Over the past few years, the world has entered a new era of high-containment biological research—marked by a dramatic expansion of laboratories capable of working with the most lethal viruses known to man.
These include facilities built to the highest biosafety standard, Biosafety Level 4 (BSL-4), and they carry not only the broken promise of defending us from pandemics but also the danger of enabling bioweapons creation, whether by accident or deliberate misuse.
Strikingly, a May 2025 Journal of Public Health study found that more than 90% of the countries with at least one BSL-3 laboratory lacked oversight or regulation of dual-use research of concern.
Dual-use research refers to experiments that can be used for good (e.g., alleged drug development) but also for harm (e.g., creating a bioweapon).
The Journal of Public Health study aimed to investigate the worldwide distribution of BSL-3 and BSL-4 laboratories.
Alarmingly, it found that:
“No international organization has a comprehensive register or global oversight of Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3)/BSL-4 laboratories. Different countries use different standards for designation of pathogens and laboratories.”
“More than 90% of the countries with at least one BSL3 laboratory have no oversight/regulations regarding dual-use research.”
Hellbound and Down 