It is not simply Tesla that the U.S. Division of Transportation may very well be investigating referring to Elon Musk…

Imagine it or not, it was reported on Thursday that the company may be wanting into Neuralink, Elon Musk’s budding brain-implant startup, over allegations of doubtless “unlawful motion of hazardous pathogens.”

The probe was disclosed by a Division of Transportation spokesperson after an animal-welfare advocacy group referred to as Physicians Committee of Accountable Medication (PCRM) lobbied Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg concerning information it discovered in regards to the firm.

The PCRM mentioned it “obtained emails and different paperwork that recommend unsafe packaging and motion of implants faraway from the brains of monkeys”, in response to Reuters, who was first to report on the probe. 

The PCRM claims that the implants could have carried infectious illnesses in violation of federal regulation, the report says. The Division of Transportation mentioned it was taking the allegations “very critically”. 

Antibiotic-resistant staphylococcus and herpes B virus have been each claimed to be doubtlessly transported with out correct containment measures. Incidents of improper transportation happened in 2019, the report says, when Neuralink was nonetheless reliant on the College of California, Davis to assist with its experiments. 

Neuralink’s actions “could pose a severe and ongoing public well being danger”, representatives from PCRM wrote in a letter. It continued: “The corporate’s documented observe report of sloppy, unsafe laboratory practices compel DOT to research and levy applicable fines.” 

A DOT spokesperson commented to Reuters: “We’re conducting an investigation to make sure that Neuralink is in full compliance with federal laws and holding their employees and the general public secure from doubtlessly harmful pathogens.”

Neuralink didn’t reply to Reuters’ request for feedback. Because the report notes, Neuralink is already dealing with scrutiny from Federal regulators concerning “animal welfare violations ” and employees that was reportedly compelled to work shortly, inflicting “unnecessary struggling and deaths” of animals.