An article in Scientific American says that it is unclear whether the increase of biodefense research and funding has made Americans safer. With those increases, potential weapons are in the hands of more and more researchers, and some say that this growth increases the chance of an accidental release. Despite those concerns, NIAID's director of extramural research Michael Kurilla tells SciAm that "'we're much better off' having spent $41 billion on bioterror research since 2002."