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Critics see problems in EU plan to shift to biofuels
The EU plans to require that a growing percentage of European cars shift to biofuels to ease pressure on the environment; critics charge plan may harm farmers in developing countries
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BioFactura develops diagnostic kit for viral hemorrhagic fever infections
BioFactura and its partners conduct clinical tests in West Africa of test kits for viral hemorrhagic fever diagnosis; kits will be useful diagnostic tools in the event of bioterror attacks — but also for viral hemorrhagic fever infections common in Africa
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Mail-order bioterror nears
The risks of bioterrorism are real, and mail-order bioterror is around the corner; yes, the authorities need to keep a close eye on biotechnology research, but “a robust biotech research sector that is not hobbled by excessive regulation is our best defense against bioterrorism”
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China says food safety progressing
Criticized for lax safety standards and lack of enforcement, China’s agricultural authorities intensify campaign to monitor food safety; a system of barcodes to track catfish implemented
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U.S. drug makers buy ingredients from unregulated Chinese companies
Chinese drug companies are supervised — whatever that means in China — by China’s regulators; there are 80,000 chemical companies in China, but they do not come under the jurisdiction of China’s drug regulators; trouble is, these unregulated, uncertified companies sell ingredients of uncertain quality to U.S. drug makers
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U.S. faces water shortage crisis
Government projects at least 36 states will face shortages within five years; “The last century was the century of water engineering. The next century is going to have to be the century of water efficiency,” one experts says
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The public health lessons of 9/11, anthrax letters
A new book examines the responses by different government authorities to the public health aspects of 9/11 and anthrax letters; conclusion: In a crisis the available public health infrastructure makes all the difference in the quality of the local and federal response
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Troops, key health workers to be first to receive U.S. bird flu shots
Government unveils plan which creates four categories of people to be vaccinated in case of pandemic outbreak; the top tier of each category will be vaccinated first
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Palm Beach County prepares for bioterror attack
New foot soldiers in the war against bioterror attack in a Florida county: Country clubs and condo board presidents, who will help distribute antibiotics to the county’s 1.3 million people in 48 hours
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New alliance aims to offer pathogen-free food
VeriPrime alliance — it is an alliance of livestock and poultry producers, packing companies, and retail and food service vendors — says it can market meat that is 99.9999998% free of deadly pathogens
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$20 million contract to develop inhaled therapy for plague, tularemia
Florida-based Nanotherapeutics to develop gentamicin, an injectable broad-spectrum antibiotic used for pneumonic plague and tularemia; U.S. wants an inhaled version for easier application in the aftermath of bioterror attack
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Miniscule solar cells would enable ultramicroscopic technology
Harvard team develops solar cells 200 hundred times thinner than a human hair; source of power for ultramicroscopic technology now available; team leaders says one of the first application would be in monitoring bioterrorism
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Food importers to guarantee their imports meet safety, health standards
A proposal for screening imported foods would require American companies to certify that their foreign suppliers meet U.S. standards and would reward suppliers who undertake quality-monitoring programs
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U.S. government to intensify fight against industrial espionage
U.S. government launches a broad campaign to thwart foreign government and terrorist organizations from stealing sensitive U.S. technology; chief culprits: China, Iran
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Centralization of food production makes nation vulnerable
CDC says centralization of foor production and processing is the major cause of outbreaks of food-borne illness; centralization offers an inviting opportunity for terrorists to do harm
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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.