by Terrence Aym

Created on: January 01, 2012   Last Updated: January 02, 2012

The United Nation's World Health Organization (WHO) issued a statement admitting it's "deeply concerned about the potential negative consequences" of research that developed the fatal H5N1 influenza virus into a viable mass bio-weapon capable of killing off much of the world's population.

The concern reached a fever pitch when reports circulated that the two scientific teams that developed the Doomsday flu were thinking of making their work available publicly.

The two teams—one in the U.S. and the other in the Netherlands—initially generated a never before issued warning from American security analysts that condemned the research and called for a global blackout on any of the protocols employed in the work leading up to the deadly virus.

Especially worrisome to experts is the high probability that terrorist organizations or rogue states like North Korea and Iran could recreate the lethal virus and use it as a bio-weapon to kill millions.

Beyond that danger lies the fact that such a virus, used as a bio-weapon, might get beyond any control and virtually wipe-out most of the human race.

Members of the U.S. National Science Advisory Biosecurity Board (NSABB) have asked—in the strongest of language—for two peer-reviewed journals to publish only redacted forms of the frightening studies. The editors of the journals (Nature and Science), however, have balked at such restrictions and a chorus of top bio-engineering scientists have joined the journal editors with their own objections.

Science is pushing back against the self-censorship requested by the NSABB. Editor in chief, Bruce Alberts, is quoted as agreeing to omit some information, but wants to negotiate the details with the government board. He said the NSABB “asked Science to delete details regarding both scientific methodology and specific viral mutations.”

Without the methodology and mutation data, many scientists contend, the publication of the study is meaningless.  

Stepping into the midst of the fray, according to Reuters, WHO stated: "While it is clear that conducting research to gain such knowledge must continue, it is also clear that certain research, and especially that which can generate more dangerous forms of the virus…has [inherent] risks."

Mutated viruses and the need for space laboratories

For many decades biological research has been contained to only three of four levels. Level four is considered so potentially deadly that any accidental release of the

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