PLA_gue Germ Terrorism

12-30-95. To update the list of terrorist threats, the Wash
   Post reports on the purchase in May of bubonic plague germs 
   by "white supremacist" Larry Wayne Harris, his bust by the 
   FBI and germ teams, prosecutors amazement that possession 
   of such deadly micro-organisms is not illegal, and the 
   consequent plea bargain of wire fraud with probation.

   The article explains that possession of "terrorist" mites
   is not prohibited due to a legal loophole which allows
   scientific trade in wee supremacists. There are calls for 
   outlawing the meat-eaters by closing the gap in the 
   anti-terrorism bill before Congress. But scientists say 
   how dare you spit in our nanodeath soup.

   It notes that offshore spread is Commerce regulated.

   BTW, why this story now about summer events? For the
   anti-terrorist bill, TLA-plague growth, any germ any?


   PLA_gue

In a recent message, John Young babbled:

>    12-30-95. To update the list of terrorist threats, the Wash
>    Post reports on the purchase in May of bubonic plague germs 
>    by "white supremacist" Larry Wayne Harris, his bust by the 
>    FBI and germ teams, prosecutors amazement that possession 
>    of such deadly micro-organisms is not illegal, and the 
>    consequent plea bargain of wire fraud with probation.

< snip >

Think that's fun? How 'bout this: given that the initial "mapping"
phase of the human genome project is nearly complete, and the huge
amount of genetic information available on the net, PLUS ever-
more-powerful-yet-less-costly computers anyone can purchase, just
how long do y'all think it'll be before some nut whips up a bug
that targets, say, people with negroid genetic characteristics?
Or epicanthic folds? Or blonde hair?

Seem kinda far-fetched? The November NUTS & VOLTS has a nifty 
six page article on garage genetic experimentation (how to convert
that old aquarium into an incubator, culturing techniques, etc.).
They even list souces for equipment AND GERMS. Yes folks, you can
order your very own "E-Z Gene Splicer DNA Recombination and
Transformation Kit" from the good folks at Images Company, POBox
140742, Staten Island NY 10314, (718) 698-8305, $49.95 each,
not recommended for children under 6 (too many parents complaining
about mutated family cats).

Quote from the article: "A word of caution is in order before we
start. Although the materials in the kit are safe, it is important 
for you to follow simple procedures to keep the experiment controlled
and nonthreatening." No shit. E-coli bacteria (what the kit uses)
aren't pathogens, but still... I guess every budding young white
supremist/right-wing religious nut/genocidal maniac has to start
somewhere. 
 
Pleasant dreams.
-- 
 
|| ______    || comments, criticisms, and/or death-threats may be sent to: ||
|| \__  /\   ||            jonny anonymous, c/o jonnyx@edge.net            ||
|| __/ /  \  ||  or snail-mail pobox 23001, nashvegas tn 37202-3001, usa   ||
|| \__/_/\_\ ||______"DRIVING DRUNK ON THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY!"______||

ps - Hey! I violated the new copyright laws with my quote AND I wrote a
     dirty word that 10 year olds might read! Cool! Wonder how else this
     message can get me in trouble?

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----

On Sat, 30 Dec 1995, jonnyx wrote:

> Date: Sat, 30 Dec 1995 21:54:15 -0600 (CST)
> From: jonnyx <jonnyx@edge.edge.net>
> To: cypherpunks@toad.com
> Subject: (NOISE) Re: PLA_gue Germ Terrorism
> 
> In a recent message, John Young babbled:
> 
< GIANT snip >

am i troll-bait or what?
 
> Think that's fun? How 'bout this: given that the initial "mapping"
> phase of the human genome project is nearly complete, and the huge
> amount of genetic information available on the net, PLUS ever-
> more-powerful-yet-less-costly computers anyone can purchase, just
> how long do y'all think it'll be before some nut whips up a bug
> that targets, say, people with negroid genetic characteristics?
> Or epicanthic folds? Or blonde hair?

this is so much shit.  targetting anything is very difficult.  just ask 
all those people about the wonders of gene therapy.  hell, even the 
economist had an article about it's failures recently (Dec 16-22 1995, 
p77).

in any event the so-called 'differences' you are imagining are
phenotypes.  these are a long cry from DNA.  i'm not aware of any
genetic markers available to distinguish a black man from a white
man. and, even if there were, recombination requires long
stretches of homology between DNAs, not small differences.  i'd bet
it's nearly impossible to target black vs white vs yellow vs a
gorilla.
 
> Seem kinda far-fetched? The November NUTS & VOLTS has a nifty 

yes.

- -pjf

patrick finerty = zinc@zifi.genetics.utah.edu = pfinerty@nyx.cs.du.edu
U of Utah biochem grad student in the Bass lab - zinc fingers + dsRNA!
** FINGER zinc-pgp@zifi.genetics.utah.edu for pgp public key - CRYPTO!
zifi runs LINUX 1.2.11 -=-=-=WEB=-=-=->  http://zifi.genetics.utah.edu 


-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE-----
Version: 2.6.2

iQCVAwUBMOYZtk3Qo/lG0AH5AQFFlAQAq/F+kLRXqyQZm9pIWMaXw8UWu3f4KERb
CKTBDCQqFiskwu1KOusB9vz3TwTAB2n7qzOBoTA69iPWXoAFW9yzHlEDTnKFmZbz
DTr9VNoNYkG8jlTA1Z5sBkjzPUAEFg7Gc2X2qrahE8hOWVEKdS220bhF1TEXdevD
f2Zj5hD88bI=
=BMiz
-----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

> Think that's fun? How 'bout this: given that the initial "mapping"
> phase of the human genome project is nearly complete, and the huge
> amount of genetic information available on the net, PLUS ever-
> more-powerful-yet-less-costly computers anyone can purchase, just
> how long do y'all think it'll be before some nut whips up a bug
> that targets, say, people with negroid genetic characteristics?
> Or epicanthic folds? Or blonde hair?
> 

Malarky.

> Seem kinda far-fetched? The November NUTS & VOLTS has a nifty 
> six page article on garage genetic experimentation (how to convert
> that old aquarium into an incubator, culturing techniques, etc.).
> They even list souces for equipment AND GERMS. Yes folks, you can
> order your very own "E-Z Gene Splicer DNA Recombination and
> Transformation Kit" from the good folks at Images Company, POBox
> 140742, Staten Island NY 10314, (718) 698-8305, $49.95 each,
> not recommended for children under 6 (too many parents complaining
> about mutated family cats).
> 

While it is quite possible to obtain equipment and supplies from any
reputable science supply center (I like Brodehead-Garrett & Cenco myself) it
is not cheap. The type of equipment that can be made out of aquaria and such
is very low-level and poses little threat *provided* isolation proceedures
are taken. The types of 'genetic' experiments that can be done at this level
are quite simple and generaly explore characteristics that are based on the
crossing models of Mendelson. Most of the threat of this type of experiments
are from simple infections since viruses are not easily raised with this
form of equipment.

One of my favorite 'technology rulers' is when the first strain of commen
yeast is released which produces THC or LSD. Both of these chemicals are
relatively simple to produce at a cellular level and Marijuana was
completely mapped just a couple of years ago. Yeast has been mapped for
several years and there is a whole technology of protocols based around
using it (or E. Coli) for laboratory experiments into secondary and tertiary
production systems in cells. The reason that I use Marijuana or LSD as a
test is that neither are the result of direct protein synthesis. They are
rather produced as a result of cellular metabolism of primary componants.
Both of these require garage level control and access to only the most basic
tools and sequencers. To do this successfuly will require somebody to take
the necessary genomes out of the choromosomes and then using a virus and
suitable cutting agents insert them in the yeast. I do not believe we will
see this in the near term using the micro-manipulater systems which do
direct injection of genetic material because of the cost and utility
requirements of such equipment.

> Quote from the article: "A word of caution is in order before we
> start. Although the materials in the kit are safe, it is important 
> for you to follow simple procedures to keep the experiment controlled
> and nonthreatening." No shit. E-coli bacteria (what the kit uses)
> aren't pathogens, but still... I guess every budding young white
> supremist/right-wing religious nut/genocidal maniac has to start
> somewhere. 
>  

E. Coli can be quite toxic. The people who died last year because of the bad
burger at the Jack In The Box died from E. Coli. There are hundreds of
strains of Esherichi Coli and not all of them are benign.

There is also a long history of this type of experimentation, it is not new.
Scientific American put out a book in the late 50's and early 60's that had
a whole slew of 'Amateur Scientist' articles compiled and several of them
related to this technology.