Scientists modify H5N1 virus, could kill millions if set free, going to tell everyone how they did i

These days is it not possible to simulate viruses on computer models rather than actually creating/growing the live thing in a lab?
 
"he passed the virus from one ferret to another multiple times, a low-tech and time-honored method of making a pathogen adapt to a new host."
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Surely he's just explained right there how to do it, 10 ferrets and some H5N1 and you have yourself a DIY doomsday kit!
 
mrk said:
One scientist was quoted in the article saying:
I can't think of another pathogenic organism that is as scary as this one," adds Keim, who has worked on anthrax for many years. "I don't think anthrax is scary at all compared to this.
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It might be worth mentioning that it wasnt one of the scientists working on the study that said this, it was Paul Kiem - acting chair of U.S. National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) who are are currently reviewing the papers. A bit worrying if they are saying that!
 
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[TW]Sponge;20659880 said:
So they are wasting time and money inventing something which is incredibly dangerous and useless? Makes sense.
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Well, without knowing what they're researching it's hard to know whether it's a waste of time or money and whether it's useless.
 
doofski said:
They have far more dangerous virus's locked away.
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Was just about to say this.

In particular, China is believed to have some very interesting Bio weapons as well as various viruses locked up.

The scientists making this announcment are probably just looking for some fame here.... or trying to justify there monetry grant for next year. All in all it's pretty unprofessional of them to start spouting off about the work they are doing and how deadly it is - as there's loads of labs around the world that can do the same thing quite easily.... just don't make such a scaremongering song and dance about it.
 
james.miller said:
It might be worth mentioning that it wasnt one of the scientists working on the study that said this, it was Paul Kiem - acting chair of U.S. National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) who are are currently reviewing the papers. A bit worrying if they are saying that!
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To be fair, the most lethal type of anthrax infection is harmless if you get antibiotics quickly enough. The trouble is the initial symptoms are flu like, so I guess if you know you've been working with it you'd take antibiotics every time you sneeze.


Vonhelmet said:
Well, without knowing what they're researching it's hard to know whether it's a waste of time or money and whether it's useless.
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"The research by the Kawaoka and Fouchier teams set out to answer a question that has long puzzled scientists: Does H5N1, which rarely causes human disease, have the potential to trigger a pandemic?"

I'd guess the aim is the encourage the virus to mutate to the point where it rapidly transmits between the ferrets and then compare that virus to the original. That way you could guess how many chance mutations the virus needs to become easily human transmissible and whether or not it's likely to become a major problem.
 
Heliospherez said:
The scientists making this announcment are probably just looking for some fame here.... or trying to justify there monetry grant for next year. All in all it's pretty unprofessional of them to start spouting off about the work they are doing and how deadly it is - as there's loads of labs around the world that can do the same thing quite easily.... just don't make such a scaremongering song and dance about it.
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As a scientist you're expected to release your work for peer review, they're only accompanying it with a press release.

If it was released for peer review and then stumbled across by a journalist with a vague understanding of science, there would no doubt be a big furore over why the scientists were trying to release this information 'under-the-radar'.
 
rikky said:
He watches Fringe ...:D
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lol I was tempted to say "TV Shows". A lot of unis and commercial labs have the capabilities to experiment with this kind of stuff but to synthesise a viable weaponized virus is a bit more specialised... however I'm a little wrong on my numbers there are 4-5 labs alone in the UK that have the capabilities and expertise on hand.
 
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