Special Issue on Recent Advances in Biosecurity: Addressing Emerging Technologies, Governance and the Education of Life Scientists

Introduction

The widespread agreement on the Tianjin Guidelines for Codes of Conduct to strengthen the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) is a major step forward for global biosecurity. However, as recently confirmed by the World Health Organization's Global Framework for the Responsible Use of the Life Sciences, very few life scientists possess an adequate level of awareness or education regarding the risks of dual use and broader biosecurity concerns. This deficiency limits their ability to appreciate the importance of the Tianjin Guidelines and to implement them effectively. A growing number of important initiatives are now aimed at addressing this gap. These efforts are also reflected in the recent draft report of the chair of the BTWC Working Group. Therefore, it is timely to disseminate current initiatives and articulate future directions in this field.

The papers in this special issue address this fundamental challenge and explore the further development of biosecurity awareness-raising, bioethical frameworks (including considerations of equity, justice, and moral responsibility) and educational programmes designed to respond to the novel challenges arising from emerging and converging technologies. These include artificial intelligence, synthetic biology and mirror-image life as applied to the life sciences. Finally, this special issue examines the longer-term development of governance frameworks for the life sciences and associated technologies at national, regional and international levels, with the aim of preventing their malign misuse. In this context, we aim to present the most up-to-date global practices in this critical scientific and technological domain.

Important Dates

Date First Submission Expected: 10 Dec. 2025

Final Manuscript Submission Deadline: 31 Dec. 2026

Guest Editors

Lijun Shang,

Biological Security Research Centre, London Metropolitan University, London, United Kingdom.

Email: l.shang@londonmet.ac.uk

Malcolm Dando,

School of Social Sciences, Bradford University, Bradford, United Kingdom.

Email: M.R.Dando@bradford.ac.uk

Yang Xue,

Faculty of Law, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China.

Email: xueyang@tju.edu.cn