The Queensland government on Monday (Dec 9) announced that hundreds of vials containing deadly live virus samples have been lost by a laboratory.

Australia’s&nbsp;public health&nbsp;department, Queensland Health, has been instructed by the government to launch an investigation into what has been called a "major historical breach of biosecurity protocols," as per the media statement.

According to the report, 323 vials of various infectious viruses, which included Hendra virus, Lyssavirus and Hantavirus, went missing from Public Health Virology Laboratory in Queensland in August 2023.

Hendra is a kind of zoonotic (animal-to-human) virus which is only found in Australia.&nbsp;

Hantavirus belongs to a family of viruses which can cause serious illness and death, as per the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. While&nbsp;Lyssavirus is a group of viruses that causes rabies.

The lab in which the samples went missing provides "diagnostic services, surveillance and research for viruses and mosquito and&nbsp;tick-borne pathogens&nbsp;of medical importance," stated the release.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/wuhan-lab-leak-likely-behind-covid-pandemic-finds-us-investigation-780981">Wuhan lab leak likely behind Covid pandemic, finds US investigation</a>

As per the statement, the officials were not aware if the infectious samples&nbsp;stolen or destroyed and said there is "no evidence of risk to the community."

<h2>Government launches investigation into missing case of viruses&nbsp;</h2>

To&nbsp;look for the missing vials of viruses, the government has launched a "Part 9 investigation."

"With such a serious breach of biosecurity protocols and infectious virus samples potentially missing, Queensland Health must investigate what occurred and how to prevent it from happening again," said Minister Timothy Nicholls in the release.

"The Part 9 investigation will ensure nothing has been overlooked in responding to this incident and examine the current policies and procedures in operation today at the laboratory. This investigation will also consider regulatory compliance and staff conduct," he added.

Nicholls said that "proactive measures" have been taken by Queensland Health which included conducting audits to ensure the correct storage of materials and retraining staff on required regulations.

Watch:&nbsp;HIV In Decline: AIDS Cases On Decline Around The World: UN

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hiv-in-decline-aids-cases-on-decline-around-the-world-un-779678/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Director of AI and Life Sciences at Northeastern University in Boston and PhD Sam Scarpino said that the situation has arisen because of a "critical biosecurity lapse."&nbsp;

"The pathogens reported missing are all high-consequence and could pose a threat to the public," he said while speaking to Fox News Digital.&nbsp;

As per Scarpino, the three pathogens can lead to very high fatality rates in humans.&nbsp;

"Some hantaviruses have case fatality rates of up to 15%, or over 100 times more lethal&nbsp;than COVID-19, while others are more similar to COVID-19 in terms of severity," he stated.&nbsp;

All three pathogens can also put animals and livestock under high risk, he said. "Given the limited ability for any of these pathogens to transmit from person to person, the risk of an epidemic is very low," said Scarpino.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, in a media statement, Chief Health Officer Dr. John Gerrard said, "It’s important to note that virus samples would degrade very rapidly outside a low-temperature freezer and become non-infectious. It’s very unlikely that samples were discarded in general waste, as this would be completely outside routine laboratory practice."

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The Queensland government on Monday (Dec 9) announced that hundreds of vials containing deadly live virus samples have been lost by a laboratory. Australia’s public health department, Queensland Health, has been instructed by the government to launch an investigation into what has been called a "major historical breach of biosecurity protocols," as per the media statement.

The Queensland government on Monday (Dec 9) announced that hundreds of vials containing deadly live virus samples have been lost by a laboratory. Australia’s public health department, Queensland Health, has been instructed by the government to launch an investigation into what has been called a "major historical breach of biosecurity protocols," as per the media statement. According to the report, 323 vials of various infectious viruses, which included Hendra virus, Lyssavirus and Hantavirus, went missing from Public Health Virology Laboratory in Queensland in August 2023. Hendra is a kind of zoonotic (animal-to-human) virus which is only found in Australia. Hantavirus belongs to a family of viruses which can cause serious illness and death, as per the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. While Lyssavirus is a group of viruses that causes rabies. The lab in which the samples went missing provides "diagnostic services, surveillance and research for viruses and mosquito and tick-borne pathogens of medical importance," stated the release. Also Read: Wuhan lab leak likely behind Covid pandemic, finds US investigation As per the statement, the officials were not aware if the infectious samples stolen or destroyed and said there is "no evidence of risk to the community." Government launches investigation into missing case of viruses To look for the missing vials of viruses, the government has launched a "Part 9 investigation." "With such a serious breach of biosecurity protocols and infectious virus samples potentially missing, Queensland Health must investigate what occurred and how to prevent it from happening again," said Minister Timothy Nicholls in the release. "The Part 9 investigation will ensure nothing has been overlooked in responding to this incident and examine the current policies and procedures in operation today at the laboratory. This investigation will also consider regulatory compliance and staff conduct," he added. Nicholls said that "proactive measures" have been taken by Queensland Health which included conducting audits to ensure the correct storage of materials and retraining staff on required regulations. Watch: HIV In Decline: AIDS Cases On Decline Around The World: UN Director of AI and Life Sciences at Northeastern University in Boston and PhD Sam Scarpino said that the situation has arisen because of a "critical biosecurity lapse." "The pathogens reported missing are all high-consequence and could pose a threat to the public," he said while speaking to Fox News Digital. As per Scarpino, the three pathogens can lead to very high fatality rates in humans. "Some hantaviruses have case fatality rates of up to 15%, or over 100 times more lethal than COVID-19, while others are more similar to COVID-19 in terms of severity," he stated. All three pathogens can also put animals and livestock under high risk, he said. "Given the limited ability for any of these pathogens to transmit from person to person, the risk of an epidemic is very low," said Scarpino. Meanwhile, in a media statement, Chief Health Officer Dr. John Gerrard said, "It’s important to note that virus samples would degrade very rapidly outside a low-temperature freezer and become non-infectious. It’s very unlikely that samples were discarded in general waste, as this would be completely outside routine laboratory practice." (With inputs from agencies)

Hundreds of vials of deadly virus go missing from Australian lab in ‘major biosecurity breach'

In a major breakthrough, the scientists have successfully grown the world's first pair of “laboratory testicles” at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University&nbsp;while trying to find a way to ease male infertility which affects 10 per cent to 15 per cent of men in the United States.

Scientists have produced tiny and artificial organs using cells which were extracted from mouse testes. The organs are reported to resemble the natural mouse testicles and also function like them.&nbsp;

The researchers, headed by Dr Nitzan Gonen, had aimed at developing human-like testicles using human stem cells which may help in treating infertility and developmental sex disorders.&nbsp;

"Fertility clinics are able to identify some of the problems that cause male infertility — a low sperm count or an abnormal structure — but we don’t understand fully what causes this, which genome mutations led to the condition, or what went wrong in the testicle’s functioning, as a result of which the tubes do not carry the sperm well,” said Gonen, while speaking to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz last week.

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"Now it will be possible to study these subjects within the system of the model we have produced,” she said.

<h2>A step ahead of organoids!</h2>

Organoids, which are three-dimensional miniature versions of immature organs and resemble kidneys, brains and intestines, from stem cells, have already been generated by biologists.

The organoids which were created by Gonen’s team were cultured from immature testicular cells belonging to neonatal mice.

The researchers found that the procedure had succeeded after they noticed tubule-like structures and cellular organisation which appeared similar to those present in vivo testis.

Watch:&nbsp;Is 'Looksmaxxing' preying on younger men? Decoding the viral TikTok trend

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/is-looksmaxxing-preying-on-younger-men-decoding-the-viral-tiktok-trend-692159/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

According to the report, the artificial mouse testicles were able to function well for nine weeks, which is considered sufficient time for sperm generation and release to occur in a mouse. The process takes nearly 34.5 days.

There are two main functions of testicles - the synthesis of testosterone and the storage, production and maturation of sperm cells.

According to the findings of the study, which was recently published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences, the scientists emphasised that their organoids showed “signs of entry into meiosis,” the process which decreases the number of chromosomes by half to form sperm cells.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a major breakthrough, the scientists have successfully grown the world's first pair of “laboratory testicles” at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University while trying to find a way to ease male infertility which affects 10 per cent to 15 per cent of men in the United States.

In a major breakthrough, the scientists have successfully grown the world's first pair of “laboratory testicles” at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University while trying to find a way to ease male infertility which affects 10 per cent to 15 per cent of men in the United States. Scientists have produced tiny and artificial organs using cells which were extracted from mouse testes. The organs are reported to resemble the natural mouse testicles and also function like them. The researchers, headed by Dr Nitzan Gonen, had aimed at developing human-like testicles using human stem cells which may help in treating infertility and developmental sex disorders. "Fertility clinics are able to identify some of the problems that cause male infertility — a low sperm count or an abnormal structure — but we don’t understand fully what causes this, which genome mutations led to the condition, or what went wrong in the testicle’s functioning, as a result of which the tubes do not carry the sperm well,” said Gonen, while speaking to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz last week. Also Read: Man in Australia jams batteries into his penis for 'sexual gratification', leaves doctors baffled "Now it will be possible to study these subjects within the system of the model we have produced,” she said. A step ahead of organoids! Organoids, which are three-dimensional miniature versions of immature organs and resemble kidneys, brains and intestines, from stem cells, have already been generated by biologists. The organoids which were created by Gonen’s team were cultured from immature testicular cells belonging to neonatal mice. The researchers found that the procedure had succeeded after they noticed tubule-like structures and cellular organisation which appeared similar to those present in vivo testis. Watch: Is 'Looksmaxxing' preying on younger men? Decoding the viral TikTok trend According to the report, the artificial mouse testicles were able to function well for nine weeks, which is considered sufficient time for sperm generation and release to occur in a mouse. The process takes nearly 34.5 days. There are two main functions of testicles - the synthesis of testosterone and the storage, production and maturation of sperm cells. According to the findings of the study, which was recently published in the International Journal of Biological Sciences, the scientists emphasised that their organoids showed “signs of entry into meiosis,” the process which decreases the number of chromosomes by half to form sperm cells. (With inputs from agencies)

Scientists grow pair of 'laboratory testicles' that could help treat male infertility

A blueprint for the laboratory construction of a highly infectious and deadly coronavirus has long existed.&nbsp;

It was only a matter of time before a scientific group lacking moral constraints would attempt it, initiating a global catastrophe and paving the way for something even more dangerous in the future, unless action is taken now to prevent it.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese Communist Party, supported by some Western scientists and a politically-motivated media have desperately tried to convince the world that SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible, originated as a bat beta-coronavirus, which underwent a natural mutation process and was then acquired by humans after exposure to infected animals.

Yet, after more than nine months and hundreds of scientific studies, no one is near to identifying the naturally-occurring source of SARS-CoV-2.

Part of the difficulty resides in the fact that SARS-CoV-2 has unique structural features that appear to contribute to its high infectivity and pathogenicity for which there are no obvious evolutionary pathways.

Even in the earliest known cases, the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 seemed to have been already highly adapted to infect humans via the angiotensin converting enzyme-2 receptor found in lungs, kidneys, intestines and blood vessels.

Furthermore, SARS-CoV-2 contains a furin polybasic cleavage site with an amino acid sequence of proline-arginine-arginine-alanine or PRRA that facilitates membrane fusion between the virus and the human cell, a structure that is not found in any other related bat coronavirus.

In contrast, the bioengineering capabilities to “splice” the receptor-binding domain from one virus to another and to artificially insert a furin polybasic cleavage site are both well-established laboratory techniques used globally for over ten years.

All the basic procedures required to synthesize a virus like SARS-CoV-2 were described in a single scientific publication entitled “Mechanisms of Zoonotic Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Host Range Expansion in Human Airway Epithelium,” which appeared in the Journal of Virology in March, 2008.

The construction of new viruses capable of infecting humans began by using, as a viral “backbone,” SARS-CoV-1, the coronavirus responsible for the 2002-2003 pandemic.

The spike protein of the SARS-CoV-1 backbone, which contains the receptor-binding domain, was artificially replaced with the spike protein from another coronavirus.

The new spike protein underwent additional genetic manipulation by single amino acid substitution in a manner roughly equivalent to inserting a furin polybasic cleavage site.

Using a process called serial passaging, the new artificial virus was then exposed to human airway epithelial cell cultures (lung surface cells), where two new viruses were created, both of which were adapted for human infection and were capable of being neutralized with human monoclonal antibodies.

Needless to say, the genetic engineering and serial passaging techniques of today are far more advanced and far more widespread than they were twelve years ago.

It is entirely feasible that SARS-CoV-2 was created in a similar way.

Clearly, it is in the geopolitical interest of the Chinese Communist Party to deflect responsibility for the pandemic by promoting the narrative, both in the scientific literature and the mainstream media, that COVID-19 is just another naturally-occurring disease transmission from animals to humans.

That effort has been advanced by China’s refusal to fully disclose the information it possesses and conducting a politically-motivated scientific misinformation campaign.

Unfortunately, China’s actions seem to be buttressed by certain elements within the Western scientific community that may have interests in the outcome beyond an objective analysis of the data.

Given all the available information, the likelihood that the unique structural features of SARS-CoV-2 are the result of a natural evolutionary process is very small.

It is far more likely that China manufactured SARS-CoV-2 and, though a combination of hubris, incompetence and recklessness, unleashed it on the world.

(Lawrence Sellin, Ph.D. is a retired U.S. Army Reserve colonel, who previously worked at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and conducted basic and clinical research in the pharmaceutical industry. His email address is lawrence.sellin@gmail.com.)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

 
&nbsp;

A blueprint for the laboratory construction of a highly infectious and deadly coronavirus has long existed. It was only a matter of time before a scientific group lacking moral constraints would attempt it, initiating a global catastrophe and paving the way for something even more dangerous in the future, unless action is taken now to prevent it.

A blueprint for the laboratory construction of a highly infectious and deadly coronavirus has long existed. It was only a matter of time before a scientific group lacking moral constraints would attempt it, initiating a global catastrophe and paving the way for something even more dangerous in the future, unless action is taken now to prevent it. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Chinese Communist Party, supported by some Western scientists and a politically-motivated media have desperately tried to convince the world that SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible, originated as a bat beta-coronavirus, which underwent a natural mutation process and was then acquired by humans after exposure to infected animals. Yet, after more than nine months and hundreds of scientific studies, no one is near to identifying the naturally-occurring source of SARS-CoV-2. Part of the difficulty resides in the fact that SARS-CoV-2 has unique structural features that appear to contribute to its high infectivity and pathogenicity for which there are no obvious evolutionary pathways. Even in the earliest known cases, the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 seemed to have been already highly adapted to infect humans via the angiotensin converting enzyme-2 receptor found in lungs, kidneys, intestines and blood vessels. Furthermore, SARS-CoV-2 contains a furin polybasic cleavage site with an amino acid sequence of proline-arginine-arginine-alanine or PRRA that facilitates membrane fusion between the virus and the human cell, a structure that is not found in any other related bat coronavirus. In contrast, the bioengineering capabilities to “splice” the receptor-binding domain from one virus to another and to artificially insert a furin polybasic cleavage site are both well-established laboratory techniques used globally for over ten years. All the basic procedures required to synthesize a virus like SARS-CoV-2 were described in a single scientific publication entitled “Mechanisms of Zoonotic Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Host Range Expansion in Human Airway Epithelium,” which appeared in the Journal of Virology in March, 2008. The construction of new viruses capable of infecting humans began by using, as a viral “backbone,” SARS-CoV-1, the coronavirus responsible for the 2002-2003 pandemic. The spike protein of the SARS-CoV-1 backbone, which contains the receptor-binding domain, was artificially replaced with the spike protein from another coronavirus. The new spike protein underwent additional genetic manipulation by single amino acid substitution in a manner roughly equivalent to inserting a furin polybasic cleavage site. Using a process called serial passaging, the new artificial virus was then exposed to human airway epithelial cell cultures (lung surface cells), where two new viruses were created, both of which were adapted for human infection and were capable of being neutralized with human monoclonal antibodies. Needless to say, the genetic engineering and serial passaging techniques of today are far more advanced and far more widespread than they were twelve years ago. It is entirely feasible that SARS-CoV-2 was created in a similar way. Clearly, it is in the geopolitical interest of the Chinese Communist Party to deflect responsibility for the pandemic by promoting the narrative, both in the scientific literature and the mainstream media, that COVID-19 is just another naturally-occurring disease transmission from animals to humans. That effort has been advanced by China’s refusal to fully disclose the information it possesses and conducting a politically-motivated scientific misinformation campaign. Unfortunately, China’s actions seem to be buttressed by certain elements within the Western scientific community that may have interests in the outcome beyond an objective analysis of the data. Given all the available information, the likelihood that the unique structural features of SARS-CoV-2 are the result of a natural evolutionary process is very small. It is far more likely that China manufactured SARS-CoV-2 and, though a combination of hubris, incompetence and recklessness, unleashed it on the world. (Lawrence Sellin, Ph.D. is a retired U.S. Army Reserve colonel, who previously worked at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases and conducted basic and clinical research in the pharmaceutical industry. His email address is lawrence.sellin@gmail.com.) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

A 2008 synthetic model to make COVID-19 in the laboratory

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Wednesday reinstated credentials of a drug testing laboratory in Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games, ending a month-long suspension that had threatened to embarrass the host country. 
 
The decision avoided a backup scheme to send blood and urine samples from Olympic athletes to labs outside Brazil during the Games. 
 
Similar steps were taken after the same lab at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro lost its credentials for the 2014 World Cup, also held in Brazil. 
 
The agency did not explain how the lab had failed to comply with international standards in June or what steps had been taken to fix the situation. 
 
Technical errors leading to false results were likely the cause of the suspension, a source familiar with the decision told Reuters in June. 
 
&quot;Athletes can be confident that anti-doping sample analysis has been robust throughout the laboratory&#39;s suspension and that it will also be during the Games,&quot; WADA director general Olivier Niggli said in a statement. 
 
The suspension just weeks ahead of the Olympics was a high-profile black eye for the lab, in which Brazil recently invested 188 million reais ($58 million) for new equipment and facilities. 
 
Doping is a major concern ahead of the Rio Games on Aug. 5-21, the first Olympics to be held in South America. 
 
Several anti-doping agencies are pushing to ban Russian athletes after charges of state-backed doping at the 2014 winter Olympics. 
 
(Reuters)

WADA had suspended credentials of the laboratory on June 24 for failing to comply with international standards

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Wednesday reinstated credentials of a drug testing laboratory in Rio de Janeiro for the Olympic Games, ending a month-long suspension that had threatened to embarrass the host country. The decision avoided a backup scheme to send blood and urine samples from Olympic athletes to labs outside Brazil during the Games. Similar steps were taken after the same lab at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro lost its credentials for the 2014 World Cup, also held in Brazil. The agency did not explain how the lab had failed to comply with international standards in June or what steps had been taken to fix the situation. Technical errors leading to false results were likely the cause of the suspension, a source familiar with the decision told Reuters in June. "Athletes can be confident that anti-doping sample analysis has been robust throughout the laboratory's suspension and that it will also be during the Games," WADA director general Olivier Niggli said in a statement. The suspension just weeks ahead of the Olympics was a high-profile black eye for the lab, in which Brazil recently invested 188 million reais ($58 million) for new equipment and facilities. Doping is a major concern ahead of the Rio Games on Aug. 5-21, the first Olympics to be held in South America. Several anti-doping agencies are pushing to ban Russian athletes after charges of state-backed doping at the 2014 winter Olympics. (Reuters)

Rio drug lab recertified for Olympic testing

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