Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Reposted by Steph Batalis

CSET @csetgeorgetown.bsky.social · Aug 7

📊New Data Snapshot

NIH funding helps fuel innovation directly — resulting in 84,000 U.S. patents — but its impact is felt much more broadly.

Almost half of all research areas in the global patent landscape contain NIH-funded research. cset.georgetown.edu/publication/...

The NIH's Impact on Research and Innovation | Center for Security and Emerging Technology

Data Snapshots are informative descriptions and quick analyses that dig into CSET’s unique data resources. This three-part series introduces CSET’s patent clusters, which connect related patents throu...

cset.georgetown.edu

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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · Jul 25

The plan also promotes and emphasizes the importance of scientific, including biological, datasets- in line with @csetgeorgetown.bsky.social recommendations for the plan, which you can read here: cset.georgetown.edu/publication/..., and with other CSET work: cset.georgetown.edu/publication/....

CSET's Recommendations for an AI Action Plan | Center for Security and Emerging Technology

In response to the Office of Science and Technology Policy's request for input on an AI Action Plan, CSET provides key recommendations for advancing AI research, ensuring U.S. competitiveness, and max...

cset.georgetown.edu

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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · Jul 25

Focusing on bio, one provision is a federal funding requirement for DNA synthesis screening- a useful tool in the toolbox for limiting biological risk.

Check out @stephbatalis.bsky.social and I's piece breaking down the kind of decisions screeners have to make: thebulletin.org/2025/04/how-...

How to stop bioterrorists from buying dangerous DNA

The companies that sell synthesized DNA to scientists need to screen their customers, lest dangerous sequences for pathogens or toxins fall into the wrong hands.

thebulletin.org

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NPR @npr.org · Jul 9

On Tuesday, scientists held an event organized by House Democrats in which they stood in front of posters outlining their work — and the federal cuts that now threaten it.

Canceled grants get the spotlight at a Capitol Hill 'science fair'

On Tuesday, scientists held an event organized by House Democrats in which they stood in front of posters outlining their work — and the federal cuts that now threaten it.

n.pr

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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · Jun 2

Antimicrobial resistance is a huge issue and an oft-forgotten killer. It kills more people each year than HIV/AIDS or malaria.

This article is fascinating- it points out that while much of the AMR prevention discussion focuses on overuse of antimicrobials, underuse can also be a major issue.

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Vikram Venkatram @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social · May 28

Amidst all the discussion about AI safety, how exactly do we figure out whether a model is safe?

There's no perfect method, but safety evaluations are the best tool we have.

That said, different evals answer different questions about a model!

CSET @csetgeorgetown.bsky.social · May 28

⚖️ New Explainer!

Effectively evaluating AI models is more crucial than ever. But how do AI evaluations actually work?

In their new explainer,
@jessicaji.bsky.social, @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social &
@stephbatalis.bsky.social break down the different fundamental types of AI safety evaluations.

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Steph Batalis @stephbatalis.bsky.social · May 28

"Red-teaming" isn't a catch-all term (or methodology!) to evaluate AI safety. So, what else do we have in the toolbox?

In our recent blog post, we explore the different questions we can ask about safety, how we can start to measure them, and what it means for AIxBio. Check it out! ⬇️

CSET @csetgeorgetown.bsky.social · May 28

⚖️ New Explainer!

Effectively evaluating AI models is more crucial than ever. But how do AI evaluations actually work?

In their new explainer,
@jessicaji.bsky.social, @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social &
@stephbatalis.bsky.social break down the different fundamental types of AI safety evaluations.

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Steph Batalis @stephbatalis.bsky.social · May 16

As I wrote in Defense One, "Dismantling critical preparedness offices, cutting infrastructure and funding, and allowing misinformation to derail the response are not just bad for healthcare—they’re dangerous national security signals." www.defenseone.com/ideas/2025/0...

America’s response to measles is eroding its ability to deter biological attacks

The rising death toll for a preventable disease reveals just how ill-prepared the country is to handle a malicious bioweapon.

www.defenseone.com

Steph Batalis @stephbatalis.bsky.social · May 16

News like this isn't just a concern for public health practitioners - it should also be a big red flag for U.S. national security folks.

America's biodefense strategy uses robust health infrastructure to deter bad actors. Right now, we're tearing down our own defenses so adversaries don't have to.

Helen Branswell 🇨🇦 @helenbranswell.bsky.social · May 16

It appears Sec. Kennedy is getting ready to over-ride vaccine policy experts & scrub Covid shot recommendations for children, teens & pregnant people. Having a HHS secretary reset vaccine policy without hearings or expert advice is unprecedented, experts tell STAT. www.statnews.com/2025/05/15/c...

HHS to stop recommending routine Covid shots for children, pregnant people, RFK Jr. ally says

A change in recommending Covid vaccines for children and pregnant women would circumvent an expert panel but please many MAHA fans.

www.statnews.com

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MedPage Today @medpagetoday.com · May 12

A Trump executive order calls for putting an end to "dangerous gain-of-function research" -- prompting experts to share concerns about its potential impact on infectious disease research. @stephbatalis.bsky.social @raz524.bsky.social
www.medpagetoday.com/special-repo...

Trump's Gain-of-Function Order Prompts Questions

It comes as another guidance was set to take effect

www.medpagetoday.com

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Steph Batalis @stephbatalis.bsky.social · May 8

This has only become more relevant in the past week. Research cuts, new hurdles for vaccine trials, and tariffs on key medical countermeasures aren’t just risking Americans' health—they’re dismantling U.S. biodefense so our adversaries don’t have to.

@defenseone.bsky.social

Steph Batalis @stephbatalis.bsky.social · May 1

🚨 Latest op-ed is out in Defense One!

“Dismantling critical preparedness offices, cutting infrastructure and funding, and allowing misinformation to derail the response are not just bad for healthcare—they’re dangerous national security signals.”

www.defenseone.com/ideas/2025/0...

America’s response to measles is eroding its ability to deter biological attacks

The rising death toll for a preventable disease reveals just how ill-prepared the country is to handle a malicious bioweapon.

www.defenseone.com

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Steph Batalis @stephbatalis.bsky.social · May 8

The Pandora Report is easily one of my favorite newsletters right now. A great one-stop shop for timely health + biosecurity policy news, especially with too many “Breaking News” alerts flying around fight now to follow. Plus, it always sends me down rabbit holes with great links. Highly recommend.

Gregory Koblentz @gregkoblentz.bsky.social · May 5

Pandora Report 5.2.2025

This week's Pandora Report includes a new opportunity to learn about GMU's Biodefense MS program, publication of a new PRC whitepaper on COVID-19 origins, discussion of the impact of Trump administration's second first 100 days on public health, and more.

pandorareport.org

The Pandora Report

Where Science Meets Security

pandorareport.org

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Steph Batalis @stephbatalis.bsky.social · May 1

To be very clear: the U.S. should prioritize public health for its own sake. Every person deserves access to systems that protect them from preventable disease.

But it’s also true that national security depends on a strong public health foundation to detect, contain, and treat dangerous outbreaks.

Steph Batalis @stephbatalis.bsky.social · May 1

🚨 Latest op-ed is out in Defense One!

“Dismantling critical preparedness offices, cutting infrastructure and funding, and allowing misinformation to derail the response are not just bad for healthcare—they’re dangerous national security signals.”

www.defenseone.com/ideas/2025/0...

America’s response to measles is eroding its ability to deter biological attacks

The rising death toll for a preventable disease reveals just how ill-prepared the country is to handle a malicious bioweapon.

www.defenseone.com

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Steph Batalis @stephbatalis.bsky.social · May 1

Thanks for sharing, Emmy!

Reposted by Steph Batalis

CSET @csetgeorgetown.bsky.social · Apr 8

When customers order synthesized DNA, how do companies know whether it's safe to send?

For @thebulletin.org, CSET's @stephbatalis.bsky.social & @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social explore what it takes to keep things safe. thebulletin.org/2025/04/how-...

How to stop bioterrorists from buying dangerous DNA

The companies that sell synthesized DNA to scientists need to screen their customers, lest dangerous sequences for pathogens or toxins fall into the wrong hands.

thebulletin.org

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Steph Batalis @stephbatalis.bsky.social · Apr 7

In our latest piece for @thebulletin.org, @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social and I put YOU, the reader, in the shoes of a 🧬DNA synthesis provider🧬 to demonstrate how much tougher customer screening is than it may seem, and why guidance would be helpful for providers trying to make tricky decisions.⬇️

Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists @thebulletin.org · Apr 7

Companies that sell synthesized DNA need to screen their customers, lest sequences for pathogens or toxins fall into the wrong hands.

How? Here are three recommendations.

"How to stop bioterrorists from buying dangerous DNA," by @stephbatalis.bsky.social and @vikramvenkatram.bsky.social. ⬇️

How to stop bioterrorists from buying dangerous DNA

The companies that sell synthesized DNA to scientists need to screen their customers, lest dangerous sequences for pathogens or toxins fall into the wrong hands.

thebulletin.org

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Steph Batalis @stephbatalis.bsky.social · Apr 2

"We all rely on science [...] Businesses and farmers rely on science and engineering for product innovation, technological advances, and weather forecasting. Science helps humanity protect the planet and keeps pollutants and toxins out of our air, water, and food."

docs.google.com/document/d/1...

Public Statement on Supporting Science for the Benefit of All Citizens

TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE We all rely on science. Science gave us the smartphones in our pockets, the navigation systems in our cars, and life-saving medical care. We count on engineers when we drive acr...

docs.google.com

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Ellen Nakashima @ellenwapo.bsky.social · Mar 30

NEW: Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.)& Trump's former NatSec Advisor Matt Pottinger make the case that funding for scientific R&D isn't a gift to academia. It's vital to U.S. national security, as China, the United States' primary strategic adversary, is already investing heavily in R&D.
shorturl.at/PgUK0

Opinion | Funding for R&D isn’t a gift to academia

Investing in scientific research and development is vital to U.S. security.

shorturl.at

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Steph Batalis @stephbatalis.bsky.social · Apr 1

Not only this, but most of the NIH research was to ID biological targets/causes of disease rather than direct drug development—work that often isn't in the domain of the private sector. Cutting federal funding would mean less of the foundational science that makes future breakthroughs possible.

Scott Horton @robertscotthorton.bsky.social · Apr 1

This report shows that NIH funding contributed to published research associated with every one of the 210 new drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration from 2010–2016. Collectively, this research involved >200,000 years of grant funding totaling more than $100 billion.

PNAS

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...

www.pnas.org

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Reposted by Steph Batalis

Bethany Brookshire @beebrookshire.bsky.social · Mar 7

A beautiful day and the scientists just wanna science, man.

A white man in a blue jacket holds a sign that reads “I’d rather be in lab”

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Steph Batalis @stephbatalis.bsky.social · Feb 25

TLDR: We can’t try to gain global leadership *and* destabilize our NIH/NSF funding edge.

We aren’t just at risk of losing out on essential scientific advances. The global leader also gets to set global norms, shape future tech, and a HUGE economic advantage.
eto.tech/blog/federal...

Federal funding underpins American research across 'hot' AI + bio research clusters – Emerging Technology Observatory

As China challenges, NIH and NSF funds play a key role in U.S. research efforts

eto.tech

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Steph Batalis @stephbatalis.bsky.social · Feb 21

I was asked on a panel yesterday what keeps me up at night: It’s this.👇 Even though my day job is to think about bioweapons + bad actors, THIS is what has me fearful. The long tail of this could undermine bio/med innovation, public health infrastructure, and the economies built on them for decades.

Max Kozlov @maxkozlov.bsky.social · Feb 20

NEW: The Trump administration is exploiting a loophole to keep funding frozen at the NIH - a move that some legal scholars say is illegal.

Federal Register notices are blocked, so no grant-review sessions can be scheduled.

All the gritty details here, and a short 🧵:
www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Revealed: NIH research grants still frozen despite lawsuits challenging Trump order

The Trump administration is exploiting a loophole to keep a funding freeze in place, leaving researchers in limbo.

www.nature.com

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Steph Batalis @stephbatalis.bsky.social · Feb 21

At a time of intense global competition, reducing funding to NIH and NSF isn’t just a budget issue. It’s a strategic misstep that could undermine U.S. influence in biotech and AI for decades.

Read more in my recent post with CSET's ETO👇

emergingtechobs.bsky.social @emergingtechobs.bsky.social · Feb 21

🧪✨New blog post✨🧪 How NIH and NSF funding powers American research at the leading edge of AI and bio, as China challenges for leadership - a guest analysis from CSET's very own @stephbatalis.bsky.social using Map of Science data eto.tech/blog/federal...

Federal funding underpins American research across 'hot' AI + bio research clusters – Emerging Technology Observatory

As China challenges, NIH and NSF funds play a key role in U.S. research efforts

eto.tech

Steph Batalis @stephbatalis.bsky.social · Feb 20

Overall, Evo 2 has captured well-deserved attention. It has me excited to see what's next in the AIxBio space...and curious about how AIxBio policy will continue to evolve with new cutting-edge advances.