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Bioweapons
OVERVIEW
Biotechnology has been rapidly developing over the past decade, becoming increasingly effective and inexpensive to produce. New technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9 may allow small teams or even individuals to develop biotechnology without the need for expensive labs and government funding. In the wrong hands, biotech could be used to produce weapons that could kill millions.
DANGERS
- A military, organization or individual could create a bioweapon capable of killing millions of people (or the entire human race), either accidentally or on purpose
- Nearly all countries are technologically able to synthesize deadly pathogens
- Developing bioweapons programs in countries around the world could result in an accidental release of deadly pathogen
CURRENT STATUS
- Bill Gates believes bioweaponry is one of the three top threats we are facing today
- There are currently 16 countries suspected of having bioweapons programs
- Some biosecurity scholars worry that even teenagers can now make bioweapons, although it is currently unlikely
- The use of bioweapons is banned by the Biological Weapons Convention
- Vaccines are essential in stopping an epidemic, but in order to do so we would need to be able to develop and license vaccines in 90 days or less – it currently takes approximately 10 years to develop a vaccine (seasonal flu vaccines, developed annually, are an exception)
