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Looking Back On Year 1 of Biosafety Now

Celebrating One Year of Biosafety Now
(Part 1 – Looking Back)

Tuesday, February 6, 2024 marks a significant milestone for Biosafety Now as we celebrate our first anniversary.

Below is a timeline that recaps the key moments from Year 1.

In our next update, “Looking Ahead,” we will outline our vision for Year 2.

As we mark this milestone and look forward to an ambitious year, we’re thankful for your steadfast support of our mission. Your support has been crucial in expanding our efforts and propelling our mission forward.

FEBRUARY 2023

  • Feb 6 – 12:00 PM EST: Announcement of “Protect Our Future” launch with a press release and an article by Jocelyn Kaiser in Science Magazine.
  • Feb 9: First post on Twitter (now known as “X”).
  • Feb 10: First post on Facebook.
  • Feb 12: First post on LinkedIn.

MARCH 2023

  • Mar 1: “Protect Our Future” is officially renamed to “Biosafety Now.”
  • Mar 2: Justin Kinney publishes an essay titled “Biosafety Now! Join The Movement!”
  • Mar 6: Susan Wright publishes an essay titled “Comments on ‘Biology is Dangerously Outpacing Policy’” which discusses the work by Gregory D. Koblentz and Rocco Casagrande.
  • Mar 7: Biosafety Now is featured in David Zweig’s piece “Is Gain-of-Function Research a ‘Risk Worth Taking’?” published in The Free Press.
  • Mar 13: Colin Butler and Yanna Lambrinidou publish an essay titled “COVID-19 and the existential threat of scientific hubris.”
  • Mar 16: The first X Space titled “Bugs, Biolabs, and Accountability” is held, featuring journalist Emily Kopp and Biosafety Now Leadership Team members Dana Parish, Ed Hammond, and Bryce Nickels.
  • Mar 20: Biosafety Now releases a press release encouraging media to correct misleading reports suggesting raccoon dogs were the source of the pandemic.
  • Mar 21:
    • X Space #2 titled “COVID origins: Was it a Raccoon Dog? (part 1)” is held. featuring scientist Alina Chan, journalist Emily Kopp, DRASTIC co-founder Yuri Deigin, and Leadership Team members Dana Parish, Yanna Lambrinidou, Justin Kinney, and Bryce Nickels
    • In response to Biosafety Now’s press release, The Telegraph publishes an article by Sarah Knapton titled “Scientists discredit raccoon dog Covid origin study.”
  • Mar 23:
    • Justin Kinney discusses SARS-CoV-2’s origins and the raccoon dog theory on Rising.
    • Biosafety Now featured in an article in The Spectator World by Ashley Rindsberg titled, “Why are we still funding gain-of-function research?”
  • Mar 24: X Space #3, “Why Are We Still Funding Gain-of-Function?” is held, featuring journalist Ashley Rindsberg and Leadership Team members Justin Kinney, Yanna Lambrinidou, and Bryce Nickels.

APRIL 2023

  • Apr 6: X Space #4, “Uncovering the $88 Billion Biodefense Coverup” is held, featuring journalist Paul Thacker and Leadership Team members Dana Parish and Bryce Nickels.
  • Apr 12: X Space #5, “COVID origins: Will the media ever get it right?” is held, featuring journalist Michael Balter and Leadership Team members Yanna Lambrinidou and Bryce Nickels.
  • Apr 19: X Space #6, “The Dark History of Unnatural Epidemics” is held, featuring Leadership Team members Raina MacIntyre, Dana Parish, Justin Kinney, Steven Phillips, and Bryce Nickels.
  • Apr 24: Helen Mundler publishes an essay titled “GOFROC: a view from the humanities.”
  • Apr 29: X Space #7, “Biorisks, Covid-19, and The Pathogens Project,” is held, featuring author Matt Ridley and Leadership Team members Yanna Lambrinidou and Bryce Nickels.

MAY 2023

  • May 1:
    • X Space #8, “COVID origins: Was it a raccoon dog? (part 2),” is held, featuring journalist Emily Kopp, journalist Michael Balter, scientist David Bahry, and Leadership Team members Justin Kinney and Bryce Nickels.
    • Biosafety Now launches an online store.
  • May 16: X Space #9, “Listening Session,” is held, which served as an open forum for comments from members of the public.
  • May 31: X Space #10, “COVID origins: Are critical facts still being obscured?,” is held, featuring journalist Sam Husseini and Leadership Team members Dana Parish and Bryce Nickels.

JUNE 2023

  • Jun 2: Biosafety Now launches a petition to prohibit “gain-of-function” research that creates enhanced potential pandemic pathogens.
  • Jun 6: Biosafety Now posts its first video on YouTube.
  • Jun 9: Part 1 of an interview with journalist Ashley Rindsberg discussing his article, “Why did USAID fund the Wuhan lab?” is posted on YouTube. Parts 2 and 3 are posted on Jun 16 and Jun 20, respectively.
  • Jun 19: X Space #11, “COVID origins: what did we learn from the intel declassification?” is held, featuring USRTK journalist Emily Kopp, USRTK staff scientist Karolina Corin and Leadership Team members Justin Kinney and Bryce Nickels.
  • Jun 20: X Space #12, “Get GOFROC out of One Health!” is held, featuring Leadership Team members Laura Kahn, Justin Kinney and Bryce Nickels.
  • Jun 26: The San Carlos, California City Council voted 3-2 in favor of passing an ordinance that prohibits biosafety level 3 and 4 labs. Leadership Team member Bryce Nickels, who had been invited by residents, spoke at this meeting as well as at two previous council meetings in support of the measure.

JULY 2023

  • Jul 12: X Space #13, “The COVID origin cover-up,” is held, featuring scientist and author Alina Chan, journalist Emily Kopp, author Matt Ridley, and leadership team members Justin Kinney, Yanna Lambrinidou, and Bryce Nickels. Over 3,600 listeners tuned in
  • Jul 19: Biosafety Now launches a petition to retract “The proximal origin of SARS-CoV-2.”
  • Jul 22: Biosafety Now featured in an article by Sarah Knapton in The Telegraph titled, “Prominent scientist ‘downplayed Covid lab leak theory to avoid upsetting China.”
  • Jul 24: Biosafety Now featured in an article by Sharri Markson titled, “New emails reveal scientists believed COVID-19 was man-made.”
  • Jul 25: Biosafety Now featured in an article in the Tampa Free Press titled “Fauci-Influenced COVID-19 Paper To ‘Disprove’ Lab Leak Theory Faces Growing Calls For Retraction.”
  • Jul 26: An open letter signed by 59 scientists and STEM policy professionals was sent to Joao Monteiro, the chief editor of Nature Medicine. The letter called for the retraction of the paper titled “The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2.” Nearly 6 months later, Monteiro has yet to respond.
  • Jul 27: Biosafety Now featured in an article by Andrew Follett in the National Review titled, “Why U.S. Scientists Lied about the Possibility of a Covid Lab Leak.”

AUGUST 2023

  • Aug 1:
    • Biosafety Now featured in an article by Mairead Elordi in The Daily Wire titled, “Scientists Demand Full Retraction Of COVID Natural Origins Paper Praised By Fauci”
    • Biosafety Now featured in an article by Amy Landsey in Sky News titled, “US academics may face criminal trial over public dismissal of COVID-19 lab leak theory.”
  • Aug 2: X Space #14, “Clandestine Biolabs: Can We Prevent DIY Disasters,” is held, featuring Leadership Team members Raina MacIntyre, Laura Kahn, Justin Kinney, Dana Parish, and Bryce Nickels.
  • Aug 3: Raina MacIntyre publishes an essay titled: “In your backyard: from Rajneesh to Reedley, implications of illegal biolabs.”
  • Aug 8: Justin Kinney publishes an essay titled: “Response to ‘Gain-of-function research is about much more than dangerous pathogens’ by Popescu et al., 21 July 2023, STAT”
  • Aug 28: Biosafety Now featured in an article by Ashwini Gangal in RWC Pulse titled, “Biosafety advocates concerned over upcoming lab in Redwood City.”

SEPTEMBER 2023

  • Sep 20: X Space #15, “COVID origins: The role of the Mojiang mine,” is held,, featuring Jonathan Latham, Executive Director of The Bioscience Resource Project, and Leadership Team members Justin Kinney and Bryce Nickels.
  • Sep 21: Biosafety Now launches a new resource: http://OriginSearch.io, a search engine on documents relevant to the origin of COVID-19 obtained through FOIA by U.S. Right to Know, The Intercept, White Coat Waste, and more.

OCTOBER 2023

  • Oct 3: Biosafety Now featured in an article by Phoebe Petrovic in Wisconsin Watch titled, “Wisconsin GOP lawmakers, biosafety advocates join forces on pathogen bill.”
  • Oct 5: X Space #16, “If Wisconsin bans dangerous pathogens research, who really wins and loses?” is held, featuring Wisconsin Watch reporter Phoebe Petrovic, Wisconsin State Senator Lena Taylor (D, 4th District) and Leadership Team members Yanna Lambrinidou, Justin Kinney, Richard H. Ebright, Klare Allen, Nina Goodale, Steve Goodale, and Bryce Nickels.
  • Oct 16: Biosafety Now submits a response to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy RFI on Dual Use Research of Concern and Potential Pandemic Pathogen Care and Oversight Policy Framework.
  • Oct 23: Biosafety Now launches a new podcast called: “Fashionably late talks.” In the inaugural episode, host Megan Gafford sat down with science writer Matt Ridley for a wide-ranging discussion on the search for the origins of COVID-19.

NOVEMBER 2023

  • Nov 16: A milestone for our petition to retract “Proximal Origins,” which reached 5,000 signatures.
  • Nov 17: X Space #17, “Banning Federal Funding for Risky ‘Gain-of-Function’ Research,” is held, featuring Justin Goodman, the Senior Vice President of Advocacy and Public Policy at White Coat Waste Project, and Leadership Team member Bryce Nickels.
  • Nov 25: Biosafety Now featured in an article by Matt Ridley in The Spectator titled, “Virology poses a far greater threat to the world than AI.”
  • Nov 28: Leadership Team member Justin Kinney featured in Sharri Markson’s documentary “What Really Happened in Wuhan: The Next Chapter.”

DECEMBER 2023

  • Dec 5: Biosafety Now sends letters to Congressional leaders urging them to support provisions of the National Defense Authorization Act that prohibit all funding for EcoHealth Alliance.
  • Dec 21: X Space #18, “Project DEFUSE, a blueprint for SARS-CoV-2,” is held, featuring journalist Emily Kopp, DRASTIC co-founder Yuri Deigin, and Leadership Team members Justin Kinney and Bryce Nickels. Over 3,800 listeners tuned in on X.

JANUARY 2024

  • Jan 8: A statement from distinguished virologist Simon Wain-Hobson on why the University of Wisconsin-Madison should not support research that enhances potential pandemic pathogens is posted on YouTube.
  • Jan 10:
    • Leadership Team members Justin Kinney and Bryce Nickels presented testimony in support of Assembly Bill 413, aiming to ban high-risk gain-of-function research, to the Wisconsin State Assembly.
    • X Space #19, “Biowarfare: Unleashing the Unthinkable,” is held, featuring science writer Kris Newby and Leadership Team members Dana Parish, Justin Kinney, and Bryce Nickels.
  • Jan 11: Biosafety Now featured in an article by Baylor Spears in the Wisconsin Examiner titled, “Gain of function research prohibition bill receives public hearing.”
  • Jan 12: Biosafety Now featured in an article by Jocelyn Kaiser in Science Magazine titled, “Wisconsin bill to restrict pathogen studies worries scientists.”
  • Jan 16: Biosafety Now featured in an article by James B Meigs in Commentary titled, “The Likely Lab Leak and the Covid Cassandra.”
  • Jan 17: Leadership Team members Richard H. Ebright and Bryce Nickels joined distinguished virologist Simon Wain-Hobson as guests on the Earl Ingram Show to talk about gain-of-function research and the proposed legislation, Assembly Bill 413, to prohibit such research.
  • Jan 21: X Space #20, “COVID-19: evidence for a synthetic origin,” is held, featuring scientists Alina Chan, Alex Washburne, Valentin Bruttel, Tony VanDongen and Leadership Team members Justin Kinney and Bryce Nickels. Over 20,000 listeners tuned in on X, our largest audience to date.
  • Jan 22: A milestone for our petition to ban gain-of-function research, which reached 10,000 signatures.
  • Jan 24: Simon Wain-Hobson publishes an essay titled, “Deconstructing the portrait.” This essay is the first installment of a new weekly discussion called “On Reading, by Simon Wain-Hobson,” dedicated to discussing scientific papers and news articles related to gain-of-function research in virology. New essays will be published every Wednesday.
  • Jan 26: Biosafety Now co-founder Justin Kinney publicly announces his departure from Biosafety Now on X, stating “I always knew there was some professional risk to me speaking out, but my advocacy has now become a liability that I can no longer ignore.”
  • Jan 31: “Getting it right,” the second installment in the weekly series: “On Reading, by Simon Wain-Hobson” is published.

FEBRUARY 2024

  • Feb 6: Biosafety Now turns one.