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Irradiating the mail to kill anthrax spores could be damaging important
biological samples. The US Postal Service is seizing and irradiating all
first-class mail sent to federal agencies, including the National Museum of
Natural History. Museum officials are warning scientists to send important
specimens in large packages by express services or to deliver them in person.
“We are most concerned about biological materials with good DNA, archive
documents and photographic and magnetic media,” says Sally Shelton of the
Smithsonian Institution.