Scientists’ public responsibility pledges

Leading researchers make transparent, repeatable public pledges about how they will develop and publish high‑risk biological research, including disclosure, third‑party review, and limits on dual‑use methods. These pledges become a social and institutional norm that channels funding, publication, and collaboration incentives toward safer conduct. — If adopted by prominent labs and journals, such pledges could shift governance from purely legal enforcement to norm‑based, fast‑acting controls that reduce accidental or malicious misuse of gene‑editing tools.