US 'unaware' of emerging bioterror threats 16:00 31 January 2006 NewScientist.com news service Kurt Kleiner http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn8656 Related Articles Closed for business 09 October 2004 Milk supplies at risk from terrorist toxin 29 June 2005 Search New Scientist Contact us Web Links National Academy of Sciences Peter A Singer, University of Toronto Steven M Block, Stanford University The life sciences are developing so quickly that a watch list of dangerous pathogens and toxins is useless in fighting the threat of bioterrorism, says a new report from the US National Academy of Sciences. The report, on "next generation" bioterrorism, was requested by the US government. It concludes that intelligence agencies are too focused on specific lists of bacteria and viruses, and are not aware of emerging threats. Focusing on the list of about 60 "select agents", such as the smallpox virus and botulism toxin, might simply divert resources from newer and more dangerous threats, such as RNA interference, synthetic biology or nanotechnology. Our report "pushes back against the monomaniacal focus on bacteria, against the idea that if you can write a list of bad bacteria and control them then you're okay," says Peter A Singer, a bioethicist at the University of Toronto, Canada, who was on the NAS report committee. As examples, the report suggests it might soon be possible to engineer a virulent pathogen from scratch using DNA synthesis and that advances in gene therapy might make it possible to release an aerosol of a harmful gene that would be inhaled by victims. Insect terror An especially insidious threat, says the report, comes with more knowledge of bioregulators – chemical compounds that regulate bodily functions. Terrorists could potentially develop bioregulators that disrupt the immune system, neurological system or endocrine system. The report also criticises efforts to prevent bioterrorism by clamping down on the free flow of scientific information – this will only backfire and leave the US unprepared against a new generation of threats. Furthermore, discouraging foreign scientists from working on sensitive topics in the US will only threaten to cripple the ability to respond to threats, the report says. For example, background checks that can stretch to a year discourage foreign scientists from coming to the US, denying the US their expertise. "There's the famous expression that when you build a wall, always make sure you know what you're walling in and what you're walling out. [The US has] set up a set of mechanisms that have the power to do more harm than good," says Steven M Block, a biophysicist at Stanford University, California, and another member of the committee. The best defence, according to the report, is for the US to encourage a free flow of information among international scientists while also setting up international agreements that prohibit work intended specifically for biological weapons. In the shorter term, the US should set up a special committee to monitor scientific developments and report to intelligence agencies, the report says.
I don't think the US is "unaware" of anything. Tell me, how would the world leaders make out with 2-3 billion less people on the planet? Does it seem to anyone else that the USA is TRYING to fucked the world over?
Did you have a point in there somewhere, dkb? So the US knows everything? Absolutely everything? That must come as a shock to the other party every time there's an election. I mean, if they knew they were going to lose, why would they run? Odd, that. Geoff
No point at all Professor Geoff. I just like pissing you off by making post with no point whatsoever. I mean, I like wake up every morining thinking to myself, "how can I get the Professor to respond to me?" Sometimes I use misspelled words. Or sometimes I Just ramble on and on with no apparent point whatsoever knowing it'll get a response from youse. Oh how my life has been made whole just knowing you'll respond to what I write. I feels so fortunate just knowing you're just around the corner. Oh Geoff! I'm gonna run home and write a poem in honor to you! Talk to you later suga! Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!
Hey dkb dont tell me this wanker has been giving you , like me , spelling lessons ? Has he called you Al-dkb yet ? Amazing ! Vincent was right all Israelis are arseholes and Geoff is a living example of this .
Well, you both clearly need the lessons...I understand what you're trying to say. You want me to start charging you for the lessons. No problem. 0.10/word fair? Also, I never called all Arab arseholes, so your attack on Israelis is...well...kinda racist. Bet that comes as a shock to ya. Geoff
This thread is so intelligent. Anyway, America's CIA is in shambles right now, since it's in the midst of being revamped. The CIA Directorate of Operations is nothing like it was at the end of the Cold War, since the CIA found themselves wondering, "What is our purpose?". So I suppose it's possible for America to not be aware of the emerging bioterror threat, but I mean, come on. There's also the threat of tornadoes and earthquakes and volcanoes and other things, but they happen every once in awhile. Just like bioterror attacks. It's not like we can do much to stop a group that's got bioterror weapons in the US, the same as we can't do much to stop an erupting volcano. Let the chips fall where they may. AmishRakeFight
