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By Category: Biosafety

U.S. Delegation Sees Security Risks at Ugandan Biolabs

U.S. Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) and Defense Department officials yesterday toured infectious disease laboratories at Entebbe, Uganda, where they worry security vulnerabilities could allow extremists access to dangerous pathogens for an act of bioterrorism, the New York Times reported (see GSN, Nov. 10). (Nov. 11) – U.S. Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) looks through a microscope  Read More »

HHS Seeks to Deter Creation of Synthetic Pathogens

The U.S. Health and Human Services Department yesterday issued advice to help companies that sell synthetic gene sequences prevent their products from being used to produce biological weapons, the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy reported yesterday (see GSN, Sept. 10). (Oct. 14) – Model DNA strands on display at a museum in London,  Read More »

US Finalizes Synthetic DNA Security Guidance

After years of discussion, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released final guidelines describing how synthetic DNA manufacturers should screen customers and the sequences they order to find those who aim to synthesize the genomes of dangerous pathogens. Draft guidelines released last November prompted concerns from all sides. Some worried that  Read More »

Regulations for Synthetic Biology Need to Address Risks and Rewards

How much should synthetic biology – the design and construction of new biological parts, devices and systems, and the redesign of existing, natural biological systems for useful purposes – be regulated? And by whom?

Plum Island bio lab an inviting target for terrorists

The bio lab on 840-acre Plum Island, a mile-and-a-half off Long Island’s Orient Point, is a Biosafety level 4 facility — the only type of research lab authorized to handle diseases that are communicable between humans and animals and for which there is no known cure; from a boat, terrorists armed with shoulder-fired rockets would  Read More »

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