Biosecurity

Rapid technological advancement and increased investment and entrepreneurship in the life sciences and biotechnology have resulted in a research, development, and innovation landscape that is outpacing existing national, regional, and multilateral dual-use regulatory instruments and governance frameworks. The NTS Centre will examine the security challenges arising from research in the life sciences, dual-use research, and the biotech industry in Southeast Asia. Other research areas include the preventive measures of Biosafety Labs (BSL), such as preventing biosecurity incidents caused by insider threats, extremist terror groups, cyber criminals, or transnational criminal networks.

In addition, the delicate security environment in the region, including illicit trafficking of biological materials in the region, the presence of non-state armed actors and terror groups and the risk of deliberate biological threats can have severe consequences on public health, environment, food security and economic security of states and societies. The NTS Centre will study the national and regional efforts to enhancing biosecurity and response and preparedness capacities in Southeast Asia and the wider region in case of the use or threat of use of biological weapons, including the roles of regional bodies and networks supporting ASEAN Member States. The Centre’s research would also explore pathways toward integrating biosecurity and response and preparedness capacity development into regional frameworks, standards and approaches, towards a robust framework for health security governance in Southeast Asia and the wider region.

The centre focuses on the following key areas:

• Biosecurity capability and risks
• National and regional efforts to enhance biosecurity
• Biosecurity security governance in Southeast Asia and the wider region

Publications

Policy Reports

• Mely Caballero-Anthony, Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano, Jose Ma. Luis P. Montesclaros, Jeselyn, Emerging Biosecurity Landscape in Southeast Asia, 16 September 2024.

RSIS Commentaries

• Jose Ma. Luis P. Montesclaros, Jeselyn, Mely Caballero-Anthony, Managing Global Biological Risks: Towards a Security-Health Coordination Framework, RSIS Commentary CO25072, 8 April 2025.
• Paul Teng, Jose Ma. Luis P. Montesclaros, Time for ASEAN to Step up to Biotechnology in Food Production, RSIS Commentary CO24010, 11 January 2024. 
• Jose Ma. Luis P. Montesclaros, Mely Caballero-Anthony, Facing Up to Climate Change-Induced Biosecurity Threats, RSIS Commentary CO24007, 09 January 2024.
• Julius Cesar Imperial Trajano, Jeselyn, Mely Caballero-Anthony, Advances in Biotechnology: The Need to Strengthen Biosecurity, RSIS Commentary CO23184, 14 December 2023.