A National Research Council committee reviewing the scientific approaches, methodologies, and analytical techniques used by the Federal Bureau of Investigation during its investigation of the 2001 anthrax mailings, and whether the FBI reached appropriate scientific conclusions from its use of these techniques, will release its report on Tuesday, Feb. 15, at 11 a.m. EST.

In 2008, the FBI asked the Research Council -- the principal operating arm of the National Academy of Sciences and National Academy of Engineering -- to conduct this independent review. The U.S. Department of Justice closed its investigation of the anthrax mailings in early 2010, concluding that the attacks were carried out by Bruce Ivins, a scientist at a U.S. Army infectious disease laboratory in Frederick, Md., who committed suicide in 2008. The new report is limited to an evaluation of the scientific evidence and does not assess the guilt or innocence of anyone connected to the case.

PARTICIPATING FROM THE COMMITTEE THAT WROTE THE REPORT:

Alice P. Gast (chair), president, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, Pa.

David A. Relman (vice chair), Thomas C. and Joan M. Merigan Professor of Medicine, and of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, and chief, Infectious Diseases, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, Calif.

The full report and an archived version of the webcast will be available at www.national-academies.org