NIST researchers 'all aglow' over new test of toxin strength
Thursday, June 18, 2009 - 08:21
in Mathematics & Economics
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...