Board on Life Sciences

Meeting Closed

External Review of Environmental, Biosafety, and Biosecurity Considerations for Synthetic Cell Research and Development - Committee Meeting #5a

August 27, 2025

2:00 PM - 5:00 PM (EDT)

Past

About

The committee will meet to discuss topics related to the draft report.

This meeting will be held over zoom.

Additional Information

Is it a Closed Session event?

Institution Closed

The following committee members were present at the closed sessions of the event

Roni Reiter-Palmon, Felicia Wu, Maria Chavez, David Gillum, Jason Delborne, Emma Frow, Kate Adamala, Richard Murray, David Dunning, India Hook-Barnard

The following topics were discussed in the closed sessions:

They committee discussed topics related to the draft report

The following materials (written documents) were made available to the committee in the closed sessions:

N/A

Date of posting of Closed Session Summary:

September 08, 2025

Organizing Project

External Review of Environmental, Biosafety, and Biosecurity Considerations for Synthetic Cell Research and Development

Contact

Layla Garyk

lgaryk@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Meeting Closed

External Review of Environmental, Biosafety, and Biosecurity Considerations for Synthetic Cell Research and Development - August Subgroup Meeting

August 6, 2025

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM (EDT)

Past

About

A subgroup of the committee will meet to discuss topics related to the draft report.

Additional Information

Is it a Closed Session event?

Institution Closed

The following committee members were present at the closed sessions of the event

Pete Carr, Richard Murray, Cameron Kim, David Gillum, Jason Delborne, Kate Adamala, Maria Chavez

The following topics were discussed in the closed sessions:

The committee held a subgroup meeting to discuss content related to the draft report.

The following materials (written documents) were made available to the committee in the closed sessions:

N/A

Date of posting of Closed Session Summary:

August 13, 2025

Organizing Project

External Review of Environmental, Biosafety, and Biosecurity Considerations for Synthetic Cell Research and Development

Contact

Layla Garyk

lgaryk@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Meeting Closed

External Review of Environmental, Biosafety, and Biosecurity Considerations for Synthetic Cell Research and Development - July Subgroup Meeting

July 15, 2025

1:00 PM - 2:15 PM (EDT)

Past

About

A subgroup of the committee will meet to discuss topics related to the draft report.

Additional Information

Is it a Closed Session event?

Institution Closed

The following committee members were present at the closed sessions of the event

Pete Carr, India Hook-Barnard, Cameron Kim, Maria Chavez, David Gillum, and Jason Delborne

The following topics were discussed in the closed sessions:

The committee held a subgroup meeting to discuss content related to the draft report.

The following materials (written documents) were made available to the committee in the closed sessions:

N/A

Date of posting of Closed Session Summary:

July 16, 2025

Organizing Project

External Review of Environmental, Biosafety, and Biosecurity Considerations for Synthetic Cell Research and Development

Contact

Layla Garyk

lgaryk@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Meeting Closed

External Review of Environmental and Biosafety of Synthetic Cell Research and Development - Committee Meeting #3b

June 30, 2025

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM (EDT)

Past

About

The committee will continue to discuss a draft outline of the report and writing subgroups and assignments.

This meeting will be held over zoom.

Additional Information

Is it a Closed Session event?

Institution Closed

The following committee members were present at the closed sessions of the event

Roni Reiter-Palmon, Felicia Wu, Maria Chavez, David Gillum, Jason Delborne, Pete Carr, Chris Cummings, Emma Frow, Kate Adamala, Cameron Kim, Richard Murray, David Dunning, Robin Scheffler,

The following topics were discussed in the closed sessions:

The committee discussed contents of the draft report and writing assignments.

The following materials (written documents) were made available to the committee in the closed sessions:

N/A

Date of posting of Closed Session Summary:

July 03, 2025

Organizing Project

External Review of Environmental, Biosafety, and Biosecurity Considerations for Synthetic Cell Research and Development

Contact

Layla Garyk

lgaryk@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Meeting Closed

External Review of Environmental and Biosafety of Synthetic Cell Research and Development - Committee Meeting #3a

June 26, 2025

2:00 PM - 3:30 PM (EDT)

Past

About

The committee will hold its conflict of interest, composition, and balance discussion in response to the change in the statement of task and addition of new committee members. They will also discuss a draft outline of the report and plan for the upcoming information gathering meeting in July.

This meeting will be held over zoom.

Additional Information

Is it a Closed Session event?

Institution Closed

The following committee members were present at the closed sessions of the event

David Dunning, Cameron Kim, Pete Carr, Maria Chavez, Felicia Wu, Richard Murray, Kate Adamala, David Gillum, Emma Frow, India Hook-Barnard, Chris Cummings, Robin Scheffler

The following topics were discussed in the closed sessions:

The committee reviewed their composition and balance, and discussed logistics for the upcoming information gathering session.

The following materials (written documents) were made available to the committee in the closed sessions:

N/A

Date of posting of Closed Session Summary:

July 03, 2025

Organizing Project

External Review of Environmental, Biosafety, and Biosecurity Considerations for Synthetic Cell Research and Development

Contact

Layla Garyk

lgaryk@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Meeting

External Review of Environmental and Biosafety of Synthetic Cell Research and Development - Committee Meeting #2

April 22 - 23, 2025

Past

Materials

About

The committee will meet for its first information gathering session and to discuss report organization and contents.

This meeting will be held in a hybrid format for committee members and invited speakers. The public will be able to view the meeting via livestream below.

The agenda consists of a mix of closed and open sessions. The open sessions that will be livestreamed will take place at the following times:

April 22nd

10:00-11:00am ET - Addressing Environmental, Security, and Safety Gaps for Engineering Biology R & D

1:15-2:15pm ET - National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) Panel

2:30-3:30pm ET - Artificial Intelligence/ Automation Convergence in Engineering Biology

3:30-4:30pm ET - Open Discussion between the committee and the National Science Foundation (NSF)

April 23rd

9:00-10:00am ET - Industry Perspectives on Environmental, Safety, and Security Considerations for Engineering Biology

10:00-11:00am ET - Funders Perspectives of Environmental, Safety, and Security Considerations for Engineering Biology

11:15-12:15pm ET - Public Trust and Perception: Informing Safety, Security, and Environmental Risks

Additional Information

Is it a Closed Session event?

Partially Closed

The following committee members were present at the closed sessions of the event

Peter Carr, Maria Chavez, Chris Cummings, Jason Delborne, David Dunning, Emma Frow, India Hook-Barnard, Cameron Kim, Melinda Kliegman (former member as of 4/22), Richard Murray, Roni Reiter-Palmon, Robin Scheffler, Zara Summers, Felicia Wu

The following topics were discussed in the closed sessions:

The committee discussed the updated statement of task, committee balance relative to the modified scope, and debriefed on key topics from the presentations given during the open sessions.

The following materials (written documents) were made available to the committee in the closed sessions:

N/A

Date of posting of Closed Session Summary:

April 29, 2025

Organizing Project

External Review of Environmental, Biosafety, and Biosecurity Considerations for Synthetic Cell Research and Development

Contact

Layla Garyk

lgaryk@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Webinar

Microplastics and Health Webinar Series: Webinar 3 - The Potential Hazards to Human Health and The Environment from Microplastics and the Complexity of Assessing Risks

April 10, 2025

12:00 PM - 1:30 PM (EDT)

Past

Materials

About

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Environmental Health Matters Initiative organized a webinar series to explore human exposure to and related health effects of microplastics in the environment.

The third webinar in the series aimed to inform the public and the scientific research community about the potential hazards associated with microplastics, drawing on documented studies and scientific evidence. It explored the harmful characteristics that researchers and stakeholders may consider in future studies.

Additionally, speakers discussed established methodologies for risk assessment while examining the complexities, uncertainties, and challenges involved in evaluating risks. This webinar aimed to lay a foundation for the development of a comprehensive and standardized framework for assessing microplastic-related risks, which can inform research priorities and downstream decision-making.
The webinar featured presentations from Todd Gouin (TG Environmental Research), Philip Landrigan (Boston College), and Stephanie Wright (Imperial College London), followed by a multisectoral panel discussion between the speakers and Valerie Hanley (California Department of Toxic Substances Control).

PAST WEBINARS - The webinar series: Exploring Exposure and Related Health Effects ran between February and June 2025.

Webinar #1: Methodologies for appropriate and improved sampling, analysis, characterization, monitoring, and reporting of microplastics. Date: February 27
Webinar #2: The Distribution of Microplastics in the Environment and Human Exposure Pathways. Date: March 20

Please submit your feedback using this post event questionnaire, we'd love to hear from you!

Organizing Project

Microplastics Webinar Series: Exploring exposure and related health effects

Contact

EHMI Staff

ehmi@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Webcast

Assessing and Navigating Biosecurity Concerns and Benefits of Artificial Intelligence Use in the Life Sciences - Public Briefing

April 2, 2025

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (EDT)

Past

Discussion

This discussion information is being collected via Slido. Slido is not affiliated in any way with, or endorsed by, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and your submission via the Slido website is subject to Slido’s privacy and terms of use.

About

The Committee on Assessing and Navigating Biosecurity Concerns and Benefits of Artificial Intelligence Use in the Life Sciences will host a public briefing on the report, The Age of AI in the Life Sciences: Benefits and Biosecurity Considerations. The briefing will be webcasted below, and audience questions can be submitted through Slido during the briefing.

Additional Information

Is it a Closed Session event?

Not Closed

Organizing Project

Assessing and Navigating Biosecurity Concerns and Benefits of Artificial Intelligence Use in the Life Sciences

Contact

Layla Garyk

ailifesciences@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Meeting

50 Years of the Biological Weapons Convention: What Comes Next?

March 26, 2025

9:00 AM - 1:00 PM (EDT)

Past

Materials

BWC Speaker and Moderator Biographies

About

This event will reflect on the past 50 years of the Biological Weapons Convention, identifying key accomplishments, lessons learned, and insights that will guide the next 50 years. We will explore the evolving role of science and technology in shaping the future of the BWC and its relevance in eliminating biological weapons. Additionally, the event will highlight opportunities for innovation in nonproliferation, emphasizing the need to broaden participation across sectors, disciplines, and countries, and engage new experts.

Contact

Maggie McCarthy

mmccarthy@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

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Board on Life Sciences

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External Review of Environmental, Biosafety, and Biosecurity Considerations for Synthetic Cell Research and Development - Committee Meeting #5a

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