- Standards Progress: Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering 2026
- Chapter 6 · Readings
Readings from the other desks
Readings from the other desks: cross-references to their editions for the same scope, not copies of them.
6.1Standards and regulatory watch: the Nexus Standards reading in the GCRI edition
The instruments that shape the systems of Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering, as printed in the Global Centre for Risk and Innovation (GCRI) Systems Evidence edition. Instruments and published guidance that shape the systems in this edition, by status on the retrieval date. The edition assesses no one’s compliance.
| Instrument | Body | Scope | Status | Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global guidance framework for the life sciences [21] | WHO | global | PUBLISHED 2022 | dual-use governance |
| Framework for nucleic acid synthesis screening [25] | OSTP | US | PUBLISHED 2024 | screening; not updated after the 2025 order as of September 2026 |
| Executive Order 14292 [26] | US President | US | IN FORCE 2025 | research safety and framework revision |
| Harmonised screening protocol [31] | IGSC | industry, global | PUBLISHED · VOLUNTARY | screening practice |
| Screening guidance for synthetic nucleic acids [32] | UK Government | UK | PUBLISHED · VOLUNTARY | screening practice |
| ISO 20688-2 on gene synthesis [36] | ISO | global | PUBLISHED · VOLUNTARY | production requirements |
| Biotech Act proposal [22] [28] | European Commission | EU | DRAFT | health biotechnology and biodefence |
| CBD decisions 15/31 and 16/21 [20] | CBD parties | global | PUBLISHED | horizon scanning and action plan |
| Cartagena Protocol [35] | CBD parties | global | IN FORCE | living modified organisms |
| Biological Weapons Convention [34] | States Parties | global | IN FORCE | prohibition |
6.2Readings from the other desks
Cross-references to the other desks’ editions for the same subject, never copies of them.
| Desk | Edition | State | Identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standards Progress | Standards Progress: Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering 2026 | In preparation | NR-NXS-XT-04-2026-BASELINE (reserved) |
| GCRI Systems Evidence | Systems Evidence: Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering 2026 | Drafted, in stewardship review | NR-XTECH-SYNBIO-GLOBAL-2026-BASELINE-v1.0.0 |
| GRF Public Deliberation | Outside this desk’s remit | Not in remit | |
| GRA Capital Readiness | Outside this desk’s remit | Not in remit | |
| Academy Capability | Capability: Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering 2026 | In preparation | NR-RA-XT-04-2026-BASELINE (reserved) |
| Index Measurement | Outside this desk’s remit | Not in remit |
6.3Contribute to this chapter
The state of the Nexus Standards parts and of the external standards they adopt: adoption, conformance attested by those who apply them, crosswalks, and domain and industry profiles. The parts are preparatory working drafts (2026); conformance is attestation, not certification. Material for this chapter goes to the Standards Progress desk; what belongs to another desk is forwarded, not refused.
Nexus Standards reads an edition for standards progress: what was adopted, what conformed, what crosswalks exist and what is still a gap.
If you adopted or assessed a standard, send the clause, the version and the evidence. The desk will map it to the profile it belongs in.