New standards for publication of sensitive research

Journal editors propose international guidelines to prevent publication of sensitive information.

| 3 min read

Register for free to listen to this article
Listen with Speechify
0:00
3:00
Share

DENVER, CO — New international standards for publishing papers on security-sensitive biological materials, released by journal editors Saturday (February 15), challenge scientists and their editors to withhold data that could aid the development of biological weapons.

The group of 32 journal editors entreated their peers to deal responsibly with safety and security issues and design new processes to ease effective review of these issues. Editors also should ensure that manuscripts provide sufficient detail for independent verification and remove information deemed dangerous to the public, the group advised.

Ron Atlas, president of the American Society for Microbiology, urged other editors to embrace these proposed guidelines, issued during a press conference at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Denver.

"What we've done is international: It can't be done by one country alone," Atlas said. "We are asking all journals to begin to protect [sensitive information]."

...

Interested in reading more?

Become a Member of

The Scientist Logo
Receive full access to more than 35 years of archives, as well as TS Digest, digital editions of The Scientist, feature stories, and much more!
Already a member? Login Here

Meet the Author

  • Paula Park

    This person does not yet have a bio.
Share
3D illustration of a gold lipid nanoparticle with pink nucleic acid inside of it. Purple and teal spikes stick out from the lipid bilayer representing polyethylene glycol.
February 2025, Issue 1

A Nanoparticle Delivery System for Gene Therapy

A reimagined lipid vehicle for nucleic acids could overcome the limitations of current vectors.

View this Issue
Enhancing Therapeutic Antibody Discovery with Cross-Platform Workflows

Enhancing Therapeutic Antibody Discovery with Cross-Platform Workflows

sartorius logo
Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Considerations for Cell-Based Assays in Immuno-Oncology Research

Lonza
An illustration of animal and tree silhouettes.

From Water Bears to Grizzly Bears: Unusual Animal Models

Taconic Biosciences
Sex Differences in Neurological Research

Sex Differences in Neurological Research

bit.bio logo

Products

Photo of a researcher overseeing large scale production processes in a laboratory.

Scaling Lentiviral Vector Manufacturing for Optimal Productivity

Thermo Fisher Logo
Collage-style urban graphic of wastewater surveillance and treatment

Putting Pathogens to the Test with Wastewater Surveillance

An illustration of an mRNA molecule in front of a multicolored background.

Generating High-Quality mRNA for In Vivo Delivery with lipid nanoparticles

Thermo Fisher Logo
Tecan Logo

Tecan introduces Veya: bringing digital, scalable automation to labs worldwide