“We are concerned that the proposed NSABB oversight rules are not compatible with the realities of implementation, will not achieve the stated goals of increased safety or security, and will ultimately slow research progress to the overall detriment of pandemic preparedness.”
NSABB has proposed changes to virology research that, if enacted, will hinder the research that labs like ours are able to do. Having worked in academic research with emerging viruses for 20+ years now, I am intimately familiar with the local and national regulations that are in place to ensure safety of the lab workers and the public. Safety underlies everything we do. Following rules and regulations is, quite literally, what I do for a living. I fully support the safe conduct of research and believe that it can be done safely and effectively. Its critical that we continue to discover new viruses and understand how they work so that we are not completely unprepared for the next hurdle that nature throws at us. Regulation for regulation sake, however, is not effective and will hinder progress. A rational approach to lab safety is paramount. I’ve worked with biosafety professionals for my entire career, and close collaboration between the scientists and the safety professionals is paramount to maintaining effective oversight of virology research.