My colleagues at the JHU Center for Health Security have created the website mentioned above, and are ready for a soft launch. As stakeholders in this conversation, they would love for our community to take a look at it and offer comments. Please see the information from them below. Reply here or to me directly with any comments. They have requested that we do not share this website with people outside of ABRF or on social media. We will be doing a hard launch later this month with comms and socials after they incorporated feedback from stakeholders, at which point they'd love for you to share it around. (They are aware that this post is publicly visible to non-members.)
"The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security has created a website to help Providers of synthetic nucleic acids ("Providers"), manufacturers of benchtop nucleic acid synthesis equipment ("Manufacturers"), and individuals or entities (such as research institutions) that order or request synthetic nucleic acids from a Provider or that purchases a Manufacturer's nucleic acid synthesis equipment ("Customers") to comply with the
Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence ("AI EO") and the resulting
US Framework for Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening ("Framework"). US federal funding agencies will, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, require that procurement of synthetic nucleic acids and benchtop nucleic acid synthesis equipment using federal life sciences funding be conducted through Providers and Manufacturers that adhere to the Framework. Parts of the Framework come into effect October 26, 2024,
and it is at that time that federally funded entities (Customers) will need to purchase only from those Providers and Manufacturers that self-attest to compliance.
We are soft launching this website to receive feedback from government stakeholders and intended users of the website today and are asking for feedback on the site by next Wednesday, August 21. We welcome you to click around the site, make sure all the links work, check for errors, and provide feedback on additional information we might be missing, is unclear, or that it would be good to include."
Thank you for your assistance with this, and please reach out to me with any questions, comments and/or concerns.
Roxann
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Roxann Ashworth
Laboratory Director
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore MD
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-08-2024 14:10
From: Roxann Ashworth
Subject: FW: White House Discussion: Compliance with Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening Framework - May 29
Thank you to everyone who attended the information session on this policy. OSTP has asked the JHU Center for Health Security to come up with a website to provide useful information for those in Cores and industry surrounding this policy. They are envisioning that the website will have details on the policy, perhaps a list of manufacturing companies that have signed off on the policy, and an FAQ page. My colleagues here at JHU are asking for input on what FAQs and other resources we as the ABRF community would like to see on this website. If you have thoughts, please respond here or message me directly. I have provided them with the questions that were asked on the call to get them started.
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Roxann Ashworth
Laboratory Director
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore MD
Original Message:
Sent: 05-22-2024 09:23
From: Roxann Ashworth
Subject: FW: White House Discussion: Compliance with Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening Framework - May 29
Gopal and the other members of the Office of Science Technology and Policy are very actively seeking our input on this topic. Does anyone have any questions about it that they would like us to forward to them prior to the call next week?
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Roxann Ashworth
Laboratory Director
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore MD
Original Message:
Sent: 05-15-2024 09:24
From: Ken Schoppmann
Subject: FW: White House Discussion: Compliance with Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening Framework - May 29
May 15, 2024
ABRF Members,
We're pleased to share details about an upcoming meeting organized by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy on a Framework for Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening, specifically focusing on requirements for Core facilities.
See below (and attached) for more information and the link to the meeting on May 29, 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET.
We hope this is helpful.
-----Original Appointment-----
From: Sarma, Gopal P. EOP/OSTP <Gopal.P.Sarma@ostp.eop.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2024 9:09 AM
Subject: White House Discussion: Compliance with Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening Framework
When: Wednesday, May 29, 2024 2:00 PM-3:00 PM (UTC-05:00) Eastern Time (US & Canada).
Where:
As you may be aware, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) recently released a new policy governing nucleic acid synthesis-the Framework for Nucleic Acid Synthesis Screening. Building on the recent Presidential Executive Order on the Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence, the Framework directs the development of robust screening practices for providers of synthetic nucleic acids as well as manufacturers of benchtop devices in order to mitigate the harms arising from the malicious use of this biotechnology.
As a number of entities that provide synthetic nucleic acids are considered in scope, we are reaching out to make sure that life sciences researchers across academia, industry, and the non-profit sector are fully aware of this policy.
This meeting will specifically focus on implementation of the requirements of the Executive Order at core facilities. Although we welcome participation from all stakeholders, and expect that this meeting will be useful in broadly understanding the policy, the discussion be focused specifically on core facilities. This session will be an opportunity for core facilities to ask questions and share information about implementation of the policy