A device created to kill hamburger meat germs has been drafted to zap anthrax in our mail – making some investors rich overnight.
The gadget uses electron beams and was originally intended to pasteurize harmful bacteria in ground beef and other perishable foods in supermarkets and packing houses.
But now it’s in line to be installed in U.S. Postal Service offices to scan every piece of mail with electronic beams that penetrate any wrappings to wipe out anthrax and other pathogens instantly.
Shares in the gadget’s maker, Surebeam Corp., soared 44 percent yesterday, earning its founder an easy $1.3 million in a few hours.
The company was founded by San Diego physicist Gene Ray who had been a doomsday scientist for government contractors looking for ways of surviving a nuclear attack.
Ray set up his original holding company, Titan Corp., with a lot of science-fiction styled scenarios to solve numerous business problems, ranging from secret satellite tracking to electronic beam devices that end bacteria food spoilage.
Surebeam’s stock has more than doubled since the first anthrax scare in late September.
Ray’s parent company, Titan Corp., which controls 84 percent of Surebeam, also soared yesterday, rising $4 to $26.30. It’s up 52 percent in the last two weeks.
The company wants to sell mail sanitizing devices – including lower-priced models for homes and small businesses.