Recent News

By Category: Policy & Initiatives

Activists warn over synthetic biology

(Deccan Chronicle) In genetic engineering, a gene or two are manipulated. What if scientists indulge in digital writing of genetic code and tinker with plants and animals? Environment activists warn that synthetic biology or extreme genetic engineering is a fast emerging threat to biodiversity, as it will change the genetic make-up of species concerned. Extreme Read More »

October 15, 2012
| Filed under North America, Agriculture, Policy & Initiatives, Public Health, and Research
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Dr. Ian Lipkin Addresses Concerns over Potentially Hazardous H5N1 Influenza Research

(Health Canal) Last year, two independent research groups bred new strains of H5N1 influenza with enhanced transmissibility in mammals. In nature, the global lethality of H5N1—kills nearly 60% of cases—is curbed only by its inability to easily spread from person-to-person. With biosafety concerns raised over the possible release of these H5N1 strains, via accident or Read More »

October 15, 2012
| Filed under Asia/Pacific, North America, Agents & Toxins, Policy & Initiatives, Public Health, and Research
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Chem-Bio Division ‘focused’ on saving lives

(DVIDS) What if warfighters had chemical-biological suits that were worn as an everyday uniform? What if it could take only weeks to decontaminate an area the size of an airfield from anthrax without causing additional damage to the environment? What if new drugs could be tested on human organ surrogates to determine effectiveness? These are Read More »

October 10, 2012
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, Biosafety, Policy & Initiatives, and Research
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Experts ponder H5N1 research moratorium issues

(CIDRAP) The moratorium on research leading to more-transmissible H5N1 avian influenza viruses, originally set for 60 days, has remained in place for 8 months without a clear end in sight, but a series of commentaries in mBio today from experts familiar with the issues offers some clues for possible next steps. In an introduction to Read More »

October 10, 2012
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, Policy & Initiatives, Public Health, and Research
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Government to Amend Select Agents and Toxins List

(Global Biodefense) The federal government this week unveiled plans for a new “tiered” designation of pathogens on the Select Agent and Toxins List. The changes require more stringent precautions at scientific facilities holding any of the newly designated “Tier 1″ agents, which include Bacillus anthracis, Burkholderia mallei and pseudomallei, Foot-and-mouth disease virus, Ebola, Marburg virus Read More »