Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D. Director National Institutes of Health 9000 Rockville Pike Bethesda, Md., 20892

Re: NIH Biosafety Modernization Initiative 

Dear Dr. Bhattacharya, 

On behalf of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) and our 37,000 members in the U.S. and around the world, I write to express our support for the Biosafety Modernization Initiative at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). We stand ready to engage in efforts to modernize and strengthen biosafety policies, practices and oversight to create a more effective, transparent and modern biosafety system.  

We appreciate that NIH plans to widely engage stakeholders in developing the Biosafety Modernization Initiative, and we stand ready to assist NIH in engaging the microbial science community in these efforts. ASM recognizes the importance of cutting-edge research on human, animal and plant microbes as well as the inherent risks of using microorganisms in the laboratory, and we recognize our responsibility as scientists to minimize the likelihood that results of experiments with microbes of concern are misused. ASM would welcome the opportunity to host NIH officials in online or in-person sessions, including at our annual meeting, ASM Microbe, to seek feedback from the ASM community about the Biosafety Modernization Initiative.  

ASM and our members look forward to engaging with you in these efforts. To discuss opportunities for collaboration, please contact Nicole Zimmerman, Senior Federal Affairs Officer, at nzimmerman@asmusa.org. 

Thank you,

Amalia Corby
Director of Federal Affairs
American Society for Microbiology