<http://schema.org/articleBody>
"  A hazardous material worker sprays his colleagues after searching for anthrax at Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, DC. (Photograph by Alex Wong/Getty Images)  In an effort to safeguard labs working with dangerous biological materials, the U.S. government is looking at ways to ensure that the workers themselves do not pose a threat. In early April the advisory board tasked with boosting security measures will hold a meeting at a hotel near an Army base to solicit opinions from experts on the effect these steps might have on research into treating and preventing deadly infectious diseases.   The risk posed by an &amp;quot;inside man&amp;quot; with access to deadly diseases has been at the forefront of the scientific research community since the FBI traced the anthrax attacks of 2001 to Bruce Ivins, a researcher at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases at Fort Detrick in Maryland; he killed himself in 2008, before being charged.   In early April the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB) will host a public meeting in Bethesda, Md., near Fort Detrick, to discuss ways to safeguard biodefense labs against the human element. According to the announcement, the NSABB is interested in perspectives from investigators, research officials at federal institutions, think tank analysts and individuals who have studied how to balance scientific integrity with security. &amp;quot;Others are equally welcomed and encouraged to participate,&amp;quot; the notice adds. (To read the full notice, see the biosecurity website.)   Workers at laboratories that handle the most dangerous infectious diseases are vetted through a program run by the CDC and FBI. But the NSABB sees threats that this screening might not uncover, including shortfalls in &amp;quot;emotional stability, sound judgment and freedom from vulnerability to coercion.&amp;quot; Keeping facilities secure while not turning away valuable researchers who could find private-sector work in the pharmaceutical or biomedical industries is one problem that may come with more in-depth screening of researchers.   Fort Detrick is the heart of America&amp;#039;s growing biodefense infrastructure. In 2001 the government decided to consolidate the nation&amp;#039;s biological defense efforts at Fort Detrick, where four new labs are being built so various federal agencies can identify and develop remedies or vaccines against dangerous human diseases, such as anthrax, Ebola and agricultural pathogens. \u2014Joe Pappalardo   RELATED STORIES \u2022 TECH WATCH: NSA Red Team Bolsters National Security   \u2022 EARLIER: North Korea&amp;#039;s Biochemical Weapon Threat  \u2022 PLUS: Recreating an Ancient Killer to Halt Avian Flu   "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/a4214/4308113/>