Distributed Capability, Shared Vulnerability: International Governance of Biosafety and Biosecurity

Biological risks are increasingly shaped by globally distributed scientific capability, accelerating technological change and a rapidly evolving information environment. This review examines how these dynamics challenge traditional biosafety and biosecurity governance. It analyzes the internationalization of high-risk life science capacity, the expanding scope of pathogen research, and the implications of digitalization, artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled design tools and cloud laboratories. It then traces the historical foundations of biosafety and biosecurity, highlights the fragmentation across health, environmental and security instruments, and assesses how divergent national systems shape global vulnerability. The article further explores cross-border scientific collaboration, movement of materials and data, and the complexities of ambiguous outbreaks, investigation mechanisms and information integrity. It concludes by identifying strategic gaps and outlining priorities for a more adaptive, interoperable and equitable governance architecture capable of operating in a world where biological capability is widely dispersed and biological risks increasingly dematerialized.