Recent News

By Region: South America

David Hoffman: On biology: promise and peril

(Foreign Policy) We live in an age of breathtaking advances in the life sciences. Achievements in sequencing, or plotting the genetic blueprint of an organism, have been astounding, and may lead to great benefits in public health and medicine. But biological research can be dual-use: that which improves the lot of mankind can also be  Read More »

Bracelets made from deadly seeds recalled

(Telegraph.co.uk) It contains the toxin abrin, a controlled substance under the Terrorism Act that if swallowed can kill in doses of just 3 micrograms. It is related to ricin, the chemical warfare agent. People who have bought the bracelets are being urged to bag them …

Biological Weapons Convention Conference Issues Final Document

(Global Security Newswire) The seventh review conference for the Biological Weapons Convention ended on Thursday with a call for all member states to demonstrate their adherence to the accord’s rules, the United Nations announced. Participating states agreed to a revised reporting document that nations would submit annually as a means of promoting confidence that their  Read More »

Biological Weapons Under Review at the BTWC

(Stimson News) The Seventh Review Conference of the Biological and Toxins Weapons Convention (BTWC) is currently underway in Geneva, Switzerland, through December 22.  At this meeting, countries are discussing a range of issues concerning the BTWC, which is one of two treaties that govern efforts by the international community to prevent an attack with a  Read More »

Historic ‘Grand Challenge’ launched: Create low-cost devices for rapid disease diagnosis

(McLaughlin-Rotman Centre for Global Health) Grand Challenges Canada and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have teamed up on an unprecedented global effort to discover and develop affordable, easy-to-use tools to help developing country health workers rapidly diagnose diseases in rural communities. The expected result: more timely and appropriate treatment of illnesses in poor countries,  Read More »