Events

26 August 2026: Mirror Life: Understanding the Science, Risks, and Governance Implications for Africa

This webinar for members of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf) from across Southern Africa aimed at discussing the feasibility of mirror life, its associated public health, environmental, and biosecurity risks, and possible governance modalities. The event was hosted by Dr. Glenda Gray, Chief Scientific Officer at the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC), in partnership with the Pandemic Center at Brown University and with support from MBDF.

9–12 June 2026: Global Health Security Conference (GHS 2026)

The fourth Global Health Security Conference, made up of global leaders, researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, featured a panel on "Mirror life: A One Health imperative for global health security." The panelists outlined the risks of mirror bacteria and discuss potential governance measures at the national, international, and institutional levels.

23–24 April 2026: 36th National Ethics Councils Forum

The 36th National Ethics Councils Forum hosted a session on the ethics of creating mirror life. The forum, co-organized by the European Commission and the Cyprus National Bioethics Committee, brought together representatives of National Ethics Councils from all EU Member States, as well as international organizations including WHO, UNESCO, and the Council of Europe. The session featured four speakers and an audience Q&A.

16 April 2026: AAI IMMUNOLOGY Guest Symposium

A Guest Symposium at IMMUNOLOGY 2026 — the annual meeting of the American Association of Immunologists — was held on April 16th in Boston, Massachusetts. The 1.5-hour session featured four presentations examining the existing evidence for the potential immunological risks of mirror life, followed by a panel discussion and Q&A with the speakers.

28-29 October 2025: iGEM Responsibility Conference

The fourth iGEM Responsibility Conference in Paris, France included a session on “Strategies for Community Engagement on Mirror Life.”

For more information, please see iGEM’s website.

3 October 2025: Biosafety & Biosecurity Considerations for Mirror Life

David Gillum from the University of Nevada, Reno and Kathleen Vogel from Arizona State University gathered 15-20 policymakers and experts to discuss how emerging governance strategies can anticipate and address risks related to mirror life. 

29-30 September 2025: NASEM Workshop on Mirror Image Biology: Pushing the Envelope in Designing Biological Systems

The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicines hosted a workshop on mirror biology, which focused on the state of the science, trends in research and development, risks and benefits of this research, and considerations relating to future governance of relevant technologies.

17-18 September 2025: Engineering & Safeguarding Synthetic Life Conference

Prof. Patrick Cai of the University of Manchester organized ESSL 2025 to bring together scientists, engineers, ethicists, policymakers, and other stakeholders to explore the challenges and opportunities of building and regulating synthetic life. The program featured keynote talks and interdisciplinary panels, creating space for discussion around both technical advances and the societal responsibilities that come with them. Learn more about the Conference on the ESSL 2025 website.

15-16 September 2025: Manchester Technical Workshop on Mirror Life

The Manchester Technical Workshop convened 35 leading experts in technologies relevant to mirror life to assess their current capabilities and development trajectories, evaluate their applications, and examine how governance could impact their development and use. Read a synopsis of workshop discussions here.

12-13 June 2025: Paris Conference on Risks from Mirror Life

The Paris Conference brought together 335 participants from 31 countries at the Institut Pasteur to discuss the feasibility and risks of efforts to develop mirror life. View the presentations on YouTube and read the summary report from the expert-led workshop discussions.

29 May 2025: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) Workshop on International Governance of Mirror Life

CEIP convened scientific and policy experts to discuss potential international governance frameworks to prevent the creation of mirror life and associated risks. Meeting findings will inform future convenings regarding governance options.

25-30 May 2025: Glyco27 Conference

The 27th International Glycoconjugate Symposium, held in Edmonton, Canada, brought together researchers and industry leaders from around the world to share innovations, present research, and discuss emerging trends in glycomics. It featured a roundtable discussion on mirror life, which explored the risks, potential behavior of mirror glycans, and research strategies to investigate immune responses to mirror glycans. This discussion was inspired by the “Remember the Glycans” eLetter. For more information, please see the Glyco27 website.

23-26 February 2025: The Spirit of Asilomar and the Future of Biotechnology Summit

“The Spirit of Asilomar and the Future of Biotechnology” summit occurred on the 50th anniversary of the 1975 international meeting on recombinant DNA molecules at the historic Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, California. The summit resulted in the Entreaty on the “Risks from Mirror Life,” signed by 96 experts, which states that “mirror life should not be created unless future research convincingly demonstrates that it would not pose severe risks.” For more information, please see the Spirit of Asilomar’s Summit website.