Senate Committee Examines Biological Security and Dual-Use Research

(C-SPAN) The Senate Homeland Security Committee held a hearing on dual-use research and how it can be used for bioterrorism. In recent years, concerns over dual-use research, which can be used for both beneficial scientific and medical purposes and bioterrorism, have grown due to advances in biotechnology that allow us create synthetic viruses in the laboratory.Following 9/11 and the 2001 Anthrax attacks, the National Academy of Sciences released a report in 2003 entitled “Biotechnology Research in an Age of Terrorism” which made recommendations for handling dual-use research.