Thank you, Madam Chairperson.
Thanks to all of you for your appearance today.
I would like to talk to Dr. Plummer a bit because he is an internationally known scientist, and science and research are really at the heart of what we're talking about today in terms of human pathogens and toxins. I think there's no doubt about the value of research being conducted in laboratories.
Dr. Plummer, you know more about this than anyone. You're known for your work on HIV and AIDS. You and your colleagues at the lab--which, by the way, is a world-class level 4 lab--are known for your work on Ebola and other outbreaks.
My question is, given the ever-changing nature of these human pathogens and toxins, and how they multiply and reconfigure and new things emerge, and given the fact that there were cutbacks in the budget for health research and for other research, are we able to keep on top of the ever-changing dynamic in this field? And notwithstanding this legislation, do you feel that we're well equipped to deal with these emerging new pathogens and toxins?