Why implementation gaps could undermine synthetic nucleic acid oversight

Aligning oversight with real-world capacity is essential to avoid brittle and costly systems that deliver limited biosecurity benefits. We propose seven reforms to address the identified obstacles: functional risk tiering, federal investment in biosafety infrastructure, policy pilots and real-world testing, institutional certification pathways, adaptive governance cycles, pragmatic global harmonization, and coupling screening with operational safeguards. These measures reduce ambiguity, streamline fragmented rules, and strengthen institutional capabilities. Embedding implementer perspectives and calibrating oversight to realistic capacities will ensure that biosecurity systems remain credible, resilient, and effective in the synthetic nucleic acid era.