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.
Challenge
Advances in biotechnology outpace national governments’ ability to provide needed oversight to prevent accidents or deliberate misuse of dangerous biological agents.
Action
Engage public and private sector leaders to develop, promulgate and incentivize new global biosecurity norms and technical approaches that can enhance innovation while protecting against possible harm.
Results
Commitments and actions from scientific leaders, and experts from companies, educational institutions, scientific organizations and governments to continuously improve biosecurity as they advance biotechnology.
Rapid advances in technology hold the promise of a future that is more resilient to disease, food insecurity, and environmental instability. There is no doubt that advances in genomics, synthetic biology, and virology will continue to prove essential to achieve a safer, healthier, and more secure society.
At the same time, global trends in travel, trade, terrorism, and technology are increasing the risk of a deliberate or accidental high-consequence biological event. Advances in technology, cheaper DNA synthesis, and widespread access to gene editing tools have made it possible for a broader array of actors to manipulate biological agents and systems. These scientific advances are outpacing the ability of national governments to provide effective oversight, forcing the technical community to govern itself – and creating an uneven patchwork of security and safety practices across facilities, countries and regions.
NTI | bio is working with stakeholders around the world to mitigate the misuse of tools and technologies to carry out biological attacks and to reduce the risk of a laboratory accident that could result in a high-consequence or catastrophic biological event.
This work includes:
- Convening a global group of leaders to develop, promulgate, and incentivize the adoption of a set of global norms and actions to reduce biological risks associated with advances in technology;
- Developing and incentivizing biosecurity innovation, including novel technical solutions for overcoming security challenges;
- Strengthening and expanding the use of tools to detect the synthesis or modification of dangerous biological agents.
Through this effort NTI | bio seeks concrete actions from researchers, institutions, companies and investors to improve security around advances in biotechnology–advancing a safer and more secure pursuit of biotechnology innovation to benefit society.
In 2019, NTI and its Biosecurity Innovation and Risk Reduction Initiative partners launched five working groups to engage new stakeholders, identify urgent actions, and catalyze the adoption of new approaches to reduce biological risks associated with advances in technology.
The working groups will focus on the following five concepts identified as initial priorities by Initiative members:
- Common Mechanism to Prevent Illicit Gene Synthesis
- Financial Incentives for Biotechnology Investors to Improve Biosecurity
- Standards for Funders, Grantees, and Publishers to Identify and Mitigate Biological Risks
- Establishing a Seal of Approval to Incentivize the Adoption of Biosecurity Norms
- Insurance Incentives for Reducing Biological Risks
More information about this initiative, including concept papers by experts involved in the project outlining steps to be taken to reduce risks associated with advance in technology, can be found on the event page for the October 2018 kickoff meeting.
2025
NTI Advances Biotechnology Governance Framework to Reduce Emerging Biological Risks
NTI | bio convened global experts for the 2025 Biosecurity Innovation Risk Reduction Initiative (BIRRI) meeting to discuss safeguarding rapidly advancing bioscience and biotechnology capabilities, focusing on three key areas: DNA synthesis screening, safeguarding AIxBio capabilities, and guarding against mirror life risks.
International Experts Urge Collective Action to Address Emerging AIxBio Risks
More than 35 leading experts highlight the risks posed by rapidly advancing capabilities at the convergence of AI and the life sciences and call on governments, industry, the scientific community, and funders to take action to safeguard this technology.
Biological Research Funders Prioritize Stronger Biosecurity and Biosafety Practices
A growing coalition of funders is stepping up to ensure that scientific innovation doesn’t come at the cost of safety and security. Representatives from influential, non-governmental funding organizations who advance critical life science research around the world met virtually on May 9, 2025 for the second Bio Funders Forum.
Executive Order on Safety and Security in Biological Research Holds Promise But Leaves Crucial Gaps
Executive Order 14292 on “Improving the Safety and Security of Biological Research" suggests some promising actions toward protecting modern bioscience and biotechnology against misuse. However, the order threatens to undermine U.S. capabilities to protect the American public from biological threats by requiring a pause in gain-of-function research.
2024
Exploring AI-Biosecurity Governance in the Global South
Gaps in healthcare infrastructure and biosecurity capabilities among Global South countries make these regions particularly vulnerable to biological threats, both natural and man-made.
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.
International Bio Funders Compact to Integrate Biosecurity into Life Science Research Funding
Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) launch the Bio Funders Compact to safeguard rapidly advancing life science research and development.
NTI | bio Advances Agenda for Preventing Misuse of AI-enabled Capabilities to Engineer Living Systems
Amid rapid advances at the intersection of artificial intelligence and the life sciences, NTI | bio and more than 25 leading experts took important steps toward creating a roadmap for safeguarding AI-enabled tools for engineering living systems from misuse.
2023
Past Event
BWC Side Event: The Convergence of AI and the Life Sciences
Palais des Nations, Building E, Room XXIV, Geneva, Switzerland
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1:15-2:45 PM CET
NTI | bio Convenes International Experts for Annual Meeting on Biosecurity Risk Reduction
NTI | bio convened the annual Biosecurity Innovation and Risk Reduction Initiative (BIRRI) meeting from May 31 to June 2 at Downing College in Cambridge, United Kingdom.
New Report Recommends Biosecurity Safeguards for Benchtop DNA Synthesis Devices
A new NTI | bio report describes the status of benchtop DNA synthesis devices, explains the risks for biosecurity, and recommends action and oversight by governments, industry, and the scientific community.
2022
NTI | bio Partners with Carnegie India for the 2022 Global Tech Summit as India Assumes the G20 Presidency
NTI | bio partnered with Carnegie India as a "knowledge partner" for the 2022 Global Technology Summit and led two sessions on global biosecurity and biosafety.
NTI Announces Dr. Piers Millett as Inaugural Executive Director of New International Biosecurity Organization, IBBIS
NTI announces Dr. Piers Millett as the founding executive director of IBBIS, a new global biosecurity organization.
NTI | bio Attends a Cyberbiosecurity Workshop to Assess Opportunities and Challenges in India and Globally
NTI | bio’s Dr. Aparupa Sengupta joined a groundbreaking discussion on the nexus of cyber- and bio-security.
NTI Convenes Global Experts to Advance Innovative Approaches to Reduce Emerging Biological Risks Associated with Technology Advances
NTI | bio convened more than 30 experts for a meeting of the Biosecurity Innovation and Risk Reduction Initiative (BIRRI) in London, United Kingdom between June 9-10, 2022.
NTI and WEF Convene Third Annual Meeting of DNA Synthesis Screening Technical Consortium
NTI | bio and the World Economic Forum (WEF) convened the third annual meeting of the Technical Consortium on DNA Synthesis Screening on May 12-13, 2022.
2021
NTI and WEF Convene Second Annual Meeting of DNA Synthesis Screening Technical Consortium
DNA synthesis is a key service that supports the growing bioeconomy, and demand for customized synthetic DNA is growing
2020
Moniz Calls on Global Leaders to Work to Reduce Risks Associated with Biotechnologies
NTI Co-Chair and CEO work urgently to reduce biological risks associated with advances in technology.
NTI and World Economic Forum Release New Report on DNA Synthesis Technologies
Advancements in commercially available DNA synthesis technologies pose growing risks, with the potential to cause catastrophic biosecurity threats if misused.
2018
NTI endorses Joint NGO Statement at Biological Weapons Convention Meeting
NTI joined more than 40 individuals, leading NGOs, and institutions to endorse a Joint NGO Statement to the 2018 BWC Meeting of States Parties (MSP).
NTI | bio Co-Sponsors Initiative to Reduce Powerful Actor, High Impact Biothreats
NTI | bio partnered with the FHI and JHU CHS to assess the impact of advances in technology on global catastrophic biological risks and new ideas to address them.
NTI Joins Global Health Security Leaders to Advocate for Robust Funding in Administration’s FY20 Budget Request to Counter Biological Threats
NTI joined with 60 leading ghs organizations/experts for funding of programs that counter biological threats in the Trump Administration’s budget request.
Past Event
Biosecurity Innovation and Risk Reduction Initiative Launch
Cambridge, Massachusetts
NTI Launches New Global Biosecurity Innovation and Risk Reduction Initiative
NTI bio launches the Biosecurity Innovation and Risk Reduction Initiative to reduce global catastrophic biological risks associated with biotechnology.
NTI | bio partners with Wellcome Trust and the World Economic Forum to host meeting on Biosecurity Innovation and Risk Reduction
NTI | bio partnered with Wellcome Trust and the WEF to develop approaches to advance technical innovations to reduce biological risks associated with technology.
2017
NTI Vice President Deborah Rosenblum discusses radiological risks at International Forum of Terrorism Risk (Re)insurance Pools
Reducing radiological risks is a priority for NTI and its partners to raise awareness about the risks posed by cesium-137 and other dangerous isotopes.
2011
CNS Issue Brief: Aum Shinrikyo’s biological weapons efforts
Philipp Bleek analyzes Aum Shinrikyo's biological weapons efforts and uses the cult's failed attempts as a tool to assess the threat of bioterrorism.