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The US Is Cracking Down on Synthetic DNA
Synthetic DNA could be used to spark a pandemic. A move by President Biden aims to create new standards for the safety and security of mail-order genetic material.
The White House has issued new rules aimed at companies that manufacture synthetic DNA after years ofwarnings that a pathogen made with mail-order genetic material could accidentally or intentionally spark the next pandemic. Artificially generated DNA allows researchers to do all sorts of things—develop diagnostic tests, make beneficial enzymes to eat up plastic, or engineer potent antibodies to treat disease—without having to extract natural sequences from organisms. Kevin Flyangolts, founder and CEO of New York-based Aclid, a company that offers screening software to DNA providers, says he’s glad to see the White House taking action.
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