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North Carolina community split over biodefense lab
As has been the case in other U.S. locations, communities are split down the middle over building a $450 million biolab in their back yard — jobs, prestige notwithstanding
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Human plague case in Arizona
For first time in years; a human plague case is found in Arizona; reports of plague cases in New Mexico; fleas, rodents may be source of infection
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MRI launches biological safety center
There is a growing demand for expertise in laboratory services for the biodefense, agriculture, food safety, and vaccine development industries, and MRI steps forward to offer its services
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Bottle makes dirty water drinkable; ideal for post diaster relief
A bottle which purifies even the dirtiest water — it uses filter which cuts out anything longer than 15 nanometres, which means that viruses are filtered out — is ideal for post-disaster relief, soldiers in the field
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Transfusion-related HIV infection plunges Peru's health system into crisis
Peu’s health system in crisis after four tranfusion patients are infetced with HIV; country’s 240 blood banks shut down for thorough screening
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Small Minnesota company creates national food safety Web portal
FoodShield.org is a Web site used to alert various federal regulatory bodies and scientific communities about any dangers related to food
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U.K. foot-and-mouth same as August strain
Initial tests show that the foot-and-mouth strain found in cows near Egham is the same as the strain found in August; if results hold, farmers can hope disease could be contained in a small region
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VGX Pharmaceuticals wins $1.9M bioterrorism contract
Pennsylvania company receives contract from U.S. government to develop skin micro-electroporation for improved biodefense vaccine efficacy
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Ebola outbrak in east Congo; neighboring countries on alert
The World Health Organization confirms an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virsu infection, with 166 dead and 372 reported cases; neighboring states take precuationary measures
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Scientists discover clues for vanishing bee colonies
Honey bees are responsible for pollinating $15 billion worth of crops each year in the U.S.; since 2004, a growing number of U.S. bee colonies have collapsed, imperiling U.S. agriculture; scientists now find clues why collapse occurs
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Anthrax infection in Connecticut
As was with the February 2006 case of the New York musician and drum maker who contracted anthrax from imported animal hides, a Danbury drum maker and his family contract anthrax from imported hides he used in his craft
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Year-round consumption of leafy greens increases disease risk
Desiring healthier food, more Americans and European now eat leafy greens year round; trouble is, the need to supply these vegetables year-round has required new methods to clean, package, and deliver these fragile food items across large distances, creating more opportunities for contamination and infection
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DHS increases funding for GenVec's FMD vaccine program
The U.S. Department of Agrictultre and DHS are both worried about foot-and-mouth disease, and a Maryland company has its contract increase to develop unique molecular-based FMD vaccine for cattle
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FDA approves smallpox vaccine from Acambis
FDA approves new smallpox vaccine from U.K.-based company — and a good thing, too, as current vaccine maker, New Jersey-based Wyeth, has stopped making its version of the vaccine
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Efforts to monitor quality of imported food increase
Nearly nine million total food shipments come into the United States annually; FDA officials are only able physically to examine about 1 percent in a laboratory; government, private sectior say this is not enough
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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.