Federation of American Scientists Case Studies in Dual Use Biological Research Module 4.0: Mousepox Case Study
Topic: Discussion Subtopic: References and Further Reading

 
Church, George M., A Synthetic Biohazard Non-proliferation Proposal
 
The author proposes an institutional means by which the potential misuse of oligodeoxyribonucleotides (oligos) synthesis and related knowledge regarding genetic sequences could be lessened by providing for some controls. These would include: 1) the sales and maintenance of oligo synthesis machines and supplies would be restricted to licensed non-profit, government and for-profit entities; 2) under these licenses, all synthetic oligos would be screened for similarity to known select agents; 3) a testing regime be established for quality control purposes; and 4) pre-approvals be provided by CDC for legitimate uses of oligos for select agents.
 
 
 
Cohen, Jon, Designer Bugs, The Atlantic Monthly, July/August 2002.
 
This contemporary account of the mousepox experiment in lay terms with a discussion of its policy implications also includes an interview with Steven Block, a Stanford University biodefense scientific researcher and policy expert. Of particular interest is a detailed account of how scientific colleagues and biodefense experts were consulted by Jackson and Ramshaw before publication of their experimental results, and what feedback and advice they received regarding publication.
 

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