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Achaogen announces $24.7 million DTRA deal to combat anthrax and plague
Four-year deal with Defense Threat Reduction Agency will focus on inhibiting antibiotic-resistant strains; once weakened, bacteria are vulnerable to fluoroquinolones and other antibacterial drugs; deal comes in the wake of a succesfully completed Series B funding round
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Listening in on bacteria “conversations” help in efforts to keep deadly infections in check
There may be a debate about the legality of eavesdropping by the NSA on U.S. phone conversation, but few would question listening in on conversations among bacteria – conversations carried out by chemical signals bacteria use to communicate with each other – because these conversations give us knowledge on how to block deadly infections
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Judge allows Boston biosafety lab to continue construction
Level 4 facility will study deadly microbes such as ebola and anthrax, and so local residents are reasonably nervous; court allows NIH-sponsored program to continue while environmental and public health concerns are reevaluated; possibility left open for a future injunction
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Biowarfare threat a business opportunity for laboratory industry
Planned expansion of secure bioweapons labs creates a demand for equipment; water testing devices a critical need; automated cyanide analyzers, total organic content, and purge-and-trap sample concentrators among other specialized tools
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PharmAthene and Medarex receive DoD grant for anthrax treatment
Unlike antibiotics, the companies’ monoclonal antibody approach should be effective days after exposure; an effective attack will be surreptitious, so the need for long-term treatment is great
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University of Minnesota seeks grant extension for food and bioterror efforts
National Center for Food Protection and Defense nears the end of a three year grant; center a leader in the field with innovative approaches in sensor and analytic technology, data management, and predictive software
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Court delays opening of California bioterrorism defense lab, citing safety concerns
They say about some do-gooders that they love humanity — it is people they don’t like; the same with biodefense labs: Communities love the idea of more jobs, more money, and more development which these biodefense labs bring, they just don’t like the associated safety risks; in the latest case, a court puts on hold the construction of a lab at Lawrence Livermore
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E. coli outbreak renews skirmishes along old war front
The recent E. coli outbreak renewed the fighting between supporters of the chemical fertilizer industry and advocates of organic farming; the former point to the outbreak as proof of the dangers inherent in relying on manure as fertilizer; the latter said that if manure is the culprit, then it is because of the rapid growth of animal feedlots which generate huge quantities of tainted manure — and that tainted manure is the result of feeding feedlot cattle grain, instead of their natural food — pasture grass; the digestive system and acid balance of ruminants evolved over thousands of years to break down grass, not high-production, refined rations; organic livestock, raised on pasture, have a healthy digestive system which kills the E. coli 0157 pathogen
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Livermore Lab develops new pathogen detection system; seeks partners to commercialize
Scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory develop an autonomous pathogen detection system which boasts many advantages over existing products; the lab is now seeking industrial partners to commercialize the invention
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Universal flu vaccination could spur anti-bird flu efforts
Studies find flu vaccines are not as effective as once believed; no effect on death rates among elderly; universal vaccination closes the gap by stopping transmission from the young; building up laboratory infrastructure now could pay dividends in the future
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Tularemia detected in St. Louis
DHS’s BioWatch sensors identified the rabbit fever near Busch Stadium; officials discount terrorism; tulermia common in Missouri in the summer and fall; though outbreak was benign, BioWatch proves its mettle
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SIGA Technologies announces small pox drug breakthrough
Not a vaccine, the company’s once a day, orally administered treatment succesfully stops a smallpox infection after exposure; an excited NIH provides $16.5 million for further development
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The Volunteers launch center to train farmers and food producers to guard against terrorism
As the fear of agroterrorism grows, DHS and other U.S. government agencies fund a University of Tennessee center to educate farmers and communities on how to prepare for and cope with terrorism against the U.S. food supply
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New record-keeping requirements coming for beef product users
Starting 9 January 2007, food processors and cosmetic manufacturers will have to document that they do not use prohibited beef products such as the small intestine, brain, and spinal cord; new rules a response to mad cow fears; specific documentation practices to be announced soon
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Canada reports botulism cases connected to carrot juice
Food Inspection Agency joins FDA in warning against Bugs Bunny’s favorite drink; a sad story, but an opportunity to take a second look at two companies trying to help stop outbreaks; focus on anthrax makes botulism poisoning a low priority for federal planners
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The long view
Global Anxiety and the Security Dimension: From Personal Despair to Political Violence
Uncertainty and despair—born of economic insecurity, social isolation, and widening inequality—have fueled a striking surge in anxiety across the United States. But this mental-health crisis is not confined by borders.
The Silent Epidemic: America’s Growing Anxiety Crisis
Anxiety—once dismissed as mere nerves or a passing phase—has become one of the most prevalent and debilitating public health issues facing Americans today. how did we get here—and what do we do now?