|
|
Article: A Terrorist's Fragile Footprint; Letter's Anthrax Spores Pose Many Obstacles to Analysis
- Article from:
- The Washington Post
- Article date:
- November 29, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightThis material is published under license from the Washington Post. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Washington Post. (Hide copyright information)
|
Strange things happened on Oct. 15 when U.S. Army experts gathered
around a microscope in a specially sealed room to examine the anthrax
spores that had been mailed to Sen. Thomas A. Daschle: The tiny
spores, each one less than one-twentieth the diameter of a human
hair, kept leaping off the glass microscope slide as though by magic,
then wafting away like weightless wisps of cigarette smoke.
When the scientists tried to weigh the sample, the spores refused
to rest on the scale but again became airborne, propelled by
imperceptible air movements and tabletop vibrations.
Finally the team dunked some of the spores in liquid chemicals and
embedded others in wax just so they could examine and ...