Publications
Our publications keep professionals working across the public, private, and academic sectors informed on the most important developments and issues in health security and biosecurity.
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Title:
California shows the way for biosecurity in commercial gene synthesis
Authors:
Rachel West, Gigi Kwik Gronvall
Date posted:
August 19, 2020
Publication:
Nature Biotechnology
DOI:
10.1038/s41587-020-0667-0
Introduction:
To the Editor — On 21 January, California took a major step to increase biosecurity in commercial gene synthesis, introducing legislation that requires all scientists purchasing gene synthesis products to use companies that perform screening on customers and the sequences they order. If enacted, this legislation would make it a competitive advantage for companies to take biosecurity seriously. Here, we argue that the US federal government and other governments should emulate California’s actions.