Session on bioterrorism set

The Utah Science Center's "Science in Society" free public dialogue series will present "Natural Bioterrorism" from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday in the auditorium of the main Salt Lake City Library, 210 E. 400 South.

Since 9/11, national focus has been terrorism in its many forms, including bioterrorism. Although that threat exists, the United States and others around the globe also face the very real dangers of devastating disease, including natural infectious and pathogenic agents, and even potential pandemics. Experts will answer questions and engage the audience on a variety of topics, including:

• Are "new" threats really just old dangers re-emerging?

• Identifying potential pandemics and how disease spread is tracked.

• The biology and spread of the hantavirus.

Featured guests include Steven Kern, panel chair, chair of the Department of

Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, and chair of the Rocky Mountain Regional Center for Excellence for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Diseases; Dr. John Hibbs, U. Division of Infectious Diseases; Christy Porucznik, Utah Department. of Health; Dr. Andi Gundlapalli, U. Division of Infectious Diseases; M. Denise Dearing, U. associate professor of biology.

The "Science in Society" public dialogue series is sponsored bi-monthly by the Utah Science Center (www.utahsciencecenter.org).