Upcoming Workshop on Dual-Use Issues in the Biological Sciences

The Royal Society, London	Developments in the biological sciences hold great promise for creating opportunities to benefit the public good. However, rapid scientific progress can also create opportunities for science to be misused by those who might seek to cause harm. Given the diverse nature of the biological sciences, there are many types of biotechnology with legitimate, beneficial applications, but which can be considered “dual-use” because they could theoretically be misapplied for bioterrorism or biological weapons. For example, the availability of genomic information and advances in DNA synthesis can be used to improve understanding of diseases, develop new medicines, or create vaccines, but could also be applied to genetically engineer virulent pathogens.
Due to some of these concerns, The Royal Society, the International Council for Science (ICSU), and the InterAcademy Panel on International Issues (IAP) will convene a workshop in September 2006 on scientific and technological developments relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC). The workshop will be held at the Royal Society in London. Please learn more about the BTWC and discover some of the many informational websites available

This upcoming international workshop will examine some of the recent developments in fields of science and technology that could be important to the BTWC. Although the workshop is still in the planning stages, current focus areas include:

Immunology Genomics and Bioinformatics Synthetic Biology Drug Development and Delivery Biological Control Agents

The workshop will offer a chance to discuss some of the potential implications of current scientific developments and to promote an atmosphere of collaboration, both among scientists and between scientists and the policy-making community. A report will be compiled based on discussions from this proposed workshop and will be disseminated prior to the Sixth Review Conference of the BTWC, which will occur in late November or December, 2006.

The upcoming meeting will build on the momentum achieved by several other recent international events, including:
The International Forum on Biosecurity, held in March 2005 in Como, Italy. This meeting was hosted by ICSU, IAP, the InterAcademy Medical Panel (IAMP) and The National Academies of the United States	The IAP Statement on Biosecurity, which was released on December 1, 2005

Other National Academies Activities:
The National Academies have been active in addressing biosecurity concerns. The Academies have released reports and conducted workshops addressing both bioterrorism and dual-use biotechnology issues. Please explore some of these other Academies activities.

The Workshop Co-Conveners:
The Royal Society London, United Kingdom	The International Council for Science (ICSU) Paris, France	The InterAcademy Panel on International Issues (IAP) Trieste, Italy

For more information, please contact:

Katie Bowman
Board on International Scientific Organizations
The National Academies
kbowman@nas.edu