George Mason University)

  • Jade Leung

    (Oxford University)

  • Allan Dafoe

    (Oxford University)

  • Cassidy Nelson

    (Oxford University)

  • Gerald L. Epstein

    (National Defense University)

  • Rebecca Katz

    (Georgetown University)

  • Michael Montague

    (Johns Hopkins University)

  • Ethan C. Alley

    (Alt. Technology Labs, Inc.
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Harvard Medical School)

  • Claire Marie Filone

    (The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory)

  • Stephen Luby

    (Stanford University School of Medicine)

  • George M. Church

    (Alt. Technology Labs, Inc.
    Harvard Medical School)

  • Piers Millett

    (Oxford University
    International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition)

  • Kevin M. Esvelt

    (Alt. Technology Labs, Inc.
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

  • Elizabeth E. Cameron

    (Nuclear Threat Initiative)

  • Thomas V. Inglesby

    (Johns Hopkins University)

Abstract

Biology can be misused, and the risk of this causing widespread harm increases in step with the rapid march of technological progress. A key security challenge involves attribution: determining, in the wake of a human-caused biological event, who was responsible. Recent scientific developments have demonstrated a capability for detecting whether an organism involved in such an event has been genetically modified and, if modified, to infer from its genetic sequence its likely lab of origin. We believe this technique could be developed into powerful forensic tools to aid the attribution of outbreaks caused by genetically engineered pathogens, and thus protect against the potential misuse of synthetic biology.

Suggested Citation

  • Gregory Lewis & Jacob L. Jordan & David A. Relman & Gregory D. Koblentz & Jade Leung & Allan Dafoe & Cassidy Nelson & Gerald L. Epstein & Rebecca Katz & Michael Montague & Ethan C. Alley & Claire Mari, 2020. "The biosecurity benefits of genetic engineering attribution," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-4, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:11:y:2020:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-19149-2
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-19149-2
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    Cited by:

    1. Annika Djurle & Beth Young & Anna Berlin & Ivar Vågsholm & Anne-Lie Blomström & Jim Nygren & Anders Kvarnheden, 2022. "Addressing biohazards to food security in primary production," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 14(6), pages 1475-1497, December.

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