International standards key to managing high-risk life sciences, says UCC biosafety expert

3 Nov 2026

A letter, published in Science and co-authored by University College Cork (UCC) Research Safety Officer Pat Casey, is calling on existing international recognised standards to be used when it comes to managing high-risk life sciences.

In collaboration with Wilmot James, Brown University, and Jonathan Ewbank of the European high containment laboratory network ERINHA, the letter responds to a sweeping new US Government policy that covers US government-funded research. The policy’s implementation matters for scientists worldwide as federally funded research everywhere must comply with US oversight standards and policies. Implementation guidance is due mid-November.

The authors argue that internationally recognised standards already exist to make the policy work in practice. International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) frameworks could guide safe procedures from project conception through execution to dissemination:

• ISO 35001:2019 provides ready-made biorisk management system standards for laboratories.
• ISO/TS 5441:2024 outlines competence requirements for biorisk advisers.
• US policy could also mandate the use of the Minimum Information about a High Containment Laboratory Experiment (MIHCLE) reporting standard throughout the research lifecycle.

The letter builds on a recent PLoS Biology published perspective co-authored by Pat Casey calling for stronger, harmonised biosafety and biosecurity practice.

"Biological risks don't respect borders, and neither do the policies written to manage them. Our message is simple: appropriate international standards already exist, so build on them. It is a privilege to bring a UCC perspective into conversations happening at the very highest level," added Pat Casey.

Pat Casey is also President of the European Biosafety Association (EBSA). Founded in 1996, EBSA is the primary European organisation in the field of biological safety, with 745 members from over 40 countries. Its mission is to advance biosafety in Europe and beyond.