To thwart bioterrorists, Britain’s government has temporarily closed a public
register of labs where hazardous genetically modified organisms are handled.
“It’s purely precautionary, and not because there’s any evidence of a threat,”
says a spokeswoman for the 91É«Ç鯬 and Safety Executive, which holds the
register. But the government decided to act after the HSE received several
queries—mainly from journalists—about the whereabouts of anthrax.
“The hope is that it will be reopened as soon as the current crises have died
away,” she says. The HSE is considering requests for information on a
case-by-case basis.
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features

Technology
US government wants to have a useful quantum computer by 2028
News

Life
Childbirth for many primate species is even harder than for humans
News

Humans
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
Features

91É«Ç鯬
Your menstrual cycle may affect how well vaccines work
News
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Where, when and how to watch the 2026 solar eclipse
2
Humans sleep the least of all apes – is it the secret to our success?
3
Our verdict on The Selfish Gene: An unpopular piece of popular science
4
US government wants to have a useful quantum computer by 2028
5
Childbirth for many primate species is even harder than for humans
6
Europe’s heatwave is the hottest and most humid ever
7
The best sci-fi novel in 2026 so far – plus 6 other great reads
8
We’ve uncovered a master gene that switches on human development
9
Woman with Alzheimer's starts conversing again after taking psilocybin
10
The lunar botanist with a plan to farm vegetables on the moon