<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"<p>Scientists have said that the Select Agents and Toxins list,  rather than strengthening security, is, in fact, undermining the nation's  security.<br /><br />The list, which has been maintained since 2001 and lists 80  microbes and toxins that are basically forbidden to researchers, is chosen  without input from any researchers.<br /><br />In an article published in Nature  Reviews Microbiology, scientists Arturo Casadevall and David Relman say that the  list hinders research efforts and, as a result, the biosecurity of the  nation.<br /><br />Casadevall and Relman argue that the microbes and toxins on the  list are nearly impossible to obtain for legitimate research, which the two say  is needed to work on the creation of vaccines to protect people from the  bioattacks the nation's government fears.<br /><br />Many of the microbes on the  list are chosen based solely upon their taxonomic category, which does not  always work for microbes as they can have different strains of varying toxicity  and overlap by species. The list, as a result, lists harmless microbe strains  while missing dangerous ones.<br /><br />The scientists also noted that it is  incredibly difficult to appeal the inclusion of harmless microbes on the  list.<br /><br />The list, the duo says, should be cut down to only a few microbes  and toxins. Additionally, the recommend that the process to chose those microbes  and toxins should be made more transparent.<br /></p>"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://bioprepwatch.com/stories/510506399-select-agents-and-toxins-list-hindering-biosecurity-scientists-say>