Molecular biology and genetics have really advanced by leaps and bounds in such a short time. It wasn't that long ago that mapping the whole genome of an organism was an essentially impossible task. Then the race between the Human Genome Project and Celera Genomics to map the entire human genome showed that it could be done, but at great cost and effort. Now, you can buy off-the-shelf machines that will not only break down and map a genome automatically, but you can also create a new one from scratch. Sort of a DIY Genesis-machine, I guess you could say.

Theoretically, we're at that point that someone could essentially just "program" the machine to create smallpox or this wicked H5N1 flu virus with the correct blueprint to work from, like programming a CNC machine to turn a new part out of a block of metal. You don't even need to steal an actual sample anymore. People no longer have to do things like dig up frozen corpses in the Arctic permafrost looking for frozen samples of Spanish Flu.

I believe that the free flow of information is better than harsh censorship, but some information carries a greater potential impact than others, and therefore greater risk for harm in the wrong hands. That's a tough one to balance in certain cases.

It's only a matter of time until humanity faces another truly frightening, devastating pandemic of some sort. I predict that whatever does eventually come along will catch everyone totally by surprise, so research like this may or may not actually help all that much. Very few calamities are really predicted accurately.