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More intensive, collaborative effort needed to prepare for bioterrorism
Medical countermeasures to combat biological weaponry will rely on the ability of scientists to develop potent vaccines and therapeutics that have broad activity and to do so rapidly
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Two major food safety laws are ineffective
Of the many food safety laws proposed, two were passed — Bioterrorism Act of 2002 and the facility registration database; trouble is, neither is very effective
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Morphotek in $2.7 million contract to develop monoclonal antibodies
Pennsylvania company to work with the Army’s research institute to develop therapeutic monoclonal antibodies against potential biological warfare threats
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Worries about safety of U.S. biodefense labs
Since 2003, U.S. labs handling the world’s deadliest germs and toxins have experienced more than 100 accidents; as research into bioterrorism intesifies, number of accidents grows
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Preparations under way for 2011 review of biological weapons treaty
Representatives of 90 states meet in Vienna as part of an effort to bridge differences among countries about the best way to bolster the Biological Weapons Convention
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Ebola continues to spread in Congo
Lab tests confirm that number of cases now stands at twenty-four; WHO, MSF say outbreak is not yet under control
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The state of biodefense: I
In wargames of a terrorist biological attack on a U.S. city, it was predicted that an infectious agent such as smallpox could spread to 3 million people throughout the continental U.S. within 12 weeks of an attack; DoD, DHS work on early detection gear
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U.S. bans Canadian poultry after outbreak of avian flu in Saskatchewan
An especially virulent strain of avain flu — H7N3 — is confirmed in a Saskatchewan farm; U.S. bans poultry importation from province; two years ago a B.C. avian flu outbreak led to destruction of 17 million chickens
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Surge in imported food not met by increased inspection
The desire of U.S. consumers to save a few dollars is a major contributor to the surge in imported food products; legislation to tighten inspection of imported food
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Fourth bluetongue case confirmed in U.K.
U.K. farmers are still anxious about foot-and-mouth disease, and now they have to worry about the fourth case of bluetoungue infection
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Avian Flu Lab-On-A-Chip Device
Researchers at three Singapore-based institutes develop a lab-on-a-chip device for early detection of avain flu; device may be used for detection of other infectious diseases such as SARS, HIV, and hepatitis B
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DHS helps with Plum Island upgrade
While DHS is looking for new site for the $450 million National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility — there are five finalists competing for the contract — it is upgrading the aging Plum Island facility
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Bill overhauls way FDA approves drugs
Problems with Vioxx and questions about the side-effects of other drugs lead Congress to tighten, and make more transparent, the FDA’s drug-approval process
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Lethal disease devestates China's pig herds
China is the world’s largest pig meat exporters, but the blue ear pig disease is devestating China’s pig farm economy; virus spreading to neighboring countries; nimble vaccine makers stand to benefit
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U.S. food suppliers suggest FDA oversee food imports
Growing worries about the safety of food imports prompt legislatures to propose tightening regulations of, and requiring fees for, imported food shipments; large U.S. food suppliers offer alternative schemes
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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.