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COMBATING BIOTERRORISM AND
POTENTIAL MISUSE OF
BIOTECNOLOGY AS BIOLOGICAL
WEAPONS
SHAHID ALI
Ph.D Scholar (Botany)
08-arid-954
Contents
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What are biological weapons?
Micoorganisms as weapon History
Types of Biological Weapon Agents
Case studies of their use
How can Biotechnology help?
Questions to ponder
Conclusion
References
What is a Biological Weapon?
• Uses a living organism or its toxic agent
• Delivery devices
• Both conventional and unconventional means
of delivery

Molecular biology and genetic engineering have
enabled scientists to increase the virulence, develop
antibiotic resistant strains and create novel strains
for which population lack immunity
INTRODUCTION
-Biological weapons infectious agents
(bacteria, virus, fungi, protozoan etc.) used
to intentionally inflict harm on humans.
-The definition is extended to include
biologically derived toxins and poisons.
-Generally, the types of agents used as
biological weapons cause systemic
diseases, hemorrhagic fevers, pneumonias,
or involve toxins and biological poisons.
Microorganisms as WeaponsHistory
-Europe, Middle ages – Black plague victims
hurled over city walls to infect citizens.
-Russia, April 2, 1979 – Bioweapons plant
accidentally releases anthrax killing 68 of 94
infected civilians.
-Release of sarin gas in a Tokyo subway in 1996.
-Anthrax attack on Capitol Hill in 2001.
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Types of Biological Weapon
Agents
Anthrax
Botulinum Toxins
Brucellosis
Cholera
Clostridium Perfringens Toxins
Congo-Crimean Hemorrhagic Fever
Ebola Haemorrhagic Fever
Plague
Q Fever
Ricin
Smallpox
Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B
Trichothecene Mycotoxins
Types of Biowarfare Agents
•Bacteria
oCause disease by reproducing
oSingle cell organism
oTyphus, anthrax
•Viruses
oMultiply only inside host cells
oSub microscopic organisms
oEbola, chikungunya
The “Top Four” Bioterrorist
Agents
B.anthracis, the bacterium that causes
anthrax.
Yersini pestis, the bacterium that causes
plague.
Variola virus, the virus that causes
smallpox.
Botulinum toxin, a protein toxin produced
by Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium
that causes botulism.
Category A Bacteria
Bacterial Agent
Disease
Bacillus anthracis
Anthrax
Francisella tularensis
Tularemia
Yersinia pestis
Plague
Category A Virus
Viral Agent
ArenavirusesLassa, Junin, Machupo
FilovirusesEbola, Marburg
Variola Major
Disease
Viral Heamorrhagic fever
Viral Heamorrhagic fever
Smallpox
The face of Biological Warfare
…Small pox
…Botulin
Bacillus anthracis, the cause of anthrax
Micrograph of Bacillus anthracis
Key production techniques
Types
Bacteria
Viruses
Low-tech pro..
High-tech Pro..
Batch fermentation,
production in animals
Genetically engineered
strains, Continuous
flow fermentation
Culture in mammalian
cells & grown on beads
Cultivation in eggs,
mouse brain or
tissue culture
Protein toxins Extraction from plant
or animal source,
Batch fermentation
Non-protein Extraction from plant
toxins
or animal source
Coning of toxin genes
in microbial host,
Extraction of toxin
Cloning of a series of
genes
Case Study
US Anthrax Attack
September 18 – October 9, 2001
Anthrax spores found in this Princeton NJ mailbox
terrorists (?) mail letters containing
Anthrax spores to 5 US
Newspapers
and 2 US Senators
• Several thousand people exposed and
take antibiotics
• 22 people developed anthrax infections
– 11 inhalation anthrax
– 11 subcutaneous anthrax (less lethal)
• 5 died of inhalation anthrax
– 2 postal workers
– 3 from unknown sources, possibly crosscontamination of mail
• total damage (incl. cleanup) exceeded $1 billion
The Justice Department has
named no suspects in the case
How can
Biotechnology
help?
How do you combat
Bioterrorism?
….Biodefense Techniques
Field tests
– Antibody based
PCR
– Comparison with
DNA sequences
Biosensors
– For monitoring air
and water
conditions
Current Biosensor Technologies
• Microfluidics
o Tiny chips that have fluid
channels and sensing chambers
o Uses nucleic acid-base to detect
pathogens
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http://futuremed2011.com/headlines-from-thefuture/
E-noses
 Can identify single molecule in
samples
o Fast,
Expensive
http://www.indiatalkies.com
Existing Systems – E-Noses:
• Inspired from nature
• uses a combination of
new technologies to
detect pathogens
• reduces time from days
to fifteen minute
intervals
• currently being
developed to detect
spoiled meat &
encounter bioterrorism
NASA's E-Nose courtesy JPL
courtesy of 4to40.com
Aptamer-Encoded Nanopore for Detection of
Bioterrorist Agent
Aptamer-encoded nanopore for ultrasensitive
detection of bioterrorist agent ricin at single-molecule
resolution
The nanopore, can be formed from protein ion
channels by genetic engineering or fabricated on solid
substrates using nanotechnology
Nanopore sensors have been created for detections
metal ions, drug compounds and cellular second
messengers, to proteins and DNAs.
Vaccination as Countermeasure
• If an attack occurs,
treatment in the form of
antibodies will be needed.
– Stockpile of drugs and
vaccines necessary for
emergency cases
– Must be administered
before exposure
 REFERENCES
 http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol5no4/inglesby.
htm
 http://www.newruskincollege.com/maxweber/id1
6.html
 http://69.36.186.201/article.php?art_ofn=nd04wri
ght
 http://webnetarts.com/socialjustice/biowar.html
 http://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/bioter/bioterrorexpert
war.html