Unique in the world, Brazil’s Orion Project will integrate a maximum-level biological containment laboratory with the Sirius particle accelerator. This bold initiative aims to position Brazil as an emerging power in global biosafety governance.
In the 21st century, biotechnology has emerged as a central theme in international and domestic debates, offering both unprecedented opportunities and complex risks across science, innovation, health, agriculture, defense, and environmental sectors. Within this evolving landscape, biosafety refers to the principles, technologies, and containment practices designed to prevent unintentional exposure to or release of biological agents. Biosecurity, on the other hand, encompasses the protection, control, and accountability of biological materials, equipment, and related data, aiming to prevent unauthorized access, loss, theft, misuse, or unintended dissemination.
Over the past three decades, Brazil has positioned itself as a key player in global environmental and climate governance, hosting landmark events such as the Rio Earth Summit in 1992and Rio+20 in 2012. On the eve of hosting COP30 (UNFCCC – United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) in November 2025, the country has steadily advanced its biosafety and biosecurity agenda – not only to foster scientific and technological development but also to uphold the precautionary principle in mitigating risks associated with emerging technologies. These efforts contribute to safeguarding human, animal, plant, and environmental health, while reinforcing global governance frameworks.
Although concerns about biotechnology’s dual-use potential have existed since the Industrial Revolution, it was only through international conventions banning biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons that such risks became integral to global security discussions. A pivotal moment came in 2000 with the adoption of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (CPB) under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). This legally binding instrument introduced mechanisms for monitoring and controlling the use and development of living modified organisms (LMOs), linking biosafety to genetic engineering practices.
Brazil responded proactively in 2005, by revising its domestic regulations, culminating in the Biosafety Law. This legislation restructured the National Technical Biosafety Commission (CTNBio) and established the National Biosafety Council (CNBS), a high-level advisory body to the President, tasked with implementing the National Biosafety Policy (PNB) under the coordination of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI).
As the regulatory framework improved, Brazilian and international scholars began expanding the biosafety discourse to include biosecurity and biodefence. Recognising the strategic importance of safeguarding high-containment laboratories from both accidental and deliberate misuse, the federal government incorporated these concerns into its national agenda.
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the urgency of strengthening Brazil’s scientific and technological infrastructure. In response, technical working groups under the Chamber of Foreign Relations and National Defence (CREDEN – an advisory body of Brazil’s National Security Council) initiated studies to develop a comprehensive National Biosafety and Biosecurity Policy, broader in scope than the existing PNB. These efforts also featured the need for a maximum containment biological laboratory (BSL-4) capable of addressing emerging and re-emerging diseases caused by unknown or highly lethal biological agents.
In 2024, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva launched the Orion Project, a groundbreaking initiative that will establish a high-security laboratory complex integrated with Sirius, Brazil’s state-of-the-art synchrotron light source located in Campinas, São Paulo. With an estimated investment of USD 280 million and completion expected by 2027, Orion will be the world’s only facility to combine a BSL-4 laboratory with a Sirius particle accelerator, enabling unparalleled research capabilities in structural biology and pathogen analysis. In this international biotechnology collaboration, Germany has emerged as a key partner.
The Orion Project is part of Brazil’s New Growth Acceleration Program (PAC) and is funded by the National Fund for Scientific and Technological Development (FNDCT) under the MCTI, with support from the Ministry of Health (MS). It also aligns with the New Industry Brazil (NIB) policy, reinforcing national sovereignty and scientific competence in defence, health, and environmental research. Moreover, Orion is expected to strengthen the Health Economic-Industrial Complex (CEIS), a strategic initiative led by the Ministry of Health to meet the priorities of Brazil’s Unified Health System (SUS).
Latin America currently lacks laboratory infrastructure capable of safely handling high-pathogenicity organisms for advanced research and innovation. While the region has made progress in bioscience and public health, it remains dependent on external support to conduct studies involving high-risk pathogens. Among BRICS nations (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), Brazil remains the only country without a BSL-4 facility, a gap that constrains its capacity to independently diagnose, monitor, and respond to emerging biological threats.
The Orion Project represents a transformative leap, positioning the nation as a regional leader and a key actor in South-South scientific cooperation. Beyond its technical significance, the initiative embodies Brazil’s ambition to achieve greater strategic autonomy in biotechnology and health security. By investing in cutting-edge biosafety and biosecurity capabilities, Brazil is not only safeguarding its population and ecosystems but also contributing to the global effort to build resilient health systems, promote responsible scientific innovation, and advance equitable biotechnology governance in the Anthropocene era.
Patricia Siqueira de Medeiros holds a Master’s degree in Genomic Sciences and Biotechnology from the Catholic University of Brasilia. She is a permanent civil servant in the Brazilian government, in the career of Specialist in Public Policy and Government Management. Her work focuses on biosafety, biosecurity, and the governance of technological innovation.
Dr Thais de Oliveira Queiroz holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Brasilia and was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Centre for Social Studies (CES), University of Coimbra. She is a permanent civil servant in the Brazilian government, in the career of Social Policy Analyst. Her work focuses on democracy, social policy, and public sector innovation.
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