Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · 19h

As #UNGA80 #FirstCommittee on Disarmament & International Security gets underway today, I’m excited to announce the webinar launch of the @gp-wmdctrdisinfo.bsky.social @warstudieskcl.bsky.social #CBRN #Disinformation Tracker in the margins of the meeting. Register using the QR code below.

1

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · 1d

Thrilled to be expanding our #Disinformation and #InformationManipulation work into the Arctic!
www.kcl.ac.uk/news/kings-r...

King's researchers awarded grant to tackle health disinformation in the Canadian Arctic | King's College London

A new King’s College London project will investigate how health disinformation spreads in the Canadian Arctic, working with Indigenous and regional partners to strengthen emergency preparedness and co...

www.kcl.ac.uk

1

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · 2d

Agree 100% with @jamesrevill.bsky.social's bottom line: tech can enable #1972BWC #verification but it cannot replace political cooperation & sustained normative commitment. This is also conclusion of joint @vertic.bsky.social-King's verification report out soon. thebulletin.org/2025/10/how-...

How AI can—and cannot—improve verification of the Biological Weapons Convention

If President Donald Trump moves forward with his plan to use AI to verify compliance with the international bioweapons treaty, he'll face several technical and political challenges.

thebulletin.org

3

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · 5d

A warm welcome to the new academic year to all our @warstudieskcl.bsky.social students. If you’re interested in #ArmsControl and #Multilateralism, come explore our unique resource on #Biological #Disarmament #1972BWC.

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · 6d

Agree with @drewendy.bsky.social: ‘improving the screening software is fine, but it consumes too much attention compared to a much bigger biosecurity risk: nations’ possible operation of clandestine bioweapons programs.’
www.science.org/content/arti...

Made to order bioweapon? AI-designed toxins slip through safety checks used by companies selling genes

Researchers expose flaws in safeguards intended to block rogue actors from making bioweapons

www.science.org

1

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · 15d

Thanks to RSIS NTU for leading important regional discussions on #1972BWC #ConfidenceBuilding measures—and an added treat to visit Singapore!

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · 15d

Southeast Asia is home to rapidly expanding #biotech sectors, growing investments in #biodefence + high rates of emerging infectious diseases. These dynamics heightened risks of misperceptions and make the #transparency offered by #1972BWC CBMs especially valuable.

1 3

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · 20d

As the #disarmament community gears up for #UNGA, my RCW Briefing Book chapter on #bioweapons provides an update on #1972BWC WG discussions on #compliance and #verification and sets out recommendations for #FirstCommittee delegations. tinyurl.com/2s488ecf

2

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · 22d

The #MirrorLife dialogue continued this week in the English countryside. Lots of food for thought and some wonderful new acquaintances too

1

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · 23d

A short take on our #1972BWC #verification project to chart plausible routes by which a state might build #bioweapons, the telltale signs such a program would leave behind, and whether today’s monitoring practices would detect them. thebulletin.org/2025/09/how-...

How new technology could make it easier to identify covert bioweapons programs

A recent project asked what the telltale signs of a bioweapons program would be? There are gaps in the information members of the global bioweapons treaty have access to, but new approaches and techno...

thebulletin.org

2

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · 24d

In Oslo today, I came across this extraordinary image from the 1960s promoting the People’s Gasmask from Norwegian raincoat manufacturer Helly Hansen

1

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · 27d

I joined top-tier labs from around the world in Spiez this week to celebrate 10 years of the #UNSGM lab network. Congrats on the many successes and warm thanks to the Spiez Lab team for, as always, outstanding hosting.

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · Sep 6

…remember their fallen and preserve their memories #SlavaUkraini

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · Sep 6

I remain forever in awe of the innovative and meaningful ways Ukrainians process the war…. #ReturnMyDream

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · Sep 6

We continued our NextGen training, engaging with over 200 students, on how to tackle fake disease outbreaks and biological #disinformation and #FIMI

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · Sep 6

Hosted by Ukraine MFA and in partnership with @gpwmd.bsky.social @gp-wmdctrdisinfo.bsky.social, Gemma Bowsher and I briefed Ukrainian ambassadors in key capitals around the world on #CBRN #disinformation

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · Sep 6

We had the chance to visit more public health laboratories, so often the target of #disinformation

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · Sep 6

In Ukraine this past week, @gmbowsher and I engaged with the #HealthSecurity practitioner community on strengthening systems to counter biological #disinformation

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · Sep 6

A short briefing paper circulated at our side event ‘Assessing BWC compliance and monitoring approaches’ is available here: tinyurl.com/6876bsmu

tinyurl.com

Reposted by Filippa Lentzos

War Studies @warstudieskcl.bsky.social · Sep 2

Canadian PM reiterates funding support for Ukraine including $3.5m for a project fighting WMD disinformation, co-led by Associate Prof Filippa Lentzos of the Department of War Studies.

More: 🔗 bit.ly/4oY35At

@filippalentzos.bsky.social

#WMDDisinformation #Disinformation #Propaganda #WMD

1

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · Aug 28

China’s lack of transparency is particularly troubling b/c: "Chinese institutions now lead globally in pathogen discovery and surveillance. They routinely collect and analyze samples across continents...with a level of resolution and scale that exceeds most Western efforts."

1

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · Aug 28

"SAGO’s statement that “there is no corroborating evidence” for a lab-leak hypothesis is often misunderstood by the public as exoneration for the virus laboratories in Wuhan, yet it is a scientific expression of skepticism due to an imposed absence of data, not active disproval."

1

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · Aug 28

Important new commentary on Covid origins by renowned professors of medicine & virology
thebulletin.org/2025/08/why-...

Why we still don’t know where COVID-19 came from. And why we need to find out.

Five years after COVID-19 emerged, killing millions, costing trillions, and disrupting global life, we still don’t have a definitive answer as to the origins of the pandemic and the virus. This contin...

thebulletin.org

1 1 1

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · Aug 28

Russia continues to "Deny atrocities...Deflect responsibility...Distort history... But the facts are clear: Russia...continues to bomb civilians, undermines peace efforts, and spreads lies to cover its crimes. ...Don’t be deceived." euvsdisinfo.eu/russias-narr...

euvsdisinfo.eu

Filippa Lentzos @filippalentzos.bsky.social · Aug 20

An enriching few days in Geneva engaging with our ever-growing and supportive #1972BWC community

1