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Critics charge that FDA's food monitoring does not pass inspection
In 2006 the FDA conducted just half the inspections it conducted in 2003; the FDA safety tests on U.S.-produced food fell almost 75 percent during the same period; FDA inspection of imported food fell by 25 percent
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Indiana researchers develop real-life tricorder
Star Trek-inspired mass spectrometer weighs less than twenty pounds; analysis can be done on surfaces outside the vacuum chamber; system detects biomarkers and explosives with ease; two Indiana companies rush into the market
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Outside panel approves Sanofi Aventis's bird flu vaccine
FDA likely to accept recommendation despite disappointing trial results; 50 percent immune seen as better than none; stockpiling continues as GlaxoSmithKline Plc and Novartis SA continue developing competing vaccines
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Delaware scientists use iron to remove viruses from water
The target of new EPA regulations, viruses are mainly invulnerable to chlorinization; elemental, non-valent iron destroys 99 percent of E. coli, rotavirus, and others; inexpensive filtration method relies on the byproduct of iron and steel production
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E. coli found to exhibit lefthandedness
Bacteria with flagella move to the left in order to advance through the human body; unusual movement allows E. coli to find crevices in cells and hitch a ride; catheterization infections explained
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Emergency official suspended for asasaulting photographer
Columbia County, New York coordinator George Sharpe earns a thirty-day rest after attempting to destroy images of a pandemic response drill; HSDW demands a more creative punishment
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Researchers find human-chimp E. coli transmission
Study at a safari park in Uganda is the first to show a link between humans and a controlled animal population; many chimps found resistant to antibiotics
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Agriculture Department to focus inspections on chronic violators
New risk-based approach will consider type of meat being processed, plant size, and history of food safety violations; move comes in response to recent E. coli outbreaks; daily inspections will continue
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Meridian Bioscience receives FDA approval for Shiga-detecting test
Rapid diagnostic tool is first to distinguish between Shiga toxin producing E. coli and other 0157 strains; partnership with Merck pays off; only twenty minures needed to make a diagnosis
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Scripps researchers identify botulism-fighting molecules
One compound extends survival time by thirty-six percent; sixteen percent of mice treated with the second molecule survived with no obvious symptoms
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University of Portsmouth to test antibacterial gown
Hospital garb is coated with an anti-microbial coating known as Permagard; effort intended to mitigate MRSA transmission; unique design also minimizes contact with nurses
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FluMist found to reduce childhood infections by 55 percent
Report comes soon after FDA approves Medimmune’s refrigerated vaccine; heightened asthma risks for infants cited; company looks poised to run away with the novel flu vaccine market, especially if deal with Iomai goes through
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Air Force deploys mobile bioweapons detection labs
Equipped with $100,000 in equipment, the trailer can quickly identify fourteen biological agents; McConnell Air Force Base plays host; mobile testing marches on
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DHS to consolidate Centers of Excellence program
Three centers focussing on biological and chemical weapons will merge; four new centers to come on line; decision prompted by congressional criticism and threatened budget cuts
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Arkansas researchers develop new avian flu sensor
Swab samples from birds’ throats are exposed to micofluidic biochips; resulting complex is measured with a microelectrode array; researchers currently looking for funding
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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.