04.04.2012

The National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB), which advises the US government on life sciences dual-use research issues, met last week to consider revised versions of the two papers, and on Mar 30 they voted to reverse an earlier recommendation that the papers should be published with key details redacted.
The NSABB is an independent federal advisory committee chartered to provide advice and guidance on the biosecurity oversight of dual use research to the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, the Director of the National Institutes of Health, and all federal entities that conduct, support or have an interest in life sciences research.
The Board was asked to consider the revised manuscripts from Dr. Ron Fouchier of Erasmus Medical Center and Dr. Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Wisconsin and to recommend whether the information they contain should be communicated and, if so, to what extent. In their evaluation, the Board used analytical tools that it previously developed for considering the risks and benefits associated with the communication of dual use research of concern. After careful deliberation, the NSABB unanimously recommended that this revised Kawaoka manuscript should be communicated in full. The NSABB also recommended, in a 12 to 6 decision, the communication of the data, methods, and conclusions presented in this revised Fouchier manuscript.

Meanwhile, Science, in a Mar 30 statement from editor-in-chief Bruce Alberts, PhD, to journalists, said the Erasmus group's paper needs to go through further peer review and editing.