Download or read book Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2019-01-05 with total page 189 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Scientific advances over the past several decades have accelerated the ability to engineer existing organisms and to potentially create novel ones not found in nature. Synthetic biology, which collectively refers to concepts, approaches, and tools that enable the modification or creation of biological organisms, is being pursued overwhelmingly for beneficial purposes ranging from reducing the burden of disease to improving agricultural yields to remediating pollution. Although the contributions synthetic biology can make in these and other areas hold great promise, it is also possible to imagine malicious uses that could threaten U.S. citizens and military personnel. Making informed decisions about how to address such concerns requires a realistic assessment of the capabilities that could be misused. Biodefense in the Age of Synthetic Biology explores and envisions potential misuses of synthetic biology. This report develops a framework to guide an assessment of the security concerns related to advances in synthetic biology, assesses the levels of concern warranted for such advances, and identifies options that could help mitigate those concerns.

Download or read book Barriers to Bioweapons written by Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2014-12-15 with total page 237 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In both the popular imagination and among lawmakers and national security experts, there exists the belief that with sufficient motivation and material resources, states or terrorist groups can produce bioweapons easily, cheaply, and successfully. In Barriers to Bioweapons, Sonia Ben Ouagrham-Gormley challenges this perception by showing that bioweapons development is a difficult, protracted, and expensive endeavor, rarely achieving the expected results whatever the magnitude of investment. Her findings are based on extensive interviews she conducted with former U.S. and Soviet-era bioweapons scientists and on careful analysis of archival data and other historical documents related to various state and terrorist bioweapons programs.Bioweapons development relies on living organisms that are sensitive to their environment and handling conditions, and therefore behave unpredictably. These features place a greater premium on specialized knowledge. Ben Ouagrham-Gormley posits that lack of access to such intellectual capital constitutes the greatest barrier to the making of bioweapons. She integrates theories drawn from economics, the sociology of science, organization, and management with her empirical research. The resulting theoretical framework rests on the idea that the pace and success of a bioweapons development program can be measured by its ability to ensure the creation and transfer of scientific and technical knowledge. The specific organizational, managerial, social, political, and economic conditions necessary for success are difficult to achieve, particularly in covert programs where the need to prevent detection imposes managerial and organizational conditions that conflict with knowledge production.

Download or read book Biohazard written by Ken Alibek and published by Random House. This book was released on 2008-09-04 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 'We thought we had lived through the terror of a nuclear war, but something far more ominous was brewing in the Soviet Union - a biological Armageddon from which no one would escape. Dr Alibek has emerged from the world's deadliest labs to tell a story that is as important as it is chilling. Sometimes the truth is far worse than fiction. No one can afford not to read this book.' Robin Cook 'As the top scientist in the Soviet Union's biowarfare program and the inventor of the world's most powerful anthrax, Dr Ken Alibek has stunned the highest levels of the U.S. government with his revelations. Now, in a calm, compelling, utterly convincing voice, he tells the world what he knows. Modern biology is producing weapons that in killing power may exceed the hydrogen bomb. Ken Alibek describes them with the intimate knowledge of a top weaponeer.' Richard Preston, author of The Hot Zone

Download or read book Bioweapon written by J.K. Bowden and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2012-08 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the world of tomorrow peace reigns: but at a terrible price. The internet now binds people in a state of unified progress, achieved through a microchipped population who have been united in the face of destruction, and bent to the will of an insidious secret society who control every inch of the planet from the shadows. Those who have rejected the all-powerful New World Order are forced to flee to the most unliveable parts of the Earth, and are branded as rebels and secretly hunted to extinction. Their only hope lies in the incredible scientists who are at the forefront of the rebellion, and the deadly bioweapons they create. Meanwhile, Leah Sudeski, a London based private journalist, stumbles onto some shocking evidence that changes everything she has ever known about the peaceful' society she was born and raised in. Desperate for the truth she begins an impossible mission, aided by the rebels, in order to bring Truth and Freedom back to humanity.

Download or read book The Soviet Biological Weapons Program written by Milton Leitenberg and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2012-06-29 with total page 956 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the first attempt to understand the full scope of the USSR’s offensive biological weapons research, from inception in the 1920s. Gorbachev tried to end the program, but the U.S. and U.K. never obtained clear evidence that he succeeded, raising the question whether the means for waging biological warfare could be present in Russia today.

Download or read book The Arenaviridae written by Maria S. Salvato and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 417 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this volume, a distinguished international group of contributors present the latest molecular, organismal, and epidemiological research on arenaviruses. Their work will broaden both the clinician's and the researcher's knowledge of basic mechanisms of immunological tolerance, viral immunosuppression, the nature of protective immune responses to vaccination, and viral effects on cell functions.

Download or read book Phantom Menace or Looming Danger written by Kathleen M. Vogel and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2012-12-15 with total page 587 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A call for a new way to assess bioweapon threats—recognizing the importance of the sociopolitical context of technological threats. The horrifying terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and the anthrax strikes that soon followed gave the United States new reason to fear unconventional enemies and atypical weapons. These fears have prompted extensive research, study, and planning within the U.S. military, intelligence, and policy communities regarding potential attacks involving biological weapons. In Phantom Menace or Looming Danger?, Kathleen M. Vogel argues for a major shift in how analysts assess bioweapons threats. She calls for an increased focus on the social and political context in which technological threats are developed. Vogel uses case studies to illustrate her theory: Soviet anthrax weapons development, the Iraqi mobile bioweapons labs, and two synthetic genomic experiments. She concludes with recommendations for analysts and policymakers to integrate sociopolitical analysis with data analysis, thereby making U.S. bioweapon assessments more accurate. Students of security policy will find her innovative framework appealing, her writing style accessible, and the many illustrations helpful. These features also make Phantom Menace or Looming Danger? a must-read for government policymakers and intelligence experts. “This is an engrossing book that exemplifies what STS can bring to broader issues of policymaking in the US and potentially beyond, and it is well worth reading.” —Carla Nappi, New Books in Science, Technology, and Society “Kathleen Vogel has authored one of the most important books written about biological weapons in recent years. . . . Vogel tackles head-on the conventional wisdom regarding the biological weapon (BW) threat, successfully, challenging assumptions that have gone largely unexamined by the broader biodefense community. . . . She also uncovers some deeper organizational and social forces that have shaped US intelligence and threat assessments since the end of international security, not just those with an interest in biodefense or intelligence. This, this book is a must-read for scholars and practitioners in the field of international security, not just those with an interest in biodefense or intelligence.” —Gregory D. Koblentz, Nonproliferation Review “Intriguing, original, and deeply informed. Focusing on potential threats, Vogel shows in engaging historical detail that technical problems are inherently social. She has made an important scholarly contribution to science and technology studies and to studies of intelligence. At the same time, she speaks directly to the policy world. The combination of depth of scholarship and practical implication is remarkable.” —Lynn Eden, Center for International Security and Cooperation, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, Stanford University

Download or read book Pathogens for War written by Donald H. Avery and published by University of Toronto Press. This book was released on 2013-04-28 with total page 379 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pathogens for War explores how Canada and its allies have attempted to deal with the threat of germ warfare, one of the most fearful weapons of mass destruction, since the Second World War. In addressing this subject, distinguished historian Donald Avery investigates the relationship between bioweapons, poison gas, and nuclear devices, as well as the connection between bioattacks and natural disease pandemics. Avery emphasizes the crucially important activities of Canadian biodefence scientists – beginning with Nobel Laureate Frederick Banting – at both the national level and through cooperative projects within the framework of an elaborate alliance system. Delving into history through a rich collection of declassified documents, Pathogens for War also devotes several chapters to the contemporary challenges of bioterrorism and disease pandemics from both national and international perspectives. As such, readers will not only learn about Canada’s secret involvement with biological warfare, but will also gain new insights into current debates about the peril of bioweapons – one of today’s greatest threats to world peace.

Download or read book Handbook on Biological Warfare Preparedness written by S.J.S. Flora and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2019-10-05 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Handbook on Biological Warfare Preparedness provides detailed information on biological warfare agents and their mode of transmission and spread. In addition, it explains methods of detection and medical countermeasures, including vaccine and post-exposure therapeutics, with specific sections detailing diseases, their transmission, clinical signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, vaccines, prevention and management. This book is useful reading for researchers and advanced students in toxicology, but it will also prove helpful for medical students, civil administration, medical doctors, first responders and security forces. As the highly unpredictable nature of any event involving biological warfare agents has given rise to the need for the rapid development of accurate detection systems, this book is a timely resource on the topic. - Introduces different bacterial and viral agents, including Ebola and other emerging threats and toxins - Discusses medical countermeasures, including vaccines and post-exposure therapeutics - Includes a comprehensive review of current methods of detection

Download or read book Plague Wars written by Tom Mangold and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2001-04-17 with total page 516 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Winter 2001

Download or read book Bitten written by Kris Newby and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2019-05-14 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A riveting thriller reminiscent of The Hot Zone, this true story dives into the mystery surrounding one of the most controversial and misdiagnosed conditions of our time—Lyme disease—and of Willy Burgdorfer, the man who discovered the microbe behind it, revealing his secret role in developing bug-borne biological weapons, and raising terrifying questions about the genesis of the epidemic of tick-borne diseases affecting millions of Americans today. While on vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, Kris Newby was bitten by an unseen tick. That one bite changed her life forever, pulling her into the abyss of a devastating illness that took ten doctors to diagnose and years to recover: Newby had become one of the 300,000 Americans who are afflicted with Lyme disease each year. As a science writer, she was driven to understand why this disease is so misunderstood, and its patients so mistreated. This quest led her to Willy Burgdorfer, the Lyme microbe’s discoverer, who revealed that he had developed bug-borne bioweapons during the Cold War, and believed that the Lyme epidemic was started by a military experiment gone wrong. In a superb, meticulous work of narrative journalism, Bitten takes readers on a journey to investigate these claims, from biological weapons facilities to interviews with biosecurity experts and microbiologists doing cutting-edge research, all the while uncovering darker truths about Willy. It also leads her to uncomfortable questions about why Lyme can be so difficult to both diagnose and treat, and why the government is so reluctant to classify chronic Lyme as a disease. A gripping, infectious page-turner, Bitten will shed a terrifying new light on an epidemic that is exacting an incalculable toll on us, upending much of what we believe we know about it.

Download or read book Toxicologic Assessment of the Army s Zinc Cadmium Sulfide Dispersion Tests written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1997-05-30 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. Army conducted atmospheric dispersion tests in many American cities using fluorescent particles of zinc cadmium sulfide (ZnCdS) to develop and verify meteorological models to estimate the dispersal of aerosols. Upon learning of the tests, many citizens and some public health officials in the affected cities raised concerns about the health consequences of the tests. This book assesses the public health effects of the Army's tests, including the toxicity of ZnCdS, the toxicity of surrogate cadmium compounds, the environmental fate of ZnCdS, the extent of public exposures from the dispersion tests, and the risks of such exposures.

Download or read book Chemical and Biological Terrorism written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 1999-03-12 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The threat of domestic terrorism today looms larger than ever. Bombings at the World Trade Center and Oklahoma City's Federal Building, as well as nerve gas attacks in Japan, have made it tragically obvious that American civilians must be ready for terrorist attacks. What do we need to know to help emergency and medical personnel prepare for these attacks? Chemical and Biological Terrorism identifies the R&D efforts needed to implement recommendations in key areas: pre-incident intelligence, detection and identification of chemical and biological agents, protective clothing and equipment, early recognition that a population has been covertly exposed to a pathogen, mass casualty decontamination and triage, use of vaccines and pharmaceuticals, and the psychological effects of terror. Specific objectives for computer software development are also identified. The book addresses the differences between a biological and chemical attack, the distinct challenges to the military and civilian medical communities, and other broader issues. This book will be of critical interest to anyone involved in civilian preparedness for terrorist attack: planners, administrators, responders, medical professionals, public health and emergency personnel, and technology designers and engineers.

Download or read book Nanoweapons written by Louis A. Del Monte and published by U of Nebraska Press. This book was released on 2017-04-01 with total page 261 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Nanoweapons describes the deadliest generation of military weaponry the world has ever seen and offers concrete recommendations for controlling their future use, thus avoiding global war and the end of humanity."--Provided by publisher.

Download or read book Germs written by Judith Miller and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-02-01 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this “engrossing, well-documented, and highly readable” (San Francisco Chronicle) New York Times bestseller, three veteran reporters draw on top sources inside and outside the U.S. government to reveal Washington's secret strategies for combating germ warfare and the deadly threat of biological and chemical weapons. Today Americans have begun to grapple with two difficult truths: that there is no terrorist threat more horrifying—and less understood—than germ warfare, and that it would take very little to mount a devastating attack on American soil. Featuring an inside look at how germ warfare has been waged throughout history and what form its future might take (and in whose hands), Germs reads like a gripping detective story told by fascinating key figures: American and Soviet medical specialists who once made germ weapons but now fight their spread, FBI agents who track Islamic radicals, the Iraqis who built Saddam Hussein's secret arsenal, spies who travel the world collecting lethal microbes, and scientists who see ominous developments on the horizon. With clear scientific explanations and harrowing insights, Germs is a vivid, masterfully written—and timely—work of investigative journalism.

Download or read book Mycotoxins in Food Feed and Bioweapons written by Mahendra Rai and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2009-10-26 with total page 407 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Mycotoxins are made by different biosynthetic pathways, and they have an extremely wide range of pharmacological effects. This book will update readers on several cutting-edge aspects of mycotoxin research, including topics such as: new analytical methods for detection; the adoption of an ancient Mexican process for detoxification of aflatoxins; mycotoxin management in Ireland, Lithuania and South America; mycotoxin reduction through plant breeding and integrated management practices; and natural aflatoxin inhibitors from medicinal plants. Further contributions examine ochratoxins, selected trichothecenes, zearalenone, and aflatoxin-like gene clusters, as well as sclerotial development in Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus. Of particular interest are the chapters on the potential use of mycotoxins as bioweapons. This book will stimulate new thinking on the need to develop therapeutic as well as preventative interventions to reduce the toxicological threat of mycotoxins.

Download or read book Germ Gambits written by Amy Smithson and published by Stanford University Press. This book was released on 2011-07-18 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book tells the tale of how international inspectors beat incredible odds to unveil Iraq's covert bioweapons program, draws lessons from this experience that should be applied to help arrest future bioweapons programs, places the Iraq bioweapons saga in the context of other manmade biological risks, and makes recommendations to reduce those perils.