Scientists Create Polio Virus in Lab

Scientists from State University of New York at Stony Brook say they created infectious polio virus in the laboratory from scratch using publicly available genetic sequence information. Their research was published in the July 13 edition of Science. The achievement could have broad implications for vaccination programs that are working to rid the world of polio and other diseases.

Diane Griffin, MD, PhD, professor and chair of the W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health told New Scientist, “I think it means you’re probably not going to able to stop vaccinating people even after you eradicate the virus."

Science Article

New Scientist Article