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Government admits accidents at Plum Island biolab
The biolab on Plum Island, off the tip of Long Island, is the only lab allowed to do research on the highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease; DHS officials admit that since 1978 here have been several accidental releases of the virus into cattle in holding pens
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Palestinian terrorists planned to poison diners at Israel restaurant
Two Palestinians staying illegally in Israel and working in a restaurant in a Tel Aviv suburb, planned to use poison supplied by Hezbollah to kill restaurant patrons
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Researchers develop nasal anthrax vaccine
Current FDA-approved vaccine is given as an injection and must be administered in three doses, scheduled two weeks apart; then, to remain effective, booster shots must be given at six, twelve, and eighteen months, and then again each year after for maximum protection; University of Rochester researchers “detoxify” the one of the three toxic proteins of anthrax in an effort to simplify vaccination process
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UDTT's anthrax detection featured on Chinese TV
The Chinese Government has warned that terrorists pose the biggest risk to this summer’s Olympic Games; officials say they foiled two plots, one to bring down an airliner, and another to disrupt the summer games; they are also worried about bioterrorism
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Making the world's food supplies safer
Researchers study how silver nanoparticles exert their antimicrobial activities by testing QSI-Nano Silver for its ability to interact with microbial cells; goal of project is to develop food-related applications such as microbe-resistant fabrics or non-biofouling surfaces
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Anxiety: Human-to-human bird flu infection in China
A 24-year old man in China probably infected his father with the H5N1 strain of bird flu before dying, renewing concerns that the disease may soon spread easily among humans
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Russian official warns of bird flu risk
Russia needs to take steps to prevent a human pandemic from bird flu, a government health official said
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Water monitoring system to be demonstrated in Congress technology fair
The House Committee on Homeland Security is holding a homeland security technology fair at the Rayburn building on Wednesday; a water bioterror monitoring system will be on display, and caught our eye
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Anti-NAIS arguments smack of neo-Luddism
Yes, perhaps NAIS does go too far in requiring people to tag their four of five egg hens in the backyard — but quibbles aside, NAIS is essential: In an industrialized, centralized food production system disease in one place can easily and rapidly spread; we should, therefore, avail ourselves of modern technology to keep track of animals
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Meaningful farm bill reform effort fails yet again
Current law allows subsidies to farmers with annual adjusted gross income of as much as $2.5 million; the administration and many legislators wanted to to end payments to producers with adjusted gross incomes greater than $200,000; agribusiness industry plowed more than $80 million into lobbying last year — and defeated the measure
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Understanding – and minimizing – today’s prevalent CBRNE threats // by Matthew Sweatt
Today’s response structures are too narrow in focus; while being prepared for a small pox attack is great, what would happen if another bio-toxin were used? Most billion-dollar detection equipment today only looks for anthrax, allowing today’s emerging threats easily to penetrate most systems
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Colorado city shuts down water supply because of salmonella poisoning
City orders shut down of water supply after many residents become ill; water supply to be treated for several days with concentrated chlorine, with residents restricted to bottled water and a no-shower regimen
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Cargill to promote food safety training in China
Cargill will partner with AQSIQ to provide Chinese government officials, academics, and business leaders with food safety training to expand their knowledge in food safety management
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Canadain chocolate factory off-limit to visitors
Non-American companies exporting food to the United States must comply with the strictures of the 2002 BioTerrorism Act; for a Victoria, Canada, chocolate factory this meant prohibiting school kids from touring the factory
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Massachusetts not ready for bioterror attack
State auditor criticizes state’s preparedness for a bioterror attack; the state acquired ten medical trailers to treat victims, but one of them is missing
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The long view
Are We Ready for a ‘DeepSeek for Bioweapons’?
Anthropic’s Claude 4 is a warning sign: AI that can help build bioweapons is coming, and could be widely available soon. Steven Adler writes that we need to be prepared for the consequences: “like a freely downloadable ‘DeepSeek for bioweapons,’ available across the internet, loadable to the computer of any amateur scientist who wishes to cause mass harm. With Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4 having finally triggered this level of safety risk, the clock is now ticking.”
A Brief History of Federal Funding for Basic Science
Biomedical science in the United States is at a crossroads. For 75 years, the federal government has partnered with academic institutions, fueling discoveries that have transformed medicine and saved lives. Recent moves by the Trump administration — including funding cuts and proposed changes to how research support is allocated — now threaten this legacy.
Vaccine Integrity Project Says New FDA Rules on COVID-19 Vaccines Show Lack of Consensus, Clarity
Sidestepping both the FDA’s own Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee and the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), two Trump-appointed FDA leaders penned an opinion piece in the New England Journal of Medicine to announce new, more restrictive, COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. Critics say that not seeking broad input into the new policy, which would help FDA to understand its implications, feasibility, and the potential for unintended consequences, amounts to policy by proclamation.