Intentional destruction of life

[James J]

But we've sequenced the DNA for all major variations, isn't it easily replicable?

You probably could sequence it, although it would be extremely hard to do as although small, smallpoxs DNA is around 180 killabases in size. Major problem with doing this coupled with the fact of making the DNA is what the hell do you package it in if you also kill off anything similar to it? Making a protein coat for the DNA which functions exactly as a viral protein coat does would be pretty much impossible with our current level of technology.

Even when the world health organisation declares the disease as extint, weapons research labs will still hold small quantities of it on ice just because its extremely easy to kill people with old diseases when the vaccinations have stopped for a few generations...

 

[IceBus]

A virus isn't a form of life.

So is Piers Morgan.

 

[Cosimo]

So is Piers Morgan.

But there is no cure for him.

 

[Willowbark]

Opinion appears to be pretty much split down the middle, just like the international community. I guess we'll keep having this debate every three years until someone accidentally pulls the plug.

 

[Art]

You probably could sequence it, although it would be extremely hard to do as although small, smallpoxs DNA is around 180 killabases in size. Major problem with doing this coupled with the fact of making the DNA is what the hell do you package it in if you also kill off anything similar to it? Making a protein coat for the DNA which functions exactly as a viral protein coat does would be pretty much impossible with our current level of technology.

It was sequenced at least as far back as 1992 and believe it or not the sequence is publicly available. This is one of the arguments for keeping it: if some psychopath ever sets up a lab and synthesizes the DNA and releases the virus it'll be much easier to produce vaccines straight from frozen stocks rather than having to isolate it or produce it from the sequence yourself.

I don't think you'll actually need to produce the protein coat: the only real purpose that serves is to transport the DNA (I don't think it carries proteins in this virus), so you just need to synthesize the DNA, insert it into some host cells and encourage them to start using it. After that the cells will make the complete virus for you. Even if you did need to make it separately, it wouldn't be the first time someone had inserted viral capsid genes into a bacterium and used them to make the proteins, which are often self-assembling.

 

[Aod]

But there is no cure for him.

hot lead would do the trick...

 

[The Dread Pirate]

Keep it you never know when it might prove useful!

 

[Mr Jack]

We have the sequence so it can be recreated it thus destroying it is a purely symbolic act.

Better to keep using it in research.

 

[Burnsy2023]

Keep it you never know when it might prove useful!

You never know if there could be an accidental release of the virus, which could kill millions. Why take the chance if we can make some more if needed?

 

[LeJosh]

You never know if there could be an accidental release of the virus, which could kill millions. Why take the chance if we can make some more if needed?

Tinfoil hat time.

It's a controlled bacteria and if it were to be released it would be intentional or from an invasion of biblical*100 proportions.

 

[The Dread Pirate]

You never know if there could be an accidental release of the virus, which could kill millions. Why take the chance if we can make some more if needed?

What are the chances of Accidental release in the place it's currently stored the only way it could possibly be released accidentally would be if someone working there was completely idiotic. Purposeful release is the only way it would get out.

 

[Burnsy2023]

What are the chances of Accidental release in the place it's currently stored the only way it could possibly be released accidentally would be if someone working there was completely idiotic. Purposeful release is the only way it would get out.

You've contradicted yourself there. You said it's possible an idiot could release accidently it. There are many idiots in this world. Anyway, why take the chance? What purpose does it serve?

 

[The Dread Pirate]

You've contradicted yourself there. You said it's possible an idiot could release accidently it. There are many idiots in this world. Anyway, why take the chance? What purpose does it serve?

Do you really think someone would be so Idiotic they'd forget their entire life of working with dangerous microbes and viruses and not follow the proper safty and quarentine procedures that have most likly become second nature to them by the time they'd started working at the facility? Besides they've also got to pass checks and inspections by other people before entering or leaving said facility?

 

[LeJosh]

I highly doubt they'd hire an idiot to supervise a deadly virus...

 

[Burnsy2023]

Do you really think someone would be so Idiotic they'd forget their entire life of working with dangerous microbes and viruses and not follow the proper safty and quarentine procedures that have most likly become second nature to them by the time they'd started working at the facility? Besides they've also got to pass checks and inspections by other people before entering or leaving said facility?

The 2007 foot and mouth outbreak was found to come from a biomed research lab. Mistakes happen, that's life. Why should we take the unnecessary risk of keeping it. What's the argument for keeping it?

 

[The Dread Pirate]

The 2007 foot and mouth outbreak was found to come from a biomed research lab.

An extremely badly run and extremely less secure facility than the one in question.

Otherwise the cleaning staff that were employed there that stupidly poured the nastiness into a common drain wouldn't have been allowd to go anywhere near the Lab or storage.

 

[No1newts]

yes

 

[crisbduck]

I highly doubt they'd hire an idiot to supervise a deadly virus...

The USA hired one to be president not so long ago

 

[The Dread Pirate]

The USA hired one to be president not so long ago

Well what else do you expect from the majority of the US Population?

 

[IceBus]

But there is no cure for him.

There's no cure for smallpox either.

Do you really think someone would be so Idiotic they'd forget their entire life of working with dangerous microbes and viruses and not follow the proper safty and quarentine procedures that have most likly become second nature to them by the time they'd started working at the facility? Besides they've also got to pass checks and inspections by other people before entering or leaving said facility?

You seem to forget the possibility of terrorism - if you injected yourself with smallpox it would be pretty easy to leave the lab like nothing happened.