IBBIS
Advance global DNA synthesis through projects on customer screening, mapping synthesis companies, benchtop integration, and sequence of concern annotation.
Stream overview
We have a few projects where a fellow could accelerate our efforts on global DNA synthesis screening. We would expect fellows to work in one of the following project areas:
- Robust, automated customer screening, including better recognition of AI-generated forgery. IBBIS is developing a minimal KYC standard for nucleic acid synthesis screening. A fellow could contribute to our customer test set, which currently contains realistic ambiguously legitimate customers, by adding adversarially-forged false identities. A fellow could also work on automated API or LLM harness checks that would (1) rapidly identify legitimate customers; (2) surface uncertainties in an easy-to-review way; and (3) flag signs of forgery, supporting low-cost global customer screening.
- Enhancing the Global DNA Synthesis Map with real-time updates. We provide a resource on global DNA synthesis providers and governance, which was primarily curated in 2025. We would like to update this resource and develop approaches to automate the identification and tracking of DNA synthesis companies globally, while assessing the map website with new features, including improved data presentation and access.
- Improving benchtop security with on-device screening. We create a locally-distributed synthesis screening tool, but haven't developed a comprehensive strategy for ensuring that it can operate in a tamper-resistant fashion that allows required security updates, while still providing mostly-offline local screening. There are many sub-sections of this problem that are fellow-sized (e.g. "help us scope out telemetry architectures for requiring updates").
- Improving annotations of SOC hits. When a provider receives a flag from our software, they need to know what to do next: should they request additional information from the user (a license? extra information about legitimacy?). We'd like to add additional functional and mechanistic information for authorized users of our software. A fellow could add an annotation module for a bounded set of SOCs + assess how to distribute those annotations only to authorized users.
Mentors
Tessa Alexanian is the Technical Lead for the Common Mechanism, an open-source baseline for nucleic acid synthesis screening developed by the International Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiative for Science (IBBIS). Her previous work has focused on modular lab automation, assessing dual-use risks in synthetic biology projects, bioweapons convention compliance, and creating cultures of responsibility. Tessa wrangled robots to do bioengineering for four years at Zymergen, served for two years at the iGEM Competition’s Safety and Security officer, and has collaborated with organizations including Coefficient Giving and RAND. She was a 2023 CSR Ending Bioweapons Fellow, a 2022 ELBI fellow and 2020 Foresight Fellow.
Mentorship style
Each fellow will have a weekly 1:1 with their mentor for high-level project guidance (though some weeks may be missed due to travel constraints). Fellows will be invited to join our Slack instance for async communication with their mentors and the rest of the IBBIS team. Mentors are in different timezones (California, Argentina) and IBBIS is a primarily remote organization that typically offers minimal supervision.
Fellows we are looking for
The skills needed for the fellows will vary by project. Here are a few desired skills for each:
Robust, automated customer screening:
- Knowledge of identity verification, KYC frameworks, or customer due diligence processes in life sciences, finance, or other regulated sectors
- Knowledge of cybersecurity or digital identity management
Global DNA Synthesis map:
- Experience with automated data collection, web scraping, or data pipeline development
- Familiarity with geospatial or public-facing data visualization tools
- Strong market research or policy analysis skills
Improving benchtop device security:
- Knowledge of hardware or firmware development, especially in security-conscious sectors
- Familiarity with open-source development practices and community-facing software tools
Improving SOC annotations:
- Bioinformatics, computational biology, or virology background
- Experience with UX / UI development
- Familiarity with open-source development practices and community-facing software tools
Project selection
Fellows will select one of the four project areas before starting with IBBIS, then work with their mentor to develop a specific project plan and deliverables by the end of Week 2.