NEW CONGRESSIONAL REPORT: PUBLISHING SCIENTIFIC PAPERS CARRIES SECURITY RISK FOR NATION

A special Report issued by the Congressional Research Service last week, points out unexpected and significant security risks to our nation in the publication of scientific papers. The study was commissioned last year when two groups of U.S. scientists submitted papers to academic journals detailing genetic modifications that increase the transmissibility of a deatly influenza strain. The results may improve pandemic preparedness but they also increase the probability that a highly contagious influenza strain will be introduced accidently or deliberately into the human population. Some thought is now being given to a pre-publication review of papers that could raise security risks. In addition, some policy makers think that the government should license research that could pose a Biohazard risk. To read the new paper go to http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/secrecy/R42606.pdf.