The following is a draft version of the opening remarks by King Karl XVI Gustaf. The King actually made the speech a bit longer and also a bit more personal, referring to the great interest the Crown Princess Victoria has in these issues.

The Opening Remarks By His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf

At the Eighth International Symposium on Protection Against Chemical and Biological Warfare Agents

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I have had the pleasure of opening this symposium a couple of times before. In my opening speech at the sixth symposium, six years ago, I emphasized the political changes in the world that had taken place during the first part of the nineties, with implications on the threat picture from biological and chemical warfare agents.

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Dr. DeBell is a well-known world authority within this complex area and ASA is very pleased to present his CBMTS V paper for the ASA family of professionals.

Progress in Research with the plcR Gene in Bacillus anthracis

Robert M. DeBell, Ph.D.
Battelle Memorial Institute

Introduction
          Ongoing research with Bacillus anthracis is attempting to expand our understanding of the spectrum of genomic capabilities to include the expression of new virulence factors. Although these studies are academic and valuable from a microbiology perspective, there are concerns in that they demonstrate genetic alterations that could change the pathogenicity of B. anthracis. Knowledge of this work is most important to ensure that anthrax therapies are adequate to treat anthrax or that competent therapies be developed to avoid circumvention by a genetically altered form of B. anthracis.

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an inside look at ASA 04-3