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How top labs have jeopardised public health with repeated biosafety failures | Alison Young (2023)

80,000 HoursAlison Young, Luisa Rodriguez
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  • Microbiology practices are expected to remain resistant to scrutiny compared to other scientific fields, with no universal tracking systems for laboratory infections or accidents anticipated in the future.
  • Lab leaks are predicted to occur frequently across all Biosafety Levels, including BSL-4, driven by the community's likely view of biosecurity measures as onerous and the difficulty in maintaining complex airflow systems that result in recurring outward air pressure issues.
  • Catastrophic accidents or pandemics may result from rare events involving the right pathogen, with risk levels rising as the number of labs and experiments increases, despite past occurrences being non-theoretical.
  • Transparency and public accountability are expected to remain insufficient due to the absence of a universal reporting system, which persists as long as legislation maintains voluntary reporting and Freedom of Information Act exemptions.
  • Policy oversight is hindered by fragmented authority, leaving the government unaware of the total number of BSL-3 labs, leading to predictions that a single federal agency modeled after the Nuclear Regulatory Commission may be required to resolve this fragmentation.
  • Regulatory inconsistencies are highlighted by instances where dangerous practices, such as using duct tape on biosafety doors, were only corrected after media intervention rather than proactive inspection.
  • Controls on federal agency workers communicating with the news media are projected to tighten significantly in 2023 compared to 15 years prior, while proponents of secrecy may cite national security threats as a reason for withholding information.
  • Funding for biosafety research and the advancement of work by experts like Arnold Whedon is expected to remain insufficient, limiting the ability to determine what safety protocols actually work.
  • The ASTRA Fellowship program is scheduled to occur between January and April 2024, with fellows expected to exchange ideas with AI safety researchers at Constellation offices in Berkeley, California, following an application deadline of November 17th.