Abstract

Should government have the power to place limits on a scientific pursuit that holds the potential for both good and harm—on what is called “dual‐use research”? That is the highly charged question surrounding research to genetically modify influenza A (H5N1) to render it more easily transmissible from human to human. There is seldom a “right” answer to dual‐use research, but a fair, inclusive, and transparent process—building on the NSABB model—should improve decision‐making. A local institutional panel should evaluate dual‐use research based on the following structured ethical framework.