See what we’re reading this week at Global Biodefense on topics including France’s chemical defense posture, shortfalls in public health funding, filovirus vaccine research and more…
CHEMICAL WEAPONS
- Chemical weapons attack on Europe seems highly unlikely (The Guardian)
- Iraqi officials say ISIS has branch dedicated to chemical weapons (Newsweek)
- French medics are given supplies of nerve gas antidote (The Times)
- ISIS are preparing a chemical attack, warns French PM (Daily Mail)
- French PM Manuel Valls says chemical warfare risk not ruled out (NDTV)
BIODEFENSE POLICY & PRACTICES
- Principles for a WMD-Free Zone in the Middle East (U.S. State Department)
- U.S. public health funding on the decline (Reuters)
- Living Weapons: A scholarly analysis of biodefense (Tracking Zebra)
- International cooperation on WMD nonproliferation (CNS)
- What crisis? Scholarship and national security (War on the Rocks)
- Innovation in medical countermeasures as a critical enabler for biodefense (The Hill)
- Ebola outbreak: A system that failed (Harvard Gazette)
- Elimination of Weapons of Mass Destruction – Lessons learned (CNS)
- Why FDA should oversee laboratory developed tests (MDT)
- Biohackers push life to the limits with DIY biology (The Guardian)
- N.I.H. to end backing for invasive research on chimps (NY Times)
SELECT AGENTS
- An anthrax toxin variant with an improved activity in tumor targeting (Nature)
- Studies show Ebola RNA stable in blood, promise for filovirus vaccine (CIDRAP)
- Substrate-based inhibitors against Botulinum Neurotoxin A intoxication (Nature)
- Ebolavirus evolution: Past and present (PLOS Pathogens)
- Polyphosphate Kinase 2 from the intracellular pathogen F. tularensis (PubMed)
- Sequencing irradiated anthrax (LabRoots)
- Recombinant expression of B. anthracis lethal toxin components… (Science Direct)
- Reports probe semen Ebola viability, survivor eye problems (CIDRAP)
INFECTIOUS DISEASE COUNTERMEASURES
- New superbug in China threatens to defeat last-resort antibiotics (Stat)
- Modeling a postantibiotic world (UPMC Clinicians’ Biosecurity News)
- USDA issues 2nd request for proposals for HPAI vaccine (Avian Flu Diary)
- Is the antibiotic apocalypse nigh? (The Conversation)
- Fighting to eradicate neglected zoonotic diseases in Africa (MNT)
- Why the world is falling behind in the campaign to kill measles (NPR)
- CDC flu vaccine selfie contest (CDC)
OUTBREAK NEWS & THREAT SURVEILLANCE
- Health authorities: 3 new Ebola cases in Liberia (Seattle Times)
- Communicable disease risks associated with the movement of refugees (Eurosuveillance)
- Ebola returns to Liberia, but it’s not clear how the 10-year-old got it (NPR)
- New Ebola cases hit Liberia after country declared virus free (Reuters)
- Emerging Infectious Diseases journal spotlight on MERS (CDC)
- The next outbreak: Public health emergency prevention, preparation and response (Healio)
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
- RFPs: The best and the brightest (NIST)
- Researchers design and patent graphene biosensors (MNT)
- Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering technology for on-site detection (HSNW)
INDUSTRY NEWS
- Italy’s first biotech accelerator (European Biotechnology)
- NCT CBRNe Awards 2015 Winners announced in Bangkok (IB Consultancy)
- Aethlon Medical announces fiscal 2016 second quarter results (Aethlon)
- Can Flir Systems Incorporated hit expected sales of 392.262M? (Daily News)
- Proove Biosciences appoints Eric Fung, M.D. Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer (PRWeb)
- New ownership to fuel further growth and innovation at BBI Group (IB Consultancy)
- Kymab implements Genedata Biologics for high-throughput antibody discovery (PRWeb)
- Vaxart presents positive preclinical data for oral RSV vaccine (BusinessWire)
DETECTION & PROTECTION
- Army scientists improve biosurveillance technology (HDIAC)
HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS
- The Black Death in the Ottoman Empire and Ragusan Republic (Contagions)
- Venetian leaders considered biological warfare in 17th century siege (Healio)