In response to a formal request from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the National Academies will conduct an independent review of the scientific approaches used during the investigation of the 2001 Bacillus anthracis (B. anthracis) mailings. An ad hoc committee with relevant expertise will evaluate the scientific foundation for the specific techniques used by the FBI to determine whether these techniques met appropriate standards for scientific reliability and for use in forensic validation and whether the FBI reached appropriate scientific conclusions from its use of these techniques. In instances where novel scientific methods were developed for purposes of the FBI investigation itself, the committee will pay particular attention to whether these methods wereappropriately validated. The committee will review and assess scientific evidence(studies, results, analyses, reports) considered in connection with the 2001 Bacillusanthracis mailings. In assessing this body of information, the Committee will limit itsinquiry to the scientific approaches, methodologies, and analytical techniques used duringthe investigation of the 2001 B. anthracis mailings.The areas of scientific evidence to be studied by the committee include, but may not belimited to:1. genetic studies that led to the identification of potential sources of B. anthracis recovered from the letters;2 analyses of four genetic mutations that were found in evidence and that are unique to a subset of Ames strain cultures collected during the investigation;3. chemical and dating studies that examined how, where, and when the spores may havebeen grown and what, if any, additional treatments they were subjected to;4. studies of the recovery of spores and bacterial DNA from samples collected and tested during the investigation; and5. the role that cross contamination might have played in the evidence picture.The committee will necessarily consider the facts and data surrounding the investigation of the 2001 Bacillus anthracis mailings, the reliability of the principles and methods used by the FBI, and whether the principles and methods were applied appropriately to the facts. The committee will not, however, undertake an assessment of the probative value of the scientific evidence in any specific component of the investigation, prosecution, or civil litigation and will offer no view on the guilt or innocence of any person(s) in connection with the 2001 B. anthracis mailings, or any other B. anthracis incidents.The project is sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.The start date for the project is 4/24/2009.A report will be issued at the end of the project.Update 12/7/10: The project duration has been extended. The report is expected to be issued in February 2011.Update 2/13/11: The committee's report will be released at a press conference and public briefing at 11 a.m. EST on Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011 at the Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Sciences, 525 E St., N.W., Washington, D.C. Space is limited. A live video webcast of the event will be available at http://www.national-academies.org.Register to Attend at http://www.surveygizmo.com/s/466478/release-anthrax-report.