Tag

Biosecurity

All articles tagged with #biosecurity

politics8 days ago•12 min saved

White House races to restore biosecurity guardrails as AI-biology fears mount

The White House is rushing to rebuild a depleted biosecurity apparatus after staffing cuts under the Trump administration, with Biden-era directives delayed and AI-biotech safeguards still unsettled even as tech firms warn of increasing bio capabilities; experts say reduced funding and reorganizations have weakened coordination across agencies, though officials and industry players are pursuing new safeguards and collaborations to strengthen deterrence and defense against biothreats.

via The Washington Post|

#artificial-intelligence #biosecurity #funding

technology10 days ago•4 min saved

AI and biotech converge, heightening the risk of a lethal pathogen

AI-enabled biotech advances are driving a convergence that could raise the risk of a lethal, human-made pathogen—accidentally or intentionally—even as some call for stronger guardrails and biodefense improvements; more labs and easier experimentation may increase the chance of mishaps, fueling debate over risk versus potential medical breakthroughs.

via Axios|

#ai #biodefense #biosecurity

science16 days ago•50 min saved

AI designs 16 novel viruses from DNA patterns learned across trillions of nucleotides

Researchers trained Evo, a genomic AI, on more than 9 trillion nucleotide sequences to learn DNA design rules, then used it to generate about 285 candidate viral genomes; 16 of these synthesized genomes assembled into viable bacteriophages that can infect and reproduce in E. coli, demonstrating AI’s potential to design new organisms while highlighting serious biosafety and governance concerns about applying such methods to pathogens.

via Yahoo|

#ai #biosecurity #dna

science17 days ago•7 min saved

AI Designs 16 New Bacteriophages to Fight Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria

Researchers used AI to design thousands of bacteriophage genomes, synthesized 300 candidates, and identified 16 novel, functional phages capable of infecting E. coli and overcoming bacterial resistance in tests; the work suggests potential AI‑driven phage therapies but raises biosafety and regulatory concerns about rapid, large‑scale pathogen design.

via WIRED|

#ai #antibiotic-resistance #bacteriophages

technology18 days ago•4 min saved

AI-Engineered Phages Create New Viruses, Sparking Biosecurity Debate

US researchers used artificial intelligence to design thousands of bacteriophage genomes from a natural template, synthesising about 300 and identifying 16 viable viruses; some synthetic phages killed E. coli more effectively than natural ones, signaling potential for targeted therapies but raising serious biosecurity concerns and prompting calls for stronger oversight as AI advances.

via Al Jazeera|

#ai #bacteriophage #biosecurity

science18 days ago•16 min saved

AI Writes Viral Recipes: New Viruses Engineered by Machines

Scientists trained an AI on natural viral DNA patterns and used it to generate entirely new virus genomes. In a study published in Science, 16 AI-designed viruses were viable, sparking optimism about potential medical advances while highlighting dual-use risks and biosecurity concerns.

via The New York Times|

#artificial-intelligence #biosecurity #genome-synthesis

science18 days ago•10 min saved

AI designs bacteriophage genomes, prompting biosafety questions

Researchers trained large genome models (Evo1 and Evo2) on DNA to generate virus-like genomes related to ΦX174. After screening 285 AI-suggested sequences, 16 produced viable viruses in E. coli, with higher similarity to the original ΦX174 correlating with higher viability. Some candidates carried novel genes or larger changes, illustrating the model's creativity within constraints. The work hints at potential phage-therapy applications but raises biosafety concerns about designing vertebrate-targeting viruses and underscores the need for governance of DNA-sequence design tools.

via Ars Technica|

#artificial-intelligence #bacteriophages #biosecurity

science19 days ago•4 min saved

Yoga Class Suspected in Lethal HSV-1 Outbreak Among Lemurs

UF veterinarians confirmed the first HSV-1 infections in lemurs, with four cases across ring-tailed, black-and-white ruffed, and a Varecia hybrid lemur. All suffered encephalitis and ulcers and died despite treatment. One case may have been linked to a public lemur yoga class, highlighting the risk of human-to-wildlife transmission and the need for stronger biosecurity and minimized direct contact when caring for lemurs. The findings were published in the Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine.

via Gizmodo|

#biosecurity #hsv-1 #lemurs

health22 days ago•2 min saved

Australia braces for wider H5N1 spread after seabird die-off near Adelaide

Australia warns that H5N1 bird flu is likely to spread after the first mass seabird die-off off Cape Jaffa near Adelaide, with testing confirming the virus in 49 dead and 35 sick greater crested terns. There’s no evidence of farm infections yet, but officials expect more wildlife cases as birds move. Measures include stronger biosecurity, shore-bird testing, vaccination of vulnerable species, and war-gaming response plans. While the global outbreak has caused mass wildlife deaths and financial losses, the human risk remains low for now.

via Al Jazeera|

#australia #biosecurity #bird-flu

environment23 days ago•10 min saved

Wildlife in Australia Under Threat as H5N1 Bird Flu Spreads

Australia is contending with a worsening H5N1 bird flu outbreak in wildlife, with 53 confirmed detections across five states (SA accounts for 39), including mass seabird mortality and suspected inland transmission near Seal Bay. While there are no poultry detections yet, the risk is rising, prompting stronger surveillance, farm biosecurity measures, and consideration of vaccination for vulnerable wildlife. Officials urge the public not to touch sick or dead birds, record sightings, and report them to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline at 1800 675 888.

via The Conversation|

#australia-wildlife #biosecurity #bird-flu

planet-earth26 days ago•108 min saved

Idle ships in Hormuz could spark a global marine biosecurity crisis

With more than 1,500 ships idling in the Strait of Hormuz, scientists warn this prolonged lay-up creates ideal conditions for marine microbes, algae, barnacles and other organisms to colonize ships’ hulls and ballast water, potentially spreading invasive species worldwide when ships move again—a biological ‘superspreader’ event. A July study in Biological Invasions highlights risks to ecosystems and human health, and experts suggest in‑water hull cleaning and enhanced port monitoring at high‑risk hubs to limit spread, citing zebra mussels as a cautionary example.

via Live Science|

#ballastwater #biosecurity #invasivespecies

science1 month ago•8 min saved

NIH Virologists Charged Over Smuggled Monkeypox Samples Sparking Biosecurity Debate

Two NIH virologists are charged with allegedly smuggling non-infectious monkeypox samples into the United States after fieldwork in Congo, with authorities saying the samples contained MPXV DNA but were not infectious. The case has triggered political scrutiny of the Rocky Mountain Laboratories and renewed debate over import rules and lab biosecurity, as hearings are set for the involved researchers.

via Nature|

#biosecurity #import-regulations #monkeypox

business1 month ago•8 min saved

Mass Cull, Soaring Costs: A Connecticut Poultry Farm's Bird Flu Nightmare

A Connecticut poultry farmer, Joshua Beebe of Tardif Poultry Farm, endured the depopulation of 5,000 birds after a Salmonella finding during a wave of avian influenza concerns, triggering a lengthy quarantine, canceled orders, and around $50,000 in repopulation costs, with little USDA indemnity and ongoing biosecurity measures as he rebuilds while facing wild-bird transmission risks and climate-influenced migration.

via The Guardian|

#avian-influenza #biosecurity #bird-flu

space-and-spaceflight2 months ago•16 min saved

Moon Biocontainment Plan: Scientists Call for an Automated Lunar Quarantine Lab

Biologist Frederick Moxley and McGill’s Anthony Ricciardi propose NASA build a self-contained, automated lunar biocontainment facility (BSL-X) on the Moon to quarantine and sterilize potentially hazardous extraterrestrial samples before any Earth return, arguing Earth-based labs may be insufficient to guard against novel alien microbes; they cite a 2018 ISS bacterium mutation as a cautionary example and frame the plan as a precautionary firewall for interplanetary exploration.

via Gizmodo|

#biosafety #biosecurity #lunar

agriculture2 months ago•11 min saved

Screwworm comeback tests U.S. livestock defenses

An outbreak of New World screwworm, a flesh-eating parasite that infests warm-blooded animals, has returned to the United States with 15 confirmed cases in Texas and New Mexico, mainly affecting cattle. Officials are deploying sterile flies, expanding surveillance, and tightening border and movement controls to contain it, warning the outbreak could cost billions if it spreads, even as human risk remains low. The situation echoes the historic success of the sterile-insect technique used to eradicate the pest decades ago.

via CNN|

#agriculture #beef-industry #biosecurity