Virology-the path forward.
Angela L RasmussenGigi Kwick GronvallAnice C LowenFelicia D GoodrumJames AlwineKristian G AndersenSimon J AnthonyJoel D BainesArinjay BanerjeeAndrew J BroadbentChristopher B BrookeSamuel K CamposPatrizia CaposioArturo CasadevallGary C ChanAnna R CliffeDonna Collins-McMillenNancy ConnellBlossom A DamaniaMatthew D DaughertyKari DebbinkTerence S DermodyDaniel DiMaioW Paul DuprexMichael EmermanDenise A GallowayRobert F GarryStephen A GoldsteinAlexander L GreningerAmy L HartmanBrenda G HogueStacy M HornerPeter J HotezJae U JungJeremy P KamilStephanie M KarstLaimonis A LaiminsSeema S LakdawalaIgor LandaisMichael LetkoBrett LindenbachShan-Lu LiuMicah A LuftigGrant McFaddenAndrew MehleJuliet MorrisonAnne MosconaElke MühlbergerJoshua C MungerKarl MüngerEain A MurphyChristopher J NeufeldtJanko Z NikolichChristine M O'ConnorAndrew S PekoszSallie R PermarJulie K PfeifferSaskia V PopescuJohn G PurdyVincent R RacanielloCharles M RiceJonathan A RunstadlerMartin J SappRona S ScottGregory A SmithErin M SorrellEmily SperanzaDaniel StreblowScott A TibbettsZsolt TothKoenraad Van DoorslaerSusan R WeissElizabeth A WhiteTimothy M WhiteChristiane E WobusMichael WorobeySatoko YamaokaAndrew D YurochkoPublished in: Journal of virology (2024)
In the United States (US), biosafety and biosecurity oversight of research on viruses is being reappraised. Safety in virology research is paramount and oversight frameworks should be reviewed periodically. Changes should be made with care, however, to avoid impeding science that is essential for rapidly reducing and responding to pandemic threats as well as addressing more common challenges caused by infectious diseases. Decades of research uniquely positioned the US to be able to respond to the COVID-19 crisis with astounding speed, delivering life-saving vaccines within a year of identifying the virus. We should embolden and empower this strength, which is a vital part of protecting the health, economy, and security of US citizens. Herein, we offer our perspectives on priorities for revised rules governing virology research in the US.