Biological and Chemical Weapons
Chem-Bio Blurbs: Recent Developments in the Field
CBW Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 2 (August 2002)
Lugar amendment seeks release of funds for Russian CW destruction plant
31 July: Senator Richard Lugar (R-IN) attached an amendment to the Defense Appropriations bill passed by the Senate in late July that would grant a permanent waiver of certification in regards to funds targeted for the construction of a chemical weapons destruction facility at Shchuchye, Russia. Current congressional requirements dictate that the administration must annually certify that Russia has met a series of preconditions in order to receive certain types of disarmament assistance. The waiver would free up millions of dollars that have been on hold for Shchuchye in recent years, including $50 million allocated in the FY02 defense budget. Shchuchye is home to almost 15 percent of Russia’s stockpile of chemical weapons. Granting of the waiver could still be challenged in the House of Representatives.
Group prepares to discuss free flow of scientific information
27 July: In response to a request from the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), the National Academy of Sciences will convene a forum to examine whether the scientific community should rethink the degree of detail published in studies that could be used by individuals seeking to mount a bioterrorist attack. ASM was concerned by authors’ requests that portions of their articles be omitted before being published in the organization’s journals to prevent misuse. However, many scientists worry that such restraint will stifle progress by not allowing researchers to build on each other’s work
.Scientists assemble polio virus from component parts
19 July: Scientists at Stony Brook University in New York created the first synthetic polio virus from bits of DNA sequencing ordered from commercial sources. The researchers wished to draw attention to the possibility that in the future, terrorists may seek to create lethal biological agent strains in a laboratory in the same manner. Other scientific experts, countered that the polio genome has significantly fewer base pairs (7,500)than viruses like smallpox, which has 185,000. Base pairs are the building blocks that must be reassembled to build the genome.
CDC celebrates unveiling of top of the line toxin lab
19 July: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) unveiled a new toxin laboratory in Chamblee, Georgia that could be central to investigations in the event of a terrorist attack using chemical weapons. Outfitted with top-of-the-line equipment, the toxin lab would be able to detect what substances were used out of 120 different chemical agents, and what exposure levels might have resulted. The previous CDC facilities at which such work would have been undertaken were older and in poor condition, raising concerns about contamination of the work. The US military has labs of similar design and technological advancement, but the lab at Chamblee will be the primary civilian government facility of its type.
Gerberding assumes helm of CDC
3 July: President Bush appointed Julie Gerberding, MD, MPH, to head the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, filling the position left vacant by Dr. Jeffrey Koplan, who left the CDC at the end of March. Formerly the acting deputy director of the CDC’s National Center for Infectious Diseases, Gerberding has been leading efforts to prepare for biological terrorism and had an active role in the investigation into the anthrax attacks last fall. As the new director, Gerberding will be responsible for balancing the more traditional public health responsibilities of the $6.8 billion dollar institution with new initiatives for bioterrorism prevention and response.