Make logging of all DNA synthesis orders and sequences mandatory so any novel pathogen or toxin can be traced back to its source. As AI enables evasion of sequence‑screening, a universal audit trail provides attribution and deterrence across vendors and countries.
— It reframes biosecurity from an arms race of filters to infrastructure—tracing biotech like financial transactions—to enable enforcement and crisis response.
Merlot Mary Fogarty
2026.01.15
72% relevant
By arguing to legalize or legitimize broader genetic editing, the article increases the urgency of proposals (like a universal DNA‑synthesis order ledger) that trace and audit sequence ordering; the piece therefore elevates a biosecurity governance proposal already in the portfolio of relevant ideas.
Stephen Johnson
2026.01.13
50% relevant
The existing idea argues for infrastructural, auditable tracing of dangerous biological synthesis; by analogy, acquisition and testing of potential directed‑energy hardware argues for a comparable provenance and audit regime for dual‑use physical devices—who bought them, procurement chain, components provenance—because opaque purchases threaten safety and attribution.
msmash
2026.01.05
62% relevant
A deployable CRISPR antiviral delivered as mRNA/LNP raises provenance and supply‑chain questions (who can order guide RNAs, LNPs, and viral target sequences); courts and regulators might be asked to trace or audit sequence design and reagent flows—exactly the governance problem the ledger idea targets.
EditorDavid
2025.10.05
100% relevant
Nobel laureate David Baker: “The only surefire way to avoid problems is to log all DNA synthesis… so the sequence can be cross‑referenced with the logged DNA database to see where it came from.”