Army officials have suspended most research involving dangerous germs at the biodefense laboratory at Fort Detrick, Maryland, which the FBI has linked to the anthrax attacks of 2001, after discovering that some pathogens stored there were not listed in a laboratory database.
The suspension, which began Friday and could last three months, is intended to allow a complete inventory of hazardous bacteria, viruses and toxins stored in refrigerators, freezers and cabinets in the facility, the Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases.
The inventory was ordered by the institute’s commander, Colonel John P. Skvorak, after officials found that the database of specimens was incomplete. In a memorandum to employees last week, Skvorak said there was a high probability that some germs and toxins in storage were not in the database…
One scientist, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment, said samples from completed projects were not always destroyed, and departing scientists sometimes left behind vials whose contents were unknown to colleagues.
Now, that’s reassuring. A scavenger hunt.
I have a container of what used to be yogurt that they can look at!!
Colonel John P. Skvorak???
“John P. Skvorak” From Cranky Biologists fame.
I just hope they don’t do what my wife does when she thinks some leftovers are old in the frige!
Sheesh! What kind of clowns are running that place, no wait, I know, military clowns. I’m surprised this didn’t end up like that Stephen King book – the Stand.
Skvorak Dvorak let’s call the whole thing off.
John P. Skvorak?!
Sounds like one of those comic book evil twins.
Tee hee.
Reminds me of a story by a friend who found a lump of radium in a bottom draw of a lab director’s desk – who had died of leukemia.
It’s interesting that this place is the source of every biological attack ever carried out on US citizens.
“Say Bob, what’s that crap growing on your forearm.”
“Gee John, I dunno, you think it might be bad.”
Fantastic. You’ve gotta love sloppy record-keeping and vials of unidentified substances.
They’ll probably try the taste-method to work out what they have.
Wow John, how did you pull this off and hows the dental practice? Would it be funnier if this name similarity were a joke, or if there really was a John P Skvorak.
If you don’t know what it is, slag it.
John P. Skvorak, John D. Dvorak, Jackson Roykirk, Captain James Kirk.
“Must sterilize the creator!” Sterilize. Error.”
BTB, wasn’t all biological and chemical weapons research banned in the US, some years ago? Fort Detrick ain’t the CDC. Did Cheney bring back the fun and games?