Videos

Center for Biosecurity Sees Contagion

Center for Biosecurity of UPMC
Tom Inglesby, CEO, on the movie Contagion

February 10, 2012
| Filed under North America, Agents & Toxins, and Public Health

Dual Use Research: H5N1 Influenza Virus and Beyond

New York Academy of Sciences
… “a discussion between scientists, publishers, and ethicists that explored the myriad issues surrounding the impending publication of two controversial research studies on the avian influenza virus (H5N1). Here, the Academy presents the panel discussion in its entirety, featuring event moderator W. Ian Lipkin, MD, Center for Infection & Immunity at Columbia University, and panelists Arturo Casadevall, MD, PhD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and member, US National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB); Laurie Garrett, PhD, Council on Foreign Relations; Barbara R. Jasny, PhD, Science; Veronique Kiermer, PhD, Nature Publishing Group; Michael T. Osterholm, PhD, MPH, Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, University of Minnesota, and member, NSABB; Peter Palese, PhD, Mount Sinai School of Medicine; Vincent Racaniello, PhD, Columbia University; and Alan S. Ruldolph, PhD, Defense Threat Reduction Agency.”

February 10, 2012
| Filed under Europe, North America, Biosafety, Bioterrorism, International, Policy & Initiatives, Public Health, and Research

2001 foot-and-mouth outbreak legacy for agriculture

BBC News
“An outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease in 2001 brought the countryside to a standstill. Controversially instead of vaccination, a mass cull was ordered which led to 10 million animals being slaughtered. Max Cotton looked at what lessons have been learned as he spoke to farmer Philip Heard, Nick Brown who was agriculture minister from 1998 to 2001, and David Cotton from the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers.”

February 10, 2012
| Filed under Europe, Agriculture, and Policy & Initiatives

Debating research into mutant H5N1 flu virus

“On 2 February, scientists and public health officials squared off in a panel discussion at the New York Academy of Sciences. At stake, the fate of two papers which describe a mutant strain of the avian influenza virus H5N1. The virus is capable of mammal-to-mammal transmission, which has raised concern that it might be transferable to humans. Several panelists sat down with Nature News to discuss their positions prior to the panel discussion.

For more on the NYAS debate, visit our blog and see our web special about the ongoing controversy over H5N1.”

February 8, 2012
| Filed under Europe, North America, Agents & Toxins, Public Health, and Research

The Anthrax Diaries

A film by: Slawomir Grunberg
Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley
Slava Paperno
Kathleen M. Vogel
“… we were primarily interested in the psychological and social issues faced by the scientists who developed biological weapons. Many of them had taken the Hippocratic Oath. From the ethical point of view, it is important to understand how they reconciled the deadly aims of their work with the humanistic ambitions of their science.”