I’ve edited the sentence to make clear this applies to specific viruses and specific sequences; I didn’t intend it as a claim that VectorBuilder would send you arbitrary pandemic-capable viruses (it won’t). The point is only that physically producing many kinds of virions isn’t fundamentally hard, and the ones VectorBuilder offers aren’t particularly special in that respect; arbitrary viral reconstruction isn’t necessary for concern. In any case, as the paragraph notes, the R&D costs could be substantial, and a lone-wolf actor would also face substantial costs in avoiding law enforcement—a bit like how you can’t just buy a nuclear warhead for $2.5M.
I’ve edited the sentence to make clear this applies to specific viruses and specific sequences; I didn’t intend it as a claim that VectorBuilder would send you arbitrary pandemic-capable viruses (it won’t). The point is only that physically producing many kinds of virions isn’t fundamentally hard, and the ones VectorBuilder offers aren’t particularly special in that respect; arbitrary viral reconstruction isn’t necessary for concern. In any case, as the paragraph notes, the R&D costs could be substantial, and a lone-wolf actor would also face substantial costs in avoiding law enforcement—a bit like how you can’t just buy a nuclear warhead for $2.5M.