A little resume of the whole flu virus samples shipped by error to many, many labs throughout the world. Let's hope that nothing bad happens - the situation is controlled at 99.9% right now.

- Alarm sounded on flu virus at labs
- Scientists rush to destroy vials of pandemic flu virus
- Agencies order destruction of deadly flu virus
- Test kit mistake - labs in race to destroy deadly flu virus
- Flu virus debacle sheds light on archaic shipping system
- Three packages of pandemic flu virus still missing
- Vials of deadly flu virus still missing, WHO says

The increased frequency of drug resistance in isolates of the AIDS virus, HIV, makes identification of new antiviral targets an urgent necessity. Host genes required to support the replication of HIV are a potential source of such novel targets, but relatively few appropriate target genes have been identified in animal cells thus far. A new study, conducted by Dr. Suzanne Sandmeyer and colleagues at the University of California, reports the discovery of over 100 host genes that affect the replication of a model retrovirus. Their results are reported in the May issue of Genome Research.

Scientists at the BC Cancer Agency's Genome Sciences Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and at the University of Missouri-Columbia have collaborated on a detailed study to elucidate gene-expression patterns implicated in the aging process. Their results appear online today in the journal Genome Research.

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today introduced a high-performance ion trap mass spectrometer (MS) that allows pharmaceutical and academic life-science researchers to identify 60 to 80 percent more peptides than preceding models in proteomics applications, such as protein identification and biomarker discovery, potentially leading to a better understanding of diseases like cancer and speeding drug development efforts. The Agilent 1100 Series LC/MSD Trap XCT Ultra offers significantly improved scan cycle times, enabling collection of mass spectra at rates up to three times faster than its predecessors.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today issued a public health advisory to alert health care providers, patients, and patient caregivers to new safety information concerning an unapproved (i.e., "off-label") use of certain drugs called "atypical antipsychotic drugs." These drugs are approved for the treatment of schizophrenia and mania, but clinical studies of these drugs to treat behavioral disorders in elderly patients with dementia have shown a higher death rate associated with their use compared to patients receiving a placebo (sugar pill).