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Sen. Roberts: NBAF Construction Set To Begin

(KCUR) Senator Pat Roberts’ office says the official groundbreaking for the National Bio and Agro Defense Facility will take place next Tuesday, May 28, on the site in Manhattan. The first phase of the project is to construct a utility plant and emergency power capacity dedicated to the top security labs.The $1.2 billion dollar facility Read More »

May 24, 2013
| Filed under Biological Weapons, Biosafety, Countermeasures, Policy & Initiatives, Public Health, and Research
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Development underway for first transgenic sugarcane plantation

(The Jakarta Post) The National Genetically Modified Product Biosafety Commission (KKHPRG) recently approved the first genetically-altered sugarcane crop, paving the way for the development of transgenic sugarcane for commercial production. Bambang Purwantara, a member of the commission, said that the institutions which held the mandate to approve biotech plants had all given the nod to Read More »

May 22, 2013
| Filed under Agriculture, Biosafety, and International
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Test IDs All Foot-and-Mouth Virus Serotypes

(Laboratory Equipment) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have developed a new cell line that rapidly and accurately detects foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), which causes a highly contagious and economically devastating disease in cattle and other cloven-hoofed animals.The cell line was created by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Read More »

May 22, 2013
| Filed under Agriculture, Biosafety, and Research
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Patent-Protected Technology Ended Up on FDA Website, Companies Charge

(Food Safety News) Two small Maryland companies have launched a campaign to publicize their allegations that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stole their patented technology. The two small businesses, FoodQuestTQ, LLC and Projectioneering LLC are charging that FDA took patent-protected computer automated risk management tools they developed and are now making them available Read More »

May 22, 2013
| Filed under Agriculture and Biosafety
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Homeland Security: An Overall Strategy Is Needed to Strengthen Disease Surveillance in Livestock and Poultry

(GAO) Under a new approach, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has begun broadening its previous disease-by-disease approach to disease surveillance to one in which the agency monitors the overall health of livestock and poultry and uses additional sources and types of data to better detect and control Read More »

May 22, 2013
| Filed under Agriculture, Biosafety, and Policy & Initiatives
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Upcoming Events More »
- 6th Ecological Impact of Genetically Modified Organisms (EIGMO) Meeting
  
  June 3, 2013
  
  6th EIGMO meeting by the IOBC/WPRS Working Group “GMOs in Integrated Plant Production”. Read More »
- Point of Care Systems for Biosurveillance
  
  June 17, 2013
  
  The National Strategy for Biosurveillance, July 2012, is formulated around four core functions: Read More »
- Next Generation Biodefense & Security Exhibition
  
  June 17, 2013
  
  Next Generation Biodefense & Security 2013 will bring together senior level delegates from Read More »
- Biodetection Technologies 2013
  
  June 18, 2013
  
  BIODETECTION TECHNOLOGIES 2013 – the 21st conference in our Detection Technologies conference series Read More »
- George Mason University HSEC 0300: Pandemics, Bioterrorism, and International Security
  
  July 22, 2013
  
  Course Description This three-day, non-credit short-course is designed to introduce participants to the Read More »
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Recent Blog Posts More »
- Op-Ed – Improving Intelligence on Emerging Bioweapons Threats: New Engagements Needed Between Intelligence and Academia
  
  Kathleen M. Vogel, Associate Professor, Department of Science and Technology Studies and the Read More »
- Op-Ed – With the Changing Biological threat…smart international engagement policy would lower cost and increase national security.
  
  David R. Franz, DVM, Ph.D. Former Commander US Army Medical Research Institute of Read More »
- Op-Ed – The Biological Weapons Program of the Soviet Union
  
  Milton Leitenberg Senior Research Scholar Center for International Security Studies, School of Public Read More »
- Op-Ed – Building Capacity for Global Health and Biosecurity – Moving from Siloes to Systems
  
  Julie E. Fischer Senior Associate Stimson Global Health Security Program Human actions continually Read More »
- Op-Ed – The Bangladesh Biosafety & Biosecurity Association: Taking Action to Promote and Foster Local Biosecurity and Biosafety Initiatives and Training
  
  Dr. Asadulghani President, BBBA Head, Biosafety & Biosafety Level 3 Laboratory, icddr,b Mohakhali, Read More »

The Virtual Biosecurity Center (VBC) is a global multi-organizational initiative spearheaded by the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) committed to countering the threat posed by the development or use of biological weapons and the responsible use of science and technology. The VBC is the ‘one stop shop’ for biosecurity information, education, best practices, and collaboration.

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Case Studies in Dual Use Biological Research
Technical advances in modern molecular biology have increased the risk that research ... Read More »

New Directions: The Ethics of Synthetic Biology and Emerging Technologies
The Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues released its first report ... Read More »

GAO Report: Biosurveillance Strategy
The U.S. government has a history of employing health surveillance to help limit ... Read More »

Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention
Opened for Signature: April 10, 1972 Entered into Force: March 26, 1975 Ratified by ... Read More »

Defense of United States Agriculture and Food
Defense of United States Agriculture and Food “establishes a national policy ... Read More »