The next pandemic could be downloaded from the internet
Tuesday, February 4, 2014 - 08:00
in Biology & Nature
Last October, scientists in California sequenced the DNA for the "type H" botulinum toxin. One gram of this toxin would be sufficient to kill half a billion people, making it the deadliest substance yet discovered – with no antidote. The DNA sequence was not placed on public databases, marking the first time genetic code has been withheld from the public over security concerns.