"Nature itself is the most capable creator of new biothreat agents," says Dr. Claire M. Fraser, president of The Institute of Genomic Research (TIGR), one of the world's leading genomics research centers. She should know, since she is a senior scientist in the discovery, reported earlier this June, of a newly identified strain of the soil microbe Bacillus cereus containing anthrax toxin genes. The B. cereus bacterium is most commonly associated with food poisoning, although it also has been suspected to be the cause of some cases of fatal respiratory disease.
At the annual meeting of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB)/8th International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Conference (IUBMB) in Boston, Dr. Fraser discusses, for the first time, the significance of the discovery of anthrax toxin genes in a naturally occurring microbe other than Bacillus anthracis, the bacterium that causes anthrax. She also discusses how this discovery fits into the ongoing debate about how to deal with potential new biothreat agents.