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Joint Kentucky-Tennessee bid for biolab fails
Kentucky and Tennnessee had an idea: Why not bid jointly for DHS’s biolab? The scattered nature of the proposed research facilities, however, and lack of workers with experience in high-security doomed the effort
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Private sector can deal with Chinese product safety problems
The list of unsafe and tainted Chinese prodcuts is long and worrisome; Congress is considering protectionist measures in response; WSJ says private sector can deal with the problem
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Bird flu pandemic plans lacking in U.S.
Experts worry that the U.S. public, and managers of companies, have become complacent about the risks of avian flu and its economic reprcussions
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The number of accidental infection at biolabs grows
There are now 20,000 people at 400 sites around the United States working with bioweapons germs; the number of accidental infections grows
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One-fifth of Chinese products are substandard
Chinese government inspectors report that nearly one-fifth of the products they examined — including food products — were substandard.
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Multivalent vaccine botulinum toxin shows promise
Bolulinum toxin is an extremely strong neurotoxin that causes fatal paralysis in its victims; Florida company reports initial success of its multivalent vaccine
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Missouri's cattlemen's group opposes BioDefense lab
Major agricutlrual associations in Missouri split over merit, risks of building national bio- and agro-defense lab in the state
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France, Germany raise bird flu threat level
In Germany, wild birds are found dead in Thuringia, Saxony, and Bavaria; in France, three dead swans found in Moselle; both countries raise bird flu alert levels
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Renewed worries about safety of biodefense research
Critics argue that universities, fearing loss of biodefense research funds, do not report infections, other problems
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CDC suspends A&M research on infectious diseases
In spring 2006, Aggies researchers were infected with Q fever and Brucella, but the school failed to report the cases to CDC; CDC pulls Texas A&M license
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CDC probes A&M bioweapons infections
Researchers’ exposure to weapons agents not reported promptly
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Study: vaccine may protect against Ebola
NIH researchers find that vaccine incorporating a common pediatric respiratory pathogen may be effective against the dreaded Ebola virus
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China embarks on ambitious bioterror protection program
The Chinese government launches a project aiming to develop vaccines and medicines for genes used in bioterrorism and technologies to evaluate genetically modified plants
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UW wins biofuel grant, and is in the running for DHS agro defense lab
University of Wisconsin wins biofuel grant: $125 million will fund center researching ways to convert plant matter into fuel
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Little moth poses a big threat to California's wine-growers
The discovery in the Bay Area of a tiny Australian moth with voracious apetite leads to renewed criticism of DHS’s inspection of cargo for agricultural threats
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The long view
Critical Action Needed to Address Growing Biosecurity Risks
A new report warns that biosecurity risks are increasing. Emerging technologies and other trends are making biological threats more numerous, frequent, and consequential. The report outlines how emerging biotechnology must itself be used to secure biology, akin to how software is required to secure software.
Funding Cuts, Policy Shifts, and the Erosion of U.S. Scientific and Public Health Capacity
The U.S. continues to face mounting threats to its health, scientific enterprise, and national security. A recent report warns that proposed FY 2026 budget cuts to the National Science Foundation (NSF) could reduce its funding by more than half – from $9 billion in FY 2025 to under $4 billion. If passed by Congress, these cuts would result in an estimated ~$11 billion in economic losses.
How RFK Jr.’s Misguided Science on mRNA Vaccines Is Shaping Policy − a Vaccine Expert Examines the False Claims
On Kennedy’s instructions, NIH is funneling money away from new mRNA technologies toward a single project developing universal vaccines based on traditional whole-virus vaccine technology. Kennedy justified the decision with a series of false assertions about vaccines and their underlying technology. Abandoning mRNA vaccine research may lead to lives needlessly lost, whether due to potential medicines untapped or to pandemic unpreparedness.