FBI Academic Biosecurity Workshop - 2012

Many individuals and groups have expressed the intent to attack the U.S. with biological weapons. In order to further their plans, these individuals may target research laboratories, biotech companies, scientists and students to obtain seed stock or expertise.

The FBI Academic Biosecurity Workshop will promote a culture of responsibility and security by raising awareness of these and other biosecurity risks, from workplace violence to dual use research of concern. It will highlight the benefits of collaborating and coordinating expertise, which helps mitigate real and perceived obstacles and improves cooperation and communication between the scientific and security communities.

Establishing partnerships will enable the FBI to assist the scientific community in becoming more aware of threats and developing plans to respond to security issues. In turn, the FBI will be guided by scientists’ expertise on emerging trends and technologies and will be better able to protect the scientific community and prevent the exploitation and misuse of legitimate research.