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Mutate a flu…Say WHAT?

By | May 23, 2019

Feed a cold, starve a fever … mutate a flu?

In the newest installment of the Bulletin‘s video series Say WHAT?, computational biologist Steven Salzberg brings a sharp view to the fuzzy policy of risky viral research.

Earlier this year, the US government quietly resumed funding experiments on the deadly H5N1 avian flu virus, research that makes the virus more easily transmissible to mammals.

But experts argue the risks of a mutated virus escaping the lab outweigh whatever public health benefit comes from this type of experimentation.

With this series, the Bulletin engages experts to scrutinize questionable policies around nuclear risk, climate change, and disruptive technologies. Tune in as we ask – Say WHAT?


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