AmidFuror

Plasmids are still the most economical way to propagate DNA and express proteins at scale. Obviously, just to try new sequences out it is faster to assemble DNA synthetically and with PCR.

The article (and possibly the FBI) didn't explain what was special about these strains. Everyone already has E. coli in their guts. There are particularly nasty strains that can cause sickness, but this bacterium is also extensively used in biotech to propagate and express plasmid DNAs and study as a model organism.

A researcher moving to the US could be bringing strains of interest which would actually benefit US lab research. That's actually the most likely thing one would do. Yes, you should declare what you're bringing in and have it scrutinized. But most likely this would help US research advance, and Patel is just grandstanding against what was a blunder made while trying to circumvent bureaucratic red tape (i.e. the import would have been eventually approved if done properly).

Is this not just a rule 5 violation? Seems like you already have a bunch of ideas and just want to whip up political comments.

Seems like a coincidence. If the power was out in St. Petersburg, however....

I don't know what it's called, but it's precious.

It's literally the propaganda arm of a fringe political party. Like, the party runs it. Not just aligns with it to make money like Fox and conservatives.

All of their articles are opinion pieces. But they are open to discussion with other viewpoints, so long as those viewpoints align closely with their own:

The partisanship of the World Socialist Web Site by no means excludes objectivity or honest debate. We welcome a broad exchange of viewpoints with workers, students and intellectuals who are seeking an alternative to bourgeois politics and capitalist economics.

North Korea deserves it, but they won't win it. North Koreans will all vote for the USA, while Americans will be split on voting for themselves and other countries.

That's exactly what I was curious about. There'd be no reason to do toxicology for someone coming in with these sorts of symptoms. Foul play is often the last thing people suspect.

Thanks. Another commenter added some context.

If you visit Eastern Europe, you'll find a lot of museums which reflect on the double disaster of Nazi occupation for years followed by Communist occupation for decades.

There are museums for African American history which have exhibits about slavery and its victims, if you're interested. https://www.wonderfulmuseums.com/museum/slavery-museums-in-the-united-states/