This chapter examines whether genetic engineering attribution (GEA) can meaningfully contribute to biosecurity and verification. It asks what current methods can actually infer from engineered biological material, how far results from curated datasets (e.g., plasmid repositories) can be applied to real-world incidents, and what this means for verification and compliance. The analysis suggests that sequence-based attribution may support screening, prioritization, and the narrowing of hypotheses, but that its value remains limited by incomplete data, uneven metadata, and the gap between repository benchmarks and realistic forensic settings. For this reason, the priorities are to improve data standards, evaluate attribution methods under more realistic conditions, and use sequence-based results only in combination with other forms of evidence.
Bibliographic record
Reis, K. (2026). Novel Particle Probes in Nuclear Verification. In: Göttsche, M., Jakob, U., & Schörnig, N. (Eds.). Verification in an Era of Rapid Technological Change. CNTR Monitor – Technology and Arms Control 2026. PRIF – Peace Research Institute Frankfurt.
Author
Dr. Kadri Reis
