Aug 10th, 2008 · The 2001 anthrax attacks led to a huge, expensive clean-up effort and sparked a brand new industry called "biodefense." NPR's David Kestenbaum and Andrea Seabrook talk about how monitoring, vaccination, and other costly biosecurity programs have borne limited results.
Aug 2nd, 2008 · Scientist Bruce E. Ivins was respected by his colleagues at the Army biodefense research center at Fort Detrick in Maryland. His death, and his possible connection to an FBI investigation in the 2001 anthrax killings, hits a tight-knit community.
Aug 1st, 2008 · A scientist who studied anthrax weapons for the federal government has committed suicide. Bruce Ivins, who worked at the biodefense laboratory at Fort Detrick, Md., was being investigated in connection with the 2001 anthrax attacks that killed five people.
Aug 1st, 2008 · Once used as a breeding ground for biological weapons, Fort Detrick, Md., now focuses its efforts on defending against biological threats. Bruce Ivins, who died of an apparent suicide Tuesday, worked at the institute and helped to investigate the 2001 anthrax attacks.
Mar 1st, 2005 · More than 700 scientists write to the head of the National Institutes of Health, complaining that huge spending increases in biodefense research are draining funding away from a host of other more common microbial diseases. Researchers say the shift is draining funding from research on more common diseases.
Dec 2nd, 2004 · Since anthrax spores sent through the mail killed five people in late 2001, the federal government has boosted spending on biodefense research and pending by billions of dollars. But some experts wonder if this isn't overkill, and whether some new efforts are doing more harm than good. NPR's David Kestenbaum reports.