NIST researchers 'all aglow' over new test of toxin strength

A new National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) assay using a `glow or no glow` technique may soon help the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defend the nation against a spectrum of biological weapons that could be used in a terrorist attack. One very dangerous toxin on the list is ricin, a protein derived from castor beans that is lethal in doses as small as 500 micrograms -about the size of a grain of salt.

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