Texas A&M Biosafety Chief Resigns

The biosafety director at Texas A&M resigned in the wake of a highly critical federal report on the university’s management of its infectious disease research facilities, the Dallas Morning News reported today (see GSN, Sept. 5).

“It has reached a point in my career at Texas A&M that I can no longer effectively pursue my duties in the present environment,” Brent Mattox said in his resignation letter.  Mattox had been at the College Station institution for nine years and oversaw laboratory safety and inspections for the environmental health and safety department.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a report made public Tuesday, found numerous failings in the university’s safety and security system for its disease research sector.  These included allowing unauthorized personnel to access Q fever and other disease agents, failing to conduct annual inspections on all laboratories storing or using toxins, and losing track of several vials of the bacteria brucella.

The university must make at least 12 corrections before it can resume federally funded biodefense research, including preparing an improved laboratory security plan and upgrading training policies.  The government could also assess fines or even file criminal charges against the school.

Mattox’s resignation follows that of Richard Ewing, who left his post as vice president for research in August but stayed at the university as a tenured mathematics professor (see GSN, Aug. 2).  One researcher is also on leave.

The head of a Texas watchdog group that publicized the university’s biosafety woes cautioned against placing too much blame on Mattox, the Morning News reported.

“You would expect the biosafety officer to play a major role in the oversight and administration of select agent rules at an institution,” said Edward Hammond, director of the Sunshine Project.  “It’s not unique to A&M to have these people sort of marginalized” (Emily Ramshaw, Dallas Morning News, Sept. 6).

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