O! ver 2h ago

#OneHealth Lack of #BioSecurity
The viruses we are talking about in this report are #H1N1 #H3N2
"🦠🚨Virus theft raises alarms in São Paulo state

In the current climate, the last thing anyone needed was a story about scientists sneaking virus samples out of a high-security lab. Well, that’s just happened in Brazil.

Federal Police this week arrested Soledad Miller, an Argentine-born researcher affiliated with the University of Campinas (Unicamp, one of Latin America’s most prestigious universities), on suspicion of stealing biological samples from the university's virology lab. The material had been missing for 40 days. It turned out to be located no more than around 350 meters away, spread across three university labs where Miller had no authorized access.

Miller's husband, Michael Edward Miller — a veterinarian pursuing a doctorate in genetics and molecular biology at Unicamp — is also under investigation, though authorities have not specified his alleged role. The couple co-owns a biotech company called Agrotrix Biotech Solutions. Her defense has said she did not commit theft, arguing she was merely using borrowed lab space because she lacked her own."

From The Brazilian Report:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/brazilian-report_virus-theft-raises-alarms-in-s%C3%A3o-paulo-activity-7442986551871160322-Vy7T

Brazilian Researcher Arrested in Virology Lab Theft Investigation | The Brazilian Report posted on the topic | LinkedIn

🦠🚨Virus theft raises alarms in São Paulo state In the current climate, the last thing anyone needed was a story about scientists sneaking virus samples out of a high-security lab. Well, that’s just happened in Brazil. Federal Police this week arrested Soledad Miller, an Argentine-born researcher affiliated with the University of Campinas (Unicamp, one of Latin America’s most prestigious universities), on suspicion of stealing biological samples from the university's virology lab. The material had been missing for 40 days. It turned out to be located no more than around 350 meters away, spread across three university labs where Miller had no authorized access. Miller's husband, Michael Edward Miller — a veterinarian pursuing a doctorate in genetics and molecular biology at Unicamp — is also under investigation, though authorities have not specified his alleged role. The couple co-owns a biotech company called Agrotrix Biotech Solutions. Her defense has said she did not commit theft, arguing she was merely using borrowed lab space because she lacked her own. 🔗Subscribe to our newsletters now at Brazilian.Report and read more! #Science #Threat #Brazil #Investigation

LinkedIn
ABC Feeds5d ago

Pastoral company fined record $45,000 for Queensland biosecurity breaches
By Brandon Long

A pastoral company has been hit with a record $45,000 fine after moving thousands of cattle across state lines without proper tracking. Authorities say the penalty sends a clear warning.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-24/pastoral-company-fined-record-45000-for-biosecurity-breaches/106491026

#Biosecurity #BeefCattleFarming #LivestockFarming #AgriculturalPolicy #LivestockHealthandWelfare #BrandonLong

Pastoral company fined record $45,000 for Queensland biosecurity breaches

A pastoral company has been hit with a record $45,000 fine after moving thousands of cattle across state lines without proper tracking. Authorities say the penalty sends a clear warning.

Nonia ParienteMar 20

“Measures to strengthen international #biosafety and #biosecurity practices”

There is an absolute necessity for research on ‘pandemic-prone pathogens’. Studies must, however, be conducted responsibly & according to strict principles of safety & security

This piece @PLOSBiology outlines steps for global accountability

🧪 #DURC
HTTPS://plos.io/3NN7451

Stephen TurnerMar 20
Weekly Recap (March 20, 2026): NIH NOFOs, bioRxiv, AI+writing pod, Astral+OpenAI, AI in VA, AMLC, DARPA bioattribution, future of #biosecurity, AI talent at universities, brain fry, AI+bioinformatics, #Rstats updates, agentic engineering. doi.org/10.59350/dvr... 🧬💻🧪

Weekly Recap (March 20, 2026)
Weekly Recap (March 20, 2026)

NIH NOFOs, bioRxiv, AI+writing pod, Astral+OpenAI, AI in VA, AMLC, DARPA bioattribution, future of biosecurity, AI talent at universities, brain fry, AI+bioinformatics, R updates, agentic engineering.

Paired Ends
Stephen TurnerMar 18
Would data access controls have slowed the COVID-19 response? Proposed biological data governance and access control frameworks might face their toughest test during the crises they aim to prevent. #biosecurity doi.org/10.59350/jbf...

Would data access controls hav...
Would data access controls have slowed the COVID-19 response?

Proposed biological data governance and access control frameworks might face their toughest test during the crises they aim to prevent

Paired Ends
cbudMar 16
Another article just out! Thanks to my collaborators! Buddenhagen CE, McGrannachan C, Bourdôt G, Lamoureaux S, Garrett KA, Kaine G, Mason NWH (2026) Simple network models integrate global change, social dynamics and management interventions in #biosecurity scenario analysis. #NeoBiota 106: 107-139. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.106.161880 #IAS #especiesinvasoras #rstats
Simple network models integrate global change, social dynamics and management interventions in biosecurity scenario analysis

Global change and public participation are both areas of considerable uncertainty in estimating the success of biosecurity response strategies, but are poorly integrated in most available scenario analysis frameworks. We introduce INApest(), a novel network simulation method which integrates social and global change factors, as well as pest biology and multiple management variables in scenario analyses of biosecurity responses. INApest() separates the management response into four key parameters: probability of detection; management adoption; eradication of local populations; spread reduction (e.g. through movement restrictions or hygiene measures). It also permits simulation of biosecurity responses which evolve organically as new incidences of the pest are detected and information about the pest and management technologies spread through the network. We demonstrate selected functionality of INApest() using Nassella neesiana (Chilean Needle Grass; CNG), a slow-spreading pasture weed that impacts animal health, as a case-study. Realistic historical CNG spread rates are reproduced under a no management scenario using dispersal kernels derived from known natural and human-mediated spread mechanisms. Scenario analyses comparing over 15,000 parameter combinations reveal that communication of invasive threat to farms neighbouring known infestations significantly reduces the farm-scale eradication probability and spread reduction required for management success (i.e. success is achieved at lower levels of farm-scale management practice efficacy). We use targeted simulation experiments to show how INApest() permits assessment of cross-border consequences of local management decisions and how communication between landowners interacts with climate change and surveillance effort to impact management success. INApest() has the potential to be used at multiple scales and to explore a wide range of management, global change and social scenarios.

NeoBiota
cbudMar 13

Just out a collaboration and fun #rstats modelling project.

Buddenhagen CE, McGrannachan C, Bourdôt G, Lamoureaux S, Garrett KA, Kaine G, Mason NWH (2026) Simple network models integrate global change, social dynamics and management interventions in biosecurity scenario analysis. NeoBiota 106: 107-139. https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.106.161880

Global change and public participation are both areas of considerable uncertainty in estimating the success of biosecurity response strategies, but are poorly integrated in most available scenario analysis frameworks. We introduce INApest(), a novel #network simulation method which integrates social and global change factors, as well as pest biology and multiple management variables in scenario analyses of biosecurity responses. INApest() separates the management response into four key parameters: probability of detection; management adoption; eradication of local populations; spread reduction (e.g. through movement restrictions or hygiene measures). It also permits simulation of biosecurity responses which evolve organically as new incidences of the pest are detected and information about the pest and management technologies spread through the network. We look at Chilean needle grass Nassella neesiana management scenarios.

#rstats #biosecurity #IAS

Simple network models integrate global change, social dynamics and management interventions in biosecurity scenario analysis

Global change and public participation are both areas of considerable uncertainty in estimating the success of biosecurity response strategies, but are poorly integrated in most available scenario analysis frameworks. We introduce INApest(), a novel network simulation method which integrates social and global change factors, as well as pest biology and multiple management variables in scenario analyses of biosecurity responses. INApest() separates the management response into four key parameters: probability of detection; management adoption; eradication of local populations; spread reduction (e.g. through movement restrictions or hygiene measures). It also permits simulation of biosecurity responses which evolve organically as new incidences of the pest are detected and information about the pest and management technologies spread through the network. We demonstrate selected functionality of INApest() using Nassella neesiana (Chilean Needle Grass; CNG), a slow-spreading pasture weed that impacts animal health, as a case-study. Realistic historical CNG spread rates are reproduced under a no management scenario using dispersal kernels derived from known natural and human-mediated spread mechanisms. Scenario analyses comparing over 15,000 parameter combinations reveal that communication of invasive threat to farms neighbouring known infestations significantly reduces the farm-scale eradication probability and spread reduction required for management success (i.e. success is achieved at lower levels of farm-scale management practice efficacy). We use targeted simulation experiments to show how INApest() permits assessment of cross-border consequences of local management decisions and how communication between landowners interacts with climate change and surveillance effort to impact management success. INApest() has the potential to be used at multiple scales and to explore a wide range of management, global change and social scenarios.

NeoBiota
Stephen TurnerMar 13
Weekly Recap (March 13, 2026): Phil Bourne, Anthropic Institute, eLife, AI@UVA / AI in Virginia, NIH genomics tech, AIxBio #biosecurity, AI+Rstudio, legibility, how scientists use Claude Code, how to design antibodies, #Rstats updates, new papers. doi.org/10.59350/hq8... 🧬💻🧪
Stephen TurnerMar 11
From Protocol to Pipette: What Two New RCTs Tell Us About AI #Biosecurity Risk. LLMs uplift novice performance on computational biology tasks, while their effect in physical laboratories remains modest and task-dependent. blog.stephenturner.us/p/ai-biosecu... 🧬💻🧪

From Protocol to Pipette: What...
From Protocol to Pipette: What Two New RCTs Tell Us About AI Biosecurity Risk

LLMs uplift novice performance on computational biology tasks, while their effect in physical laboratories remains modest and task-dependent.

Paired Ends
Stephen TurnerMar 6
EpochAI releases a database of over 1,100 biological AI models across nine categories, analyzing their safeguards, accessibility, training data sources, and the foundation models they build on epoch.ai/blog/expandi... #biosecurity