Catherine Rhodes

University of Cambridge | Cam · Centre for the Study of Existential Risk

This anthology brings together a diversity of key texts in the emerging field of Existential Risk Studies. It serves to complement the previous volume The Era of Global Risk: An Introduction to Existential Risk Studies by providing open access to original research and insights in this rapidly evolving field. At its heart, this book highlights the o...

This anthology brings together a diversity of key texts in the emerging field of Existential Risk Studies. It serves to complement the previous volume The Era of Global Risk: An Introduction to Existential Risk Studies by providing open access to original research and insights in this rapidly evolving field. At its heart, this book highlights the o...

This anthology brings together a diversity of key texts in the emerging field of Existential Risk Studies. It serves to complement the previous volume The Era of Global Risk: An Introduction to Existential Risk Studies by providing open access to original research and insights in this rapidly evolving field. At its heart, this book highlights the o...

This anthology brings together a diversity of key texts in the emerging field of Existential Risk Studies. It serves to complement the previous volume The Era of Global Risk: An Introduction to Existential Risk Studies by providing open access to original research and insights in this rapidly evolving field. At its heart, this book highlights the o...

Societal biosecurity, measures built into everyday society to minimize risks from pests and diseases, is an important aspect of managing epidemics and pandemics. We aimed to identify societal options for reducing the transmission and spread of respiratory viruses. We used SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) as a case study...

Multiple national and international trends and drivers are radically changing what biological security means for the United Kingdom (UK). New technologies present novel opportunities and challenges, and globalisation has created new pathways and increased the speed, volume and routes by which organisms can spread. The UK Biological Security Strateg...

Rapid developments in the fields of synthetic biology and biotechnology have caused shifts in the biological risk landscape and are key drivers of future threats. From a security perspective, extending our understanding beyond current risks to include emerging threats in these and related fields can play a vital role in informing risk mitigation ac...

The fast-paced field of synthetic biology is fundamentally changing the global biosecurity framework. Current biosecurity regulations and strategies are based on previous governance paradigms for pathogen-oriented security, recombinant DNA research, and broader concerns related to genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Many scholarly discussions an...

Horizon scanning is intended to identify the opportunities and threats associated with technological, regulatory and social change. In 2017 some of the present authors conducted a horizon scan for bioengineering (Wintle et al., 2017). Here we report the results of a new horizon scan that is based on inputs from a larger and more international group...

There is an immediate global need to reduce SARS-CoV-2 transmission, both in order to manage the ongoing pandemic and to assist with a phased transition to more normal societal conditions. We performed a solution scan to identify societal options for reducing SARS-CoV-2 transmission and spread. We read the literature, consulted experts in different...

The study of existential risk — the risk of human extinction or the collapse of human civilization — has only recently emerged as an integrated field of research, and yet an overwhelming volume of relevant research has already been published. To provide an evidence base for policy and risk analysis, this research should be systematically reviewed....

Advances in biological engineering are likely to have substantial impacts on global society. To explore these potential impacts we ran a horizon scanning exercise to capture a range of perspectives on the opportunities and risks presented by biological engineering. We first identified 70 potential issues, and then used an iterative process to prior...

Advances in biological engineering are likely to have substantial impacts on global society. To explore these potential impacts we ran a horizon scanning exercise to capture a range of perspectives on the opportunities and risks presented by biological engineering. We first identified 70 potential issues, and then used an iterative process to prior...

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has demonstrated efficacy and is increasingly being used in the treatment of patients with recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. Despite a lack of high-quality trials to provide more information on the long-term effects of FMT, there has been great enthusiasm about the potential for expanding its applicat...

In its governance activities for genetic resources, the international community has adopted various approaches to their ownership, including: free access; common heritage of mankind; intellectual property rights; and state sovereign rights. They have also created systems which combine elements of these approaches. While governance of plant and anim...

This chapter covers the development and operation of norms within the international system and more specifically within the international governance of biotechnology. Through the use of case studies it highlights several key points which should be considered when analysing the role, application and implementation of norms in other governance areas.

There are several good reasons for the UK Department of Health to recommend the appraisal of bevacizumab for the treatment of eye conditions by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence. These reasons will extend to other drugs when similar situations arise in the future.

Dr Catherine Rhodes is a research fellow at the Institute for Science, Ethics and Innovation specialising in the international regulations relevant to control of biotechnology. Professor John Harris is director of the Institute and has particular interest in biomedical ethics and medical jurisprudence. Sarah Chan is deputy director of the Institute...

This paper provides an examination of opportunities for and constraints on cooperation between international organisations, which is an increasingly important form of governance. Two case studies are presented which have relevance to the issues of intellectual property and climate change. These represent an established governance area (genetic reso...

We face many significant global challenges today; science and technology are essential elements in addressing all of these challenges. With the ability to make major contributions to development, the scientific community has a connected responsibility to do so, which fits closely with the core scientific goal of benefiting humanity. This article ex...

Coherence has an important influence on the ability of a set of international regulations to function effectively. This paper examines the degree of coherence among the international regulations relevant to applications and impacts of biotechnology, and outlines problems that may arise from a lack of coherence among this regulatory set.

International standards have been elaborated for laboratory biosafety and biosecurity in relation to work on both human and animal pathogens. Comparing the findings from the two official reports (HSE, 2007; Spratt, 2007) regarding the 2007 Foot-and-Mouth Disease outbreak in the United Kingdom (UK) with these international standards highlights sever...

No The first stage of the argument in this paper is that regulation of the biotechnology revolution is required. Put simply, this is because there will be both positive and negative impacts of the revolution, and there is also the possibility of misuse. In each area that the revolution impacts upon, there are both harms to be avoided and benefits t...

The successful implementation of a legally binding instrument to strengthen the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention will require global outreach to and education of all those whose activities are embraced by the elements of the regime. For the legally binding instrument to be effective, all those engaged in such activities need to be aware of t...

Yes Welcome to the first issue of the Genomics Monitor. The Genomics Monitor provides information and analysis on developments in the international regulations relevant to the control of the biotechnology revolution. This introductory issue outlines the full range of applicable regulations at the international level - providing details on each regu...

No A Web of Prevention provides a timely contribution to the current debate about life science research and its implications for security. It is an informative guide for both experts and the public… It is a forward-looking contribution covering both ends of the equation and creates momentum for the current discussion on effective preventive measure...