It's not safe to be a microbiologist - part whatever

The universe has a way of bringing up an issue in numerous ways all at once. Last night someone I was talking to mentioned (in connection with a "mysterious" death of one of them here in our town and genetic work at the new bazillion-dollar Life Sciences Center here on campus) the killings of microbiologists that seems to be a favorite sport the last couple of years. What information did the dead men have? Who is silencing them?

Today, Rigorous Intuition is discussing the same subject, because...lo and behold...another scientist has been murdered.

Before 9/11, I never gave much thought to the health and welfare of prominent scientists. I would have, if I had known the string of mysterious deaths which struck Britain's "star wars" physicists in the 1980s. (See "Did 22 British SDI Researchers really ALL Commit Suicide?") But I didn't know that, as most people still don't know, because as I said, that was before 9/11, and the world still made a naive kind of sense to me. Now, after so many microbiologists have gone to early graves, I know different. I may still be wrong about a lot of things, but at least I know enough now to say that I was certainly wrong then.

[...]

So the murder of San Francisco radiologist Robert Lull should raise the threat level on both counts.

I see a reward is now on offer, which must mean the investigation is not going well and the trail may already have gone cold. A reward was also offered in the January murder of Dr Jeong Im, and the only recent development in that case is the promise of security lights in the parking garage in which the microbiologist was stabbed to death, where he was found stuffed in the trunk of his burning car.

Dr. Im is the man killed here on campus.

As for the motive to the Lull's murder, "gisgaia" has already posted some important dots suitable for connecting on the RI discussion board here. And I agree: "the fact that he was working on hemorrhagic intestinal disorders may be a very big dot," especially when considering the work of others on the death list, and that "most of the now, 44 [and counting] scientists who met their demise since 9/11/01...is [that] all were expert in emerging infectious diseases especially Ebola, Mad Cow, HIV.”

My webpage here has an ongoing list.