Elon Musk's Neuralink is under investigation for possible unsafe transport of contaminated hardware

Elon Musk's brain-computer interface institution Neuralink is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Transportation for allegedly packaging and transporting contaminated hardware successful an unsafe manner, a DOT spokesperson confirmed to CNBC. 

In a letter to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Thursday, the animal-welfare radical Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine said it obtained nationalist records that suggest Neuralink whitethorn person mishandled devices carrying infectious pathogens that posed risks to quality wellness successful 2019. 

The devices were removed from the brains of nonhuman primates and whitethorn person been contaminated with viruses similar Herpes B and antibiotic-resistant bacteria similar Staphylococcus and Klebsiella, according to the letter. PCRM claimed the materials were not decently contained oregon transported, perchance due to the fact that Neuralink employees had not received due information training.  

A DOT spokesperson told CNBC it is "standard practice" to analyse alleged violations of hazardous materials proscription regulations. The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, portion of the DOT, is conducting a "standard probe to guarantee compliance and the nationalist information of workers and the public" based connected the accusation it received from PCRM, the spokesperson said.  

Representatives from Neuralink did not respond to requests for comment. 

Neuralink is 1 of galore companies successful the emerging brain-computer interface, oregon BCI, industry. A BCI is simply a strategy that deciphers encephalon signals and translates them into commands for outer technologies, allowing patients to determination cursors, benignant and adjacent entree astute location devices utilizing lone their minds. Several companies person successfully created devices with these capabilities.  

Musk, who is besides CEO of Tesla, SpaceX and Twitter, co-founded Neuralink successful 2016 with a radical of scientists and engineers. The institution is processing a BCI that is designed to beryllium inserted straight into the encephalon tissue, and portion it is not investigating its instrumentality successful humans yet, Musk has said helium hopes to bash truthful this year. 

The nationalist records obtained by PCRM, which were reviewed by CNBC, see emails exchanged betwixt Neuralink and the University of California, Davis. The assemblage partnered with Neuralink betwixt 2017 and 2020 to assistance the institution behaviour experiments connected primates. 

In 1 speech successful March of 2019, a UC Davis staffer, whose sanction is redacted, wrote successful an email that hardware had been handled incorrectly, and the proscription of hazardous materials needed to beryllium performed by a trained hazardous worldly handler.

The staffer wrote that if Neuralink employees had not completed the indispensable training, UC Davis unit were "always happy" to bundle and vessel materials. 

"Since the hardware components of the explanted neural instrumentality are not sealed and it was not disinfected anterior to leaving the Primate Center, this presents a hazard for anyone perchance coming successful interaction with the device," the UC Davis staffer said successful the email. "Simply labeling it 'hazardous' doesn't relationship for the hazard of perchance contracting Herpes B." 

In different lawsuit successful April of 2019, a UC Davis staffer, whose sanction is redacted, wrote successful an email that 3 explanted devices had arrived successful an "open container with nary secondary container." The staffer noted that the uncontained, monkey-contaminated hardware enactment members of the Primate Center astatine risk. 

"This is an vulnerability to anyone coming successful interaction with the contaminated explanted hardware and we are making a large woody astir this due to the fact that we are acrophobic for quality safety," the staffer said successful the email.

PCRM obtained these records from UC Davis done a nationalist accusation request. Since Neuralink is simply a backstage company, it is not taxable to nationalist records laws. Representatives from UC Davis did not respond to requests for comment. 

PCRM opposes the usage of carnal investigating successful aesculapian research, and the radical has raised concerns astir Neuralink before. In February 2022, the radical filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Agriculture alleging that Neuralink had violated the Animal Welfare Act during its concern with UC Davis. The ailment was referred to the USDA Inspector General, who has allegedly launched a national probe into the company, according to a Reuters report. 

The advocacy radical besides asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration successful December to analyse Neuralink for perchance violating bully laboratory practices. 

Representatives from the USDA and FDA did not respond to requests for comment. 

Ryan Merkley, manager of probe advocacy astatine PCRM, said the latest probe by the DOT suggests Neuralink has been "sloppy successful a full caller way," helium told CNBC. He said determination is nary grounds that anyone was infected due to the fact that of vulnerability to the hardware, but that the acrophobic code of UC Davis unit successful the emails "reflects the seriousness of this imaginable pathogen leak." 

"This is simply a full different happening that evidently affects not lone the animals involved, but the radical moving astatine Neuralink, the radical moving astatine UC Davis and everyone they came successful interaction with," helium said.