Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface firm Neuralink is below investigation by the U.S. Division of Transportation after a doctor’s group alleged the corporate had packaged and transported contaminated supplies in an unsafe method.
The animal-welfare group Physicians Committee for Accountable Drugs (PCRM) mentioned it gathered public information that point out that Neuralink might have incorrectly handled gadgets harboring infectious pathogens in a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. A DOT spokesperson confirmed an investigation is underway, CNBC reported.
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The gadgets had been extracted from the brains of nonhuman primates and will have carried viruses like Herpes B and antibiotic-resistant micro organism like Staphylococcus and Klebsiella, per the letter. In keeping with PCRM, the supplies weren’t adequately confined or transported; the group alleged that Neuralink staff might not have undergone the required security coaching.
A DOT spokesperson instructed CNBC the investigation is “customary follow.”
The outlet reviewed an electronic mail alternate between Neuralink and unnamed staffers on the College of California, Davis, which partnered with Neuralink between 2017 and 2020 to conduct experiments on primates. The emails allege that an explanted neural gadget wasn’t “sealed” or “disinfected,” posing a hazard and that a number of different improperly contained gadgets meant a threat to “human security.”
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In December, Reuters reported that the corporate was below federal investigation for potential animal-welfare violations following inside workers complaints over fast testing leading to pointless animal struggling and deaths.
