UPDATE: National societies unite against bioterror
7 November 2002 17:00 GMT
by Bea Perks
The
presidents of the US National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and the
UK's Royal Society have joined forces to remind researchers of
their vital role in preventing worldwide distribution of potential
bioweapon technology.
Bruce Alberts of the NAS and the Royal Society's Robert May,
writing in tomorrow's edition of
Science, urge
researchers, whether in academia, government research facilities,
or industry, to "take responsibility for helping to prevent the
potential misuses of their work."
The article follows
recommendations from the Royal Society for an international
set of guidelines to regulate research in sensitive areas, and is
timed to coincide with the next meeting of signatories to the 1972
Biological and Toxic Weapons Convention, to be held in Geneva from
the 11th to the 22nd of November.
"This month's meeting reminds us that our nations' best
scientists must support policy makers in their efforts to make
progress toward measures that will counteract the threat from
advances in weapons technology," write Alberts and May.
There has been a massive increase in funding for research into
combating the threat of bioterrorism since September 11, 2001,
they note, but there is also a need for increased understanding of
the spread of potential bioweaponry.
Governments must have access to leading scientists in different
specialties, they stress, to define clear boundaries between
"classified" and "unclassified" research. These boundaries must
then be regulated internationally to fit in with the "truly
international" nature of cutting-edge science.
Alberts and May acknowledge the difficulties in balancing
security with scientific openness, a vital component of scientific
research. Life scientists need to take responsibility for helping
to prevent misuse of their research, they conclude, "while being
careful to preserve the vitality of their disciplines as required
to contribute to human welfare."

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