Policy
To deter bioterrorism, U.S. imposes new rules on ordering synthetic DNA
Science · By Phie Jacobs ·
The Brief
- The U.S. has imposed new rules on ordering synthetic DNA.
- The stated aim is to deter bioterrorism.
- The policy has drawn tempered praise from biosecurity experts, according to Science.
Why it matters
Synthetic DNA ordering is a control point for preventing misuse of biological materials, so rules on who can order and how orders are screened affect biosecurity research and the labs and suppliers involved.
Who’s affected
- biosecurity researchers
- laboratories and companies that order or supply synthetic DNA
- #biosecurity
- #synthetic dna
- #bioterrorism
- #gene synthesis
- #us policy
New policy draws tempered praise from biosecurity experts