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New method for identifying bacteria in a hurry
There are several ways to identify bacteria, but they all take time; one thing emergency units will not have during a suspected bioterror attack is time, so this new method of identifying deadly bacteria will be more than welcome
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Study questions simple link between prion proteins and Mad Cow disease
Scientists assumed that prion-protein can be absorbed across the gut, thus facilitating the infections of individuals by the Mad Cow disease; new study raises questions about this assumption
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Missouri residents unhappy with BioDefense lab idea
MU wants to use DHS funds to build two research centers to study deadly disease, but residents of Columbia, Missouri are worried about safety
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Slow Q4 sales affect Strategic Diagnostics' 2005 financial results
A company offering sophisticated solutions for water and food quality monitoring suffers as a result of decline in large U.S. water monitoring projects
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MU to build bio- and agro-defense research centers, drawing $500 in federal funding
DHS wants to build more advanced biolabs to research for remedies for bio- and agroterror, and Missouri University brings two such centers to campus
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Aggies bid on DHS BSL-4 biolab
Texas A&M also hopes to persuade DHS that it is the ideal location for a biolab which would challenge the one on Plum Island
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Brandt uses GlobalTrack for beef safety
A supplier of quality steaks deploys a sophisticated tracking system to ensure safety — and quality — of its products
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It's the water, stupid
The attention to water production and water quality has been growing among politicians and investors — and for good reason: The world’s growing population needs more water, and the reality of industrial pollution and risk of terrorism make keeping an eye on water purity and quality a must
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The long view
What We’ve Learned from Survivors of the Atomic Bombs
Q&A with Dr. Preetha Rajaraman, New Vice Chair for the Radiation Effects Research Foundation in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.
Combatting the Measles Threat Means Examining the Reasons for Declining Vaccination Rates
Measles was supposedly eradicated in Canada more than a quarter century ago. But today, measles is surging. The cause of this resurgence is declining vaccination rates.
Social Networks Are Not Effective at Mobilizing Vaccination Uptake
The persuasive power of social networks is immense, but not limitless. Vaccine preferences, based on the COVID experience in the United States, proved quite insensitive to persuasion, even through friendship networks.
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.
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.”
“Tulsi Gabbard as US Intelligence Chief Would Undermine Efforts Against the Spread of Chemical and Biological Weapons”: Expert
The Senate, along party lines, last week confirmed Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National intelligence. One expert on biological and chemical weapons says that Gabbard’s “longstanding history of parroting Russian propaganda talking points, unfounded claims about Syria’s use of chemical weapons, and conspiracy theories all in efforts to undermine the quality of the community she now leads” make her confirmation a “national security malpractice.”