The Department of Homeland Security has announced plans next year to simulate a bioweapons attack on an abandoned school in Newkirk, Oklahoma by releasing powdered titanium dioxide along with a organic bacteria used as an organic pesticide.

The pesticide is normally used for caterpillar control and consists of a bacteria that produces a toxin that is deadly to certain species of caterpillars.

For test purposes, the bacteria mimics the spores of anthrax and has been modified genetically by placing markers in it's DNA to track the dispersal by using the marker as a "barcode" of sorts to differentiate it from spores not involved in the intended release.

Offcials say it is safe, but with the government's history of testing things on an unknowing public (like releasing radiological elements on people in Philadelphia several decades ago), I have my doubts.

There are plenty of abandoned military bases where this could be conducted away from the public.

Also, the health effects of nano-sized titanium dioxide particles aren't well understood enough to be conducting open air tests like this near population centers in my opinion.

Here's a link to the local news about it:

[link to www.fox23.com]

Just thought it was interesting because I've never heard of using "genetic barcodes" like this before and I figured most of you on GLP haven't either.

-Jackal