Trend Wider access to engineering biology raising misuse risk

Summary

Engineering biology applies engineering principles to design and build biological parts, devices and systems such as cells or proteins, with uses in medicine, agriculture, energy and environmental remediation. Since the human genome was sequenced, gains in the scale and speed of DNA sequencing and synthesis, along with falling costs, have driven rapid growth. The report argues that open-source resources, cheaper tools, large language models and platforms like DIYbio have lowered barriers to access and raised the risk of misuse. Misuse includes the accidental or deliberate release of engineered organisms that could harm human, animal or plant health or disrupt ecosystems. With international competition spurring innovation, regulation may lag behind, a problem the report sees as greater globally than in the more tightly regulated UK.