Biosecurity News and Research

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Biosecurity is a set of preventive measures designed to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases, quarantined pests, invasive alien species, living modified organisms.

Federal guidance aims to reduce misuse of synthetic DNA to create dangerous organisms

Federal guidance issued today aims to reduce the risk that synthetic DNA will be misused deliberately to create dangerous organisms. Screening Framework Guidance for Providers of Synthetic Double-Stranded DNA, issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, supports national biosecurity goals and balances the promise of synthetic DNA with its potential biosecurity risks.

14 Oct 2010

Global regulator for DNA trade needed

Amid growing concern that synthetic life sciences pose biosecurity and biosafety risks, scrutiny is increasing into the burgeoning DNA sequence trade. Research published today in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, published by SAGE, looks at the necessity of a global regulator for DNA trade, and the significant barriers to creating one.

17 Sep 2010

Synthetic biology survey reveals need for attention towards addressing biosafety, biosecurity risks

Synthetic biology defined as the design and construction of new biological parts, devices, and systems or re-design of existing natural biological systems for useful purposes holds enormous potential to improve everything from energy production to medicine, with the global market projected to reach $4.5 billion by 2015.

9 Sep 2010

Cooper Institute receives contract from Texas Department to develop NUTRIGRAM for children

In an effort to curb the alarming rates of obesity in Texas, The Cooper Institute was recently awarded a contract from the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) to develop a nutrition assessment and educational service for students called NUTRIGRAM.

27 Aug 2010

FDA issues update to nationwide Salmonella infected egg recall

Through tracebacks conducted as part of its ongoing investigation into the increase of Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses nationwide, FDA and the State of Minnesota identified Hillandale Farms in Iowa as a second potential source of contaminated shell eggs.

21 Aug 2010

FDA releases statement on urgent nationwide egg recall

Working closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state public health partners, the FDA reviewed epidemiologic and environmental investigation documents and identified 3 best-case clusters of Salmonella Enteritidis illnesses. Tracebacks revealed Wright County Egg in Iowa as the common shell egg supplier in these clusters.

20 Aug 2010

Random vaccine distribution prevents spread of disease: Study

The best way to prevent the spread of disease in rural areas may be by targeting select popular hangouts, according to a new study by the Kansas State University EpiCenter research team.The team published "Efficient Mitigation Strategies for Epidemics in Rural Regions" in the July edition of the journal PLoS ONE. The study looks at mitigation strategies based on a contact network model developed using information collected from residents in Clay County, Kan.

30 Jul 2010

Neogen fiscal 2010 net income increases 26% to $17.5M

Neogen Corporation announced today that its net income for its 2010 fiscal year, which ended May 31, increased 26% from the previous year to $17,521,000. Net income in the fiscal year increased to $0.76 per share, compared to the prior year's $0.61, adjusted for a 3-for-2 stock split that was effective Dec. 15, 2009.

20 Jul 2010

NanoViricides presents study results of nanoviricides anti-Ebola agents

NanoViricides, Inc. reports that the results of the evaluation of several of its nanoviricides anti-Ebola agents were presented July 17th at the Annual Meeting of the American Society for Virology, July 17-21, at Montana State University, Bozeman, MT. Dr. Corinne Scully delivered the presentation, which was entitled "Polymeric Micelle Nanomaterials as Antiviral Compounds For Ebola Virus Infection."

20 Jul 2010

Mizzou Advantage researchers examine food-related issues to find solutions for future

Many of society's most challenging health issues, including obesity, nutritional shortages and chronic disease, are related to food. University of Missouri researchers are examining the multiple facets of food and how it impacts our lives - from medicine and research to policy and law to education and business.

15 Jul 2010

New food safety requirements for large-scale egg producers: FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says that as many as 79,000 illnesses and 30 deaths due to consumption of eggs contaminated with the bacterium Salmonella Enteritidis may be avoided each year with new food safety requirements for large-scale egg producers.

9 Jul 2010

Hendra virus infects a horse in south Queensland – authorities fear spread

A horse was put down at Tewantin, near Noosa and it was confirmed that it had Hendra virus infection. At present quarantine measures are being taken.

20 May 2010

University of Sydney hosts emerging infectious diseases and biosecurity conference

The latest research to combat emerging infectious diseases threatening Australia is being presented at the Sydney Institute of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity Conference at the University of Sydney today.

19 May 2010

Statue commemorating 30th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox unveiled

A statue commemorating the 30th anniversary of the eradication of smallpox is being unveiled today in front of the World Health Organization headquarters by the Director-General of the World Health Organization, Dr Margaret Chan.

18 May 2010

Company affiliation is the greatest driver of farm-to-farm disease transmission risk: Study

A new study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health examines the potential influence that the business connections between broiler chicken growers may have on the transmission of avian influenza, H5N1. According to the study, the risk of between-farm transmission is significantly greater among farms within the same company group than it is between farms with different company affiliation.

31 Mar 2010

Neogen's third-quarter fiscal 2010 revenues up 21%

Neogen Corporation announced today that its net income for the third quarter of FY 2010, which ended Feb. 28, increased 38% from the previous year to $3,881,000. Adjusted for a 3-for-2 stock split effective Dec. 15, net income in the quarter rose to $0.17 per share, compared to the prior year's $0.12.

29 Mar 2010

NanoViricides outlines its technology and current drug programs at Biotech Showcase conference

NanoViricides, Inc. (the "Company"), reports that the Company has been invited to present on January 12th at the Biotech Showcase™, a conference designed to showcase promising companies and technologies for partnering and investment purposes.

12 Jan 2010

PharmAthene to present its biological/ chemical weapons countermeasure program data at the HHS PHEMCE workshop

PharmAthene, Inc., a biodefense company developing medical countermeasures against biological and chemical threats, announced today that the Company will participate in and present data at the HHS Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise (PHEMCE) workshop and BARDA Industry Day taking place in Washington, DC Dec. 2-4, 2009.

2 Dec 2009

NanoViricides announces filing of its quarterly report with the SEC

NanoViricides, Inc., reports that the Company has filed its quarterly report with the SEC on November 23rd.

30 Nov 2009

Experts gather to outline the latest creative applications of DNA barcoding

The scientific ability to quickly and accurately identify species through DNA "barcoding" is being embraced and applied by a growing legion of global authorities - from medical and agricultural researchers to police and customs authorities to palaeontologists and others.

7 Nov 2009