White House seeks input on tightening rules for risky pathogen research

A panel’s recommendations earlier this year to tighten U.S. rules for funding research on dangerous pathogens sparked concerns that some of the changes would hamper routine studies important to public health. Now, the White House is looking at ways to narrow the swath of federally funded research that would undergo the heightened reviews proposed in a final report released in March by the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB). A notice posted today in the Federal Register by the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) seeks comments by 16 October on a range of issues, including the following. Dual-use research Current U.S. policy on pathogen research requires special reviews by local institutional committees and funding agencies if the proposed studies are considered “dual-use research of concern” (DURC)—the results from them could, in theory, be used to cause harm. The existing policy covers just seven types of experiments, such as those that would make a pathogen resistant to drugs, involving only 15 pathogens or their toxins. But NSABB recommended expanding the reviews beyond those 15 “select agents” to cover proposals to study any human, animal, or plant pathogen in the seven types of experiments. One scientist has called this “a potential for disaster” because it would require reviews of routine, relatively low-risk studies, such as certain experim...
Source: ScienceNOW - Category: Science Source Type: news