COMBATING BIOTERRORISM AND POTENTIAL MISUSE OF BIOTECNOLOGY AS BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS SHAHID ALI Ph.D Scholar (Botany) 08-arid-954.

COMBATING BIOTERRORISM AND POTENTIAL MISUSE OF

BIOTECNOLOGY AS BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS

SHAHID ALI

Ph.D Scholar (Botany)

08-arid-954

Contents

• What are biological weapons?

• Micoorganisms as weapon History

• Types of Biological Weapon Agents

• Case studies of their use

• How can Biotechnology help?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 Weapons-History

-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.

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

•BacteriaoCause disease by reproducingoSingle cell organismoTyphus, anthrax

•VirusesoMultiply only inside host cellsoSub microscopic organismsoEbola, 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 VirusViral Agent DiseaseArenaviruses- Viral Heamorrhagic fever

Lassa, Junin, Machupo

Filoviruses- Viral Heamorrhagic fever

Ebola, Marburg

Variola Major Smallpox

The face of Biological Warfare

…Small pox

…Botulin

Bacillus anthracis, the cause of anthrax

Micrograph of Bacillus anthracis

Key production techniques

Types Low-tech pro.. High-tech Pro..Bacteria Batch fermentation, Genetically engineered

production in animals strains, Continuous

flow fermentation

Viruses Cultivation in eggs, Culture in mammalian

mouse brain or cells & grown on beads

tissue culture

Protein toxins Extraction from plant Coning of toxin genes

or animal source, in microbial host,

Batch fermentation Extraction of toxin

Non-protein Extraction from plant Cloning of a series of

toxins or animal source 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 cross-contamination

of mail

• total damage (incl. cleanup) exceeded $1 billion

The Justice Department has named no suspects in the case

How do you combat How do you combat Bioterrorism?Bioterrorism?

How can How can Biotechnology Biotechnology

help?help?

….Biodefense TechniquesField 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

• E-nosesCan identify single molecule in

samples

o Fast, Expensive

http://www.indiatalkies.com

http://futuremed2011.com/headlines-from-the-future/

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

REFERENCEShttp://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/EID/vol5no4/

inglesby.htmhttp://www.newruskincollege.com/maxweber/

id16.htmlhttp://69.36.186.201/article.php?

art_ofn=nd04wrighthttp://webnetarts.com/socialjustice/biowar.htmlhttp://www.ph.ucla.edu/epi/bioter/

bioterrorexpertwar.html