Elon Musk’s Neuralink may have illegally transported pathogens, animal advocates say

📅 Published: August 26, 2025

📰 Source: thestandard

Curated by AllZimNews.com

Department of Transportation, which was shared with Reuters, that it has obtained emails and other documents that suggest unsafe packaging and movement of implants removed from the brains of monkeys.

These implants may have carried infectious diseases in violation of federal law, PCRM said.

The letter said records that the group obtained showed instances of pathogens, such as antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus and herpes B virus, that may have been transported without proper containment measures.

PCRM’s letter adds to the scrutiny facing Neuralink, which is developing a brain implant it hopes will help paralyzed people walk again and cure other neurological ailments.

In December, Reuters reported that Neuralink has been under a federal investigation over potential animal welfare violations and that some of its staff made internal complaints about experiments being rushed, causing needless suffering and deaths.

The incidents that involved potential breaches of hazardous material transportation regulations happened in 2019, when Neuralink relied on University of California, Davis to help carry out its experiments on primates, according to the documents cited by PCRM.

While Neuralink’s partnership with UC Davis ended in 2020, PCRM said the company continues to employ the neurosurgeon who oversaw the experiments and other staff involved may also still be employed.

Reuters reviewed the UC Davis records cited by PCRM in its letter.

It is unclear whether further records exist that provide a different or fuller account of what happened.

PCRM obtained the records from UC Davis through public information requests.

Neuralink messages and records not shared with UC Davis are not subject to such information requests.

Representatives for Neuralink, including Musk, and the Department of Transportation did not respond to comment requests.