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Op-Ed – Dual-Use Research: Is it possible to protect the public without encroaching rights?
T. Tosin Fadeyi, Master’s Candidate, Biotechnology (Biodefense and Biosecurity Concentration), University of Maryland Read More »
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Book Review: Bioinsecurity and Vulnerability
Reviewed by T. Tosin Fadeyi Edited by Nancy N. Chen and Lesley A. Read More »
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Op-Ed – Microbial Forensic Attribution: Where Science Meets International Relations
Christopher A. Bidwell, JD, Senior Fellow for Nonproliferation Law and Policy, Federation of American Read More »
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Op-Ed – Science Needs for Microbial Forensics: Developing Initial International Research Priorities
Committee on Science Needs Microbial Forensics: Developing an Initial International Roadmap, Board on Read More »
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Op-Ed – A Necessary Biopreparedness Priority: Strengthening the Medical Countermeasures Enterprise
Christina England, Master’s Candidate, Security Policy, University of Maryland School of Public Policy; Read More »
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About Virtual Biosecurity Center
Hitting America’s Soft underbelly: The Potential Threat of Deliberate Biological Attacks Against the U.S. Agricultural and Food Industry
This study aims to expand the current debate on domestic homeland security by assessing the vulnerabilities of the agricultural sector and the food chain to a deliberate act of biological terrorism. The author presents the current state of research on threats to agricultural livestock and produce, outlines the sector’s importance to the U.S. economy, examines the capabilities that are needed to exploit the vulnerabilities in the food industry, and explores the likely outcomes of a successful attack. The author addresses the question of why terrorists have yet to employ agricultural assaults as a method of operation and offers proposed recommendations for the U.S. policymaking community.
By Peter Chalk
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