Extinct smallpox-related virus recreated for â¹65 lakh
A Canadian team has synthesised the extinct horsepox virus for $100,000 (â¹65 lakhs). Horsepox is a relative of smallpox, which killed millions before being eradicated in 1980. Bioethicists argue the work falls under "dual-use research" and could be used by terrorists to create a deadly pathogen. However, the team believes their research would lead to better vaccines and cancer therapeutics.