Publications – White papers

  • Security Considerations at the Intersection of Engineering Biology and Artificial Intelligence

    Publication Date: November 2023

    This white paper describes three areas at the intersection of engineering biology and artificial intelligence that may yield significant security concerns: de novo biological design, closed-loop autonomous laboratories, and natural language Large Language Models. It describes each area, identifies potential security concerns, and offers ideas for the potential mitigation of those concerns, ultimately calling for an international forum to continually address this evolving issue.

  • Security Screening in Synthetic DNA Synthesis: Recommendations for Updated Federal Guidance

    Publication Date: April 2022

    EBRC recommendations for increasing security in the synthetic DNA synthesis industry.

  • Translational Research for Breakthrough Technologies: Advancing Engineering Biology to Address Societal Needs at NSF

    Publication Date: April 2022

    As NSF establishes its new Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships to translate research into practical applications, the agency has abundant opportunity to boldly support engineering biology research towards transformational, use-inspired technologies to grow and expand the U.S. bioeconomy. EBRC provides recommendations for the new Directorate to support the translation of fundamental engineering biology research results, establish infrastructure to transform tools into technologies, and to enable cross-disciplinary and entrepreneurial research, education, and training.

  • Making Security Viral: Shifting Engineering Biology Culture and Publishing

    Publication Date: February 2022 | Originally published in ACS Synthetic Biology.

    Consistent reflection on the implications of engineering biology tools and products can help direct and ensure their responsible development. In this paper, members of EBRC’s Security Working Group suggest that the publication stage of the research cycle is an important opportunity to consider the security implications of given work. They describe how such a process might be implemented.

  • Guiding Ethical Principles in Engineering Biology Research

    Publication Date: May 2021 | Originally published in ACS Synthetic Biology.

    This publication introduces and contextualizes the EBRC Statement of Ethics in Engineering Biology Research. In brief, the six core principles are i) to use engineering biology to benefit the world; ii) to weigh benefits of research against potential harms; iii) to incorporate justice into all aspects of engineering biology; iv) to share research; v) to protect the freedoms of individuals and researchers; and vi) to support open communication between researchers and other stakeholders.

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