Preparing for pandemics

Authors: Grant Fellows

Introduction

Pandemics can cause substantial suffering and death. A sufficiently deadly pandemic could decimate civilization. Engineered pandemics are a growing risk as biotech tools become more accessible.

How engineers can help

Engineers can help build and deploy low-cost personal protective equipment (PPE) to arrest the spread of new diseases.

They also can help build and deploy technologies to reduce transmission in indoor spaces, such as UV radiation or propylene glycol.

Other avenues include the surveillance of new diseases, applying tools such as metagenomics to scan clinical, environmental, and wastewater samples, enabling the detection of unknown or emerging viral threats, and informing outbreak investigations.

Engineers can also assist in accelerating the development of new vaccines and treatments.

Resources to check out

Andrew Snyder-Beattie of Open Philanthropy on a low-tech biosecurity strategy

Why biosecurity needs engineers and materials scientists

The Nucleic Acid Observatory, an organization working on new disease surveillance methods

CEPI’s 100 Days Mission, a global goal for rapid vaccine development

biosecurity.world, a directory of organizations in the biosecurity space

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