Prevention and mitigation of misuse of synthetic biology for bioterrorism purposes
Open
Status as published by the data source.
Expected Outcome:
Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes:
• Increased understanding of European policy makers, research community, biotech companies, and relevant security practitioners of the threat of bioterrorism and of synthetic biology, including a thorough lawful analysis of what needs to be monitored in this context, what needs to be regulated and how;
• Awareness raised within the related scientific community how research in synthetic biology can be used for malicious purposes. Scope:
The rising threat of bioterrorism is driven by recent scientific advancements, notably by growing accessibility of synthetic biology, genetic engineering, related commercial services and public databases, which in turn enhance their obtainability to non-state actors and individuals with malicious intentions. The proliferation of do-it-yourself biohacking and community laboratories, including gene editing and sequencing technology, dropping costs of equipment and increased simplicity of use may inadvertently facilitate knowledge and skills dissemination about biological threats and open new pathways for bioterrorism. Challenges in detection, particularly the lengthy incubation periods of biological agents, underscore the urgent need for improved identification technologies to allow for timely intervention and reduce potential mass casualties, considering both characterization through advanced tools by expert labs and simple deployable methods. Given that properly weaponized biological agents can be more lethal than nuclear weapons, their cross-border implications warrant focused attention. Recent incidents involving biotoxins across various European countries illustrate the feasibility of biological attacks. The increasing weaponisation of drones highlights an alarming trend that could extend to biological agents, further complicating threat landscapes. The potential economic and social consequences of biological attacks necessitate robust prevention and preparedness measures to mitigate overwhelming impacts on healthcare systems and society at large.
Proposals are expected to address, in a lawful manner, the emerging threats of bioterrorism in Europe, particularly in the context of synthetic biology. Recognising bioterrorism as a low-probability but high-impact event, consortia should review current and future risks, flag areas requiring reinforced monitoring, as well as identify missing regulatory frameworks necessary for ensuring public security and safety. Furthermore, proposals should bring together diverse consortia to enhance our understanding, prevention, preparedness, and response to bioterrorism and create a comprehensive approach to this pressing issue.
Coordination among the successful proposals from this topic should be envisaged to avoid duplication and to exploit complementarities as well as opportunities for increased impact. In this topic the integration of the gender dimension (sex and gender analysis) in research and innovation content should be addressed only if relevant in relation to the objectives of the research effort.
Proposals funded under this topic are expected to provide ideas on how they would engage with the Europol Innovation Lab during the lifetime of the project. Similarly, if the proposals concern drug-related issues, they are expected to engage with the EU Drugs Agency during the lifetime of the project, including validating the outcomes.
Finally, proposals are expected to address all applicable considerations expressed in the Introduction of the Fighting Crime and Terrorism Destination.
Technology Readiness Level - Technology readiness level expected from completed projects
Activities are expected to achieve TRL 4-5 by the end of the project – see General Annex B.
- Status
- Open
- Deadline
- (time not stated)
- Opens
- Published
- Total budget
- €3,000,000
- Grant range
- €3,000,000 – €3,000,000
- Country
- European Union (EU-wide)
- Programme
- Horizon Europe (HORIZON)
- Official page
- Open at the source portal
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Where this came from
- Source document
- https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/data/topicDetails/horizon-cl3-2026-01-fct-06.json
- Document fingerprint
621b4aacc02fa1b5(SHA-256, first 16 hex characters)- Retrieved
- First recorded here
What has changed
- url first recorded as https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/horizon-cl3-2026-01-fct-06 on
- currency first recorded as EUR on
- amount_max first recorded as 3000000.00 on
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- deadline first recorded as 2026-11-05 on
- opens_on first recorded as 2026-05-06 on
- published_on first recorded as 2025-12-12 on
- status_basis first recorded as source_status on
- status first recorded as open on
- title first recorded as Prevention and mitigation of misuse of synthetic biology for bioterrorism purposes on
Data source
© European Union, 2026. Source: EU Funding & Tenders Portal. Reused under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU — CC BY 4.0.
Retrieved from the source on .
The source last updated this document on Thu, 30 Jul 2026 13:12:03 GMT.
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