TweetA $6.4 million brownfield tax incentive for Emergent BioSolutions, Inc., a developer of the anthrax vaccine, successfully cleared a procedural roadblock on Monday after the Lansing City Council held a public hearing on the matter. The incentive would collect new … Read More

TweetThe health department in Marion County, West Virginia, is planning a simulated public health emergency for June to ensure that it is prepared for anthrax scares, flu outbreaks and other emergency situations. The Marion County Health Department facility has had … Read More

TweetFBI officials say that they have halted a series of threatening letters containing white powder, though no comment was made on whether or not an arrest had been made in the case. The bureau assured the public that the white … Read More

TweetThe proposed National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Manhattan, Kansas, overcame a major obstacle on Wednesday when $75 million in funding for it was included in a proposed 2013 budget by the House of Representatives. The facility now has a … Read More

TweetTwo envelopes containing white powder and marked “anthrax” were found in Portland, Ore., on Wednesday and have been examined for possible toxic substances. The preliminary tests on the first envelope, found at the Portland International Airport, found no dangerous substances. … Read More

TweetDeliberations by the National Research Council continued last week over the plans for the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility proposed for the Manhattan, Kansas-based Kansas State University campus. The controversial biodefense facility is under review by oversight agencies. A special … Read More

TweetResearchers at the School of Biotechnology at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, India, have developed therapeutic antibodies to fight against anthrax infection. Rakesh Bhatnagar, the lead scientist for the project, previously developed an anthrax vaccine that is now undergoing … Read More

TweetPork producers in Canada’s Manitoba province have exceeded expectations in their participation in the recent National Biosecurity Training Program, according to the Canadian Swine Health Board’s biosecurity coordinator for the province. Brad Chappell, a swine veterinarian with Swine Health Professionals … Read More

TweetThe U.S. federal government will soon request that university officials comment on how to most effectively implement the newly released dual use research policy at the university level. Anthony Fauci, the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious … Read More

TweetAgents from the Department of Homeland Security plan to run bioterrorism tests on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority by releasing live bacteria into local subway tunnels this summer. The bacteria strain, which is harmless to individuals who are healthy, will … Read More

TweetPool Re, a state-backed British reinsurer, has $7.327 billion worth of assets to cover the Olympic Games and will not increase premiums for the event. Pool Re covers terror attack-connected losses for commercial property. Any bombings, bioattacks or incidents that … Read More

TweetFuad El-Hibri, the executive chairman of Maryland-based Emergent BioSolutions, Inc., has been named the Executive of the Year by the Tech Council of Maryland, the state’s largest association for life science and technology. El-Hibri was presented with the award at … Read More

TweetRep. F. James Sensenbrenner, Jr. (R-Wis.), in an editorial for the Washington Times, said that the federal government must implement its new policy on dual-use research effectively to improve the country’s biological security. Sensenbrenner discussed the back and forth nature … Read More

TweetWith an estimated rise in the price of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility on the Kansas State University campus to $1.14 billion, officials are uncertain if the project will ever be completed. The original project price of the Manhattan, … Read More

TweetAfter an anthrax outbreak killed two people in the Upper East region of Ghana, the Upper East Regional Health Service received approximately 3,400 vaccinations to administer to animals. The outbreak occurred in the Bawku area and killed two people after … Read More

TweetHazmat officers in Houston’s Kingwood neighborhood have determined that a white powdery substance delivered to an area woman in a padded envelope on Friday was inert. The woman visited the Kingwood annex police station after receiving an envelope with a … Read More

TweetIsraeli scientists have found a way to amplify the protective effect of a natural detoxification enzyme made in the liver to be used to counter nerve gas attacks by terrorists. The biological catalyst, called paraoxonase 1, was made as much … Read More

TweetThe lead researcher of a scientific team that created a strain of H5N1 avian influenza transmissible in ferrets recently announced that he is prepared to defy Dutch laws that have prevented him from submitting his work for publication. Ron Fouchier … Read More

TweetAn unidentified and suspicious looking package prompted an emergency evacuation of the Timmins Post Office in Timmins, Ontario, Canada, on Wednesday shortly after 4 p.m. The Timmins Fire Department and the Timmins Police Service arrived on the scene after the … Read More

TweetA new magazine said to be put out by an al-Qaeda explosives expert explains a detailed plan by the terrorist organization to smuggle chemicals onto airlines during the busiest air travel season. The plan, called al-Qaeda Airlines, focuses on creating … Read More

TweetA National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity member recently claimed that the decision on the fate of two controversial research papers on the H5N1 avian flu virus was biased in favor of their full publication. Michael Osterholm, an NSABB member … Read More

TweetThe National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity, which recently lifted its objections to the publication of two controversial bird flu studies, has raised new concerns about the research conducted by Dutch scientists. The biosecurity panel submitted a report to the … Read More

TweetA Westfall Township, Pennsylvania Walmart was evacuated and closed on Tuesday after the discovery of an unknown white powdery substance. The powdery substance was found in a self-checkout lane at approximately 1 p.m. A front end manager found the powder … Read More

TweetResearchers with the South Wales-based Cassidian Systems have developed a small, automated biosensor that is able to detect and identify dangerous pathogens in water in a matter of minutes. The process of identifying deadly germs in water typically takes up … Read More

TweetThe Kansas-based 73rd Civil Support Team, Weapons of Mass Destruction, visited Fort Leavenworth from March 27-29 to conduct a training exercise related to chemical and biological threats. The Kansas CST is a joint effort by the Kansas Air National Guard … Read More

TweetThe attempt to censor science by redacting scientific research may cause the very bioterrorism problems it is trying to prevent, a a leading cyber-security specialist has revealed. Bruce Schneier, the chief security technology officer for the London-based telecommunications firm BT, … Read More

TweetA registered nurse from Portland, Oregon, entered a not guilty plea on Thursday to additional charges relating to more than 100 threatening letters he allegedly mailed to members of Congress in February. Christopher Carlson has been jailed without bond since … Read More

TweetTwo U.S. firms are working together to provide decision-making products and fast analysis for first-responder teams and explosive ordnance disposal. A-T Solutions, Inc., an anti- and counter-terrorism professional solutions firm, and Alluviam, LLC, a hazmat software and systems developer, signed … Read More

TweetAn envelope containing white powder was found on Monday in an Englewood, Colorado, prison where ousted Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich is serving a 14 year sentence. The powder was found in the prison’s mail room in a letter addressed to … Read More

TweetBlock MEMS, LLC, an engineering and development company for lasers and spectrometers, announced on Monday that it has been awarded a U.S. Department of Defense contract for its biological threat detector, the LaserScan Analyzer. Block MEMS received the award as … Read More