The US government will soon ask university officials to comment on how best to implement rules dual-use research recently published at the university level, a senior official of the US science announced today.
"which must be resolved and will be resolved is how [dual use reviews are] sorted institutionally," Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), said at a workshop sponsored by the national Academies in Washington, DC
this announcement marks the latest US response to the controversy over a pair of studies that show how to make the virus of H5N1 avian influenza transmissible in mammals. On March 29, the government issued a new policy that requires federal agencies that fund research unclassified to systematically examine the potential risks of studies involving 15 pathogens "high risk" and toxins, including H5N1. The exams are designed to reduce the risks associated with the dual use research of concern (DURC) that could be used for good or evil. The policy also requires donors, scientists and institutions to work together to develop risk mitigation plans, including possibly change the search search results or withholding.
At the time, Fauci and other officials have made clear that although the new policy applied only to federal agencies, they expected that academic institutions and scientists funded by the government would play a increasing role in Durc journals. In particular, the past recommendations of various expert groups have suggested that university institutional biosafety committees (IBCs), originally established to oversee the safety studies on the techniques of recombinant DNA, take a greater role in helping to identify studies Durc before they start.
Fauci has not discussed the details of the new policy, which he said should be published for public comment "soon." But he said that officials will seek feedback on the exam practice this university would be "practical and impractical. ... We do not want to have a government policy that can be implemented. ... What we are talking about is the way to go. "
The university groups have expressed concerns about how the new policy will be implemented DURC and how disagreements between scientists and government could be solved. Fauci said he expects "a lot of constructive conversation" on the new rules.
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