Archive for the 'Biotechnology' Category
Hundreds of Bioterror Lab Mishaps Cloaked in Secrecy
August 17th, 2014I find it remarkable that we know even this much. Via: USA Today: More than 1,100 laboratory incidents involving bacteria, viruses and toxins that pose significant or bioterror risks to people and agriculture were reported to federal regulators during 2008 through 2012, government reports obtained by USA TODAY show. More than half these incidents were […]
Government Scientist “Accidentally” Mixed a Deadly Strain of Bird Flu with a Tamer Strain and Sent the Mix to Other Labs
August 16th, 2014Via: NBC: A government scientist who accidently mixed a deadly strain of bird flu with a tamer strain and sent the mix to other labs kept silent about the potentially dangerous lab blunder, according to an internal investigation. The accident happened in January at the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in […]
U.S. Scientist Finds 300 More Vials After Smallpox Discovery
July 27th, 2014😯 Via: AP: The same federal scientist who found forgotten vials of smallpox at a federal lab earlier this month also uncovered over 300 additional vials, many bearing the names of highly contagious viruses and bacteria. Food and Drug Administration officials said Wednesday the undocumented collection contained 327 carefully packaged vials, listing various pathogens, including […]
Britain: Government Accused of Dishonesty Over GM Babies
July 27th, 2014Via: Independent: The Government has been accused of misleading the public over the introduction of a new in vitro fertilisation (IVF) technique that some experts believe will result in the birth of “genetically modified babies”. Leading scientists, including Lord Winston, an early pioneer of fertility treatment, have criticised the Department of Health for trying to […]
“U.S. Scientist Creates Deadly New Flu Strain for Pandemic Research”
July 6th, 2014*wink* Via: Independent: A controversial scientist who carried out provocative research on making influenza viruses more infectious has completed his most dangerous experiment to date by deliberately creating a pandemic strain of flu that can evade the human immune system. Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Wisconsin-Madison has genetically manipulated the 2009 strain of pandemic […]
Australia: Genetically Modified Grass for Dairy Cows Sparks Concern
June 24th, 2014The issue with GM crops polluting neighboring farms in Australia is particularly grim. See: Steve Marsh: The future of organic and non GM food in Australia is uncertain after a WA farmer today lost his legal battle with a neighbouring farmer. Steve Marsh lost organic certification on his Kojonup farm – and most of his […]
American Scientists Recreate Deadly Spanish Flu Virus
June 12th, 2014Via: Independent: The extinct influenza virus that caused the worst flu pandemic in history has been recreated from fragments of avian flu found in wild ducks in a controversial experiment to show how easy it would be for the deadly flu strain to reemerge today. Scientists said the study involved infecting laboratory ferrets with close […]
Oregon Counties Ban GM Crops
May 26th, 2014Via: IB Times: Voters in two Oregon counties approved ballot initiatives Tuesday banning the cultivation of genetically modified crops. The ballot measures add Jackson and Josephine, neighboring counties in southwestern Oregon, to the growing list of places around the world that have outlawed the highly controversial GMO crops from being grown within their borders. The […]
Scientists Create 1st Living Organism From Artificial DNA
May 7th, 2014Via: U.S. News and World Report: Move over, Frankenstein! Your 21st-century counterpart has just been announced. In true sci-fi fashion, a team of researchers from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) in La Jolla, Calif., has created a brand-new bacteria based on a genetic structure found nowhere on Earth. According to lead researcher Floyd Romesberg, the […]
Plant Breeders Release First ‘Open Source Seeds’
April 17th, 2014Via: NPR: A group of scientists and food activists is launching a Thursday to change the rules that govern seeds. They’re releasing 29 new varieties of crops under a new “open source pledge” that’s intended to safeguard the ability of farmers, gardeners and plant breeders to share those seeds freely. It’s inspired by the example […]
