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Fighting the bioterror of the future
Not only generals fight the last war, so do biologists; so a Stanford biologist suggests a refocusing of the U.S. bioterror effort toward a more open-ended approach
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Bush's 2007 budget: Increases for bioterrorism IT
Highlights of the bioterrorism aspects of the proposed 2007 budget
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Bush 2007 budget: Mixed message for farmers
Highlights of the food supply aspects of the proposed 2007 budget
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USDA faulted for lax implementation of mad cow disease safety regulations
The USDA has a division in charge of ensuring food supply safety; the USDA inspector general does not think they do a very good job, and the Japanese, who imposed a U.S. beef importation ban, agree, insisting on sending their own inspectors to monitor U.S. slaughterhouses
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UMass-Amherst to lead national effort on animal disease
Another academic-led effort, this time to ensure early detection and tacking of diseased animals
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BU biolab raises evacuation concern
BU cleared the legal hurdles to building a Level 4 biolab on campus — and the city of Boston’s evacuation plans in case of a disaster come under scrutiny
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EU to fine France for lax security in biotech research
The EU has strict law governing biotech research, whether for biodefense or genetic modification of crops, and France has been in violation of these strictures
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National Research Council warns of biological threats
NRC joins a number of other scientific bodies warning of terror-related perils attendant to medical and biotech research, but says that extra layer of secrecy is not the solution
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Construction of controversial BU Biosafety Level 4 lab to move forward
BU wants to build an advanced lab on campus to handle the most dangerous biological agents; neighbors tried to block construction, and filed
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Bacterial pore detection system company bolsters marketing of product
Anthrax detection device maker signs an important marketing agreement with an energetic security consultant and training company, the customer of which it wants to reach
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Advances in life sciences may offer terrorists novel bioterror weapons
As is the case with other aspects of technology, the onward march of biotechnology holds both promise and peril
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U.S. pandemic preparation and response are mostly local affairs, which experts say is not good
The U.S. government may talk about a nation-wide plan to combat a pandemic, but when it comes down to it most of what will be done — or not done — when a pandemic hits will be locally determined
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Federal judge: EPA director Whitman misled about NY air safety after 9/11, increasing -- even creating -- danger to public
Federal judge says former EPA director knowingly misled the public and New York City authorities about the presence of toxins in the air in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, thus contributing — perhaps even causing — many of the health problems which ensued
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Metrics: Money allocated to security grows
Motivational speakers accentuate the positive, but fear is also a great motivator — just see what countries and companies are planning to spend on defense this year
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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.”