White Paper: A Proposal for Biodesign Metadata Exchange for Use in Biosecurity
NTI | bio partnered with Lattice Automation to design and pilot a standard for capturing and transmitting metadata.
Former Staff
Chris
Chris
Isaac
Bio
Chris Isaac is a program officer for NTI’s Global Biological Policy and Programs team (NTI | bio). In this role, he supports efforts to improve biosecurity and biotechnology governance through the Biosecurity Innovation and Risk Reduction Initiative, increase transparency and accountability for national health security capacities through the Global Health Security Index, and reduce global catastrophic biological risks arising from the misuse of biotechnology.
Isaac has been involved with synthetic biology through the Internationally Genetically Engineered Machines (iGEM) Competition since the start of his scientific career and brings with him a mixture of skills in policy, biochemistry, and programming.
Isaac holds a B.Sc. in Biological Sciences with a minor in Philosophy and a M.Sc in Biochemistry (Bioinformatics) from the University of Lethbridge. Additionally, Isaac is an alumnus of the Emerging Leaders in Biosecurity Fellowship at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security and is a member of the iGEM Safety and Security Committee.
Analysis
Developing Guardrails for AI Biodesign Tools
The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with the life sciences offers tremendous potential benefits to society, but advances in AI biodesign tools also pose significant risks of misuse, with the potential for global consequences.
The Convergence of Artificial Intelligence and the Life Sciences
New report from NTI | bio offers recommendations for urgent actions that leaders within government, industry, the scientific community, and civil society should take to safeguard AI-bio capabilities.
NTI Blogs
NTI Seminar: Dr. Margaret Hamburg on COVID-19 Vaccines, Therapeutics, and the Biosecurity Nexus
NTI Seminar: Dr. Margaret Hamburg on COVID-19 Vaccines, Therapeutics, and the Biosecurity Nexus
NTI I bio works with others to develop local resource for COVID-19 response
NTI I bio works with others to develop local resource for COVID-19 response
Projects
Reducing AIxBio Risks
Strengthening AI governance to prevent misuse of AI-enabled tools for engineering living systems
Past Project Visibility Initiative for Responsible Science (VIRS)
Establishing stronger norms and practices to prevent accidents, misuse, and other adverse outcomes of life science research
Past Project Joint Assessment Mechanism to Determine Pandemic Origins
Rapidly assessing origins of high-consequence global biological events
Past Project Preventing the Misuse of DNA Synthesis Technology
Establishing an international Common Mechanism for DNA Synthesis Screening
Global Catastrophic Biological Risks
Preventing global catastrophic biological risks (GCBRS)
Biosecurity Innovation and Risk Reduction Initiative
Advances in biotechnology outpace national governments’ ability to provide needed oversight to prevent accidents or deliberate misuse of dangerous biological agents.