Biodefense – The threat, the cost and the priority | R&D roadmap points way to biological preparedness | Investigation follows trail of MERS virus in hospitals | Barely lethal – the growing use of ricin letters | New virus in patients with CNS infections possibly from livestock | U.S., South Korea hold joint bioterrorism exercise | New standing headquarters focuses on WMD elimination | Alchemists gone bad: What you should know about biological warfare | DHS to formalize lessons learned to guide future acquisitions | U.S. military CBRN team in Jordan planning for response in Syria | NIH aims to develop drugs that big pharma discarded | DHS wants BioWatch upgrade, but admits receding threat | HIV-derived antibacterial shows promise against drug-resistant bacteria | A biological threat prevention strategy: adversary acquisition of bioagents | Biotechnology: Innovations, applications and U.S. competitiveness | Pandemic surge: How bad could it possibly be?

See what we’re reading this week at Global Biodefense on topics like the release of the National Biosurveillance S&T roadmap, the cost of biodefense, U.S. CBRN forces pre-positioned in Jordan and more…

Biodefense – The threat, the cost and the priority (DomPrep)

R&D roadmap points way to biological preparedness (White House OSTP)

Investigation follows trail of MERS virus in hospitals (NY Times)

Barely lethal – the growing use of ricin letters (Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists)

New virus in patients with CNS infections possibly from livestock (ASM)

U.S., South Korea hold joint bioterrorism exercise (Stars and Stripes)

New standing headquarters focuses on WMD elimination (Defense.gov)

Alchemists gone bad: What you should know about biological warfare (Discover)

DHS to formalize lessons learned to guide future acquisitions (HSToday)

U.S. military CBRN team in Jordan planning for response in Syria (Washington Post)

NIH aims to develop drugs that big pharma discarded (Forbes)

DHS wants BioWatch upgrade, but admits receding threat (HSNW)