1. 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

2. Contents 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

3. 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

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. 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

7. Types of Biowarfare Agents
Bacteria
Cause disease by reproducing
Single cell organism
Typhus, anthrax
Viruses
Multiply only inside host cells
Sub microscopic organisms
Ebola, chikungunya

9. 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.

10. Category A Bacteria Bacterial Agent Disease Bacillus anthracis Anthrax
Francisella tularensis Tularemia
Yersinia pestis Plague

11. Category A Virus Viral Agent Disease
Arenaviruses Viral Heamorrhagic fever
Lassa, Junin, Machupo
Filoviruses Viral Heamorrhagic fever
Ebola, Marburg
Variola Major Smallpox

13. The face of Biological Warfare
…Small pox

14. …Botulin

15. Bacillus anthracis, the cause of anthrax
Micrograph of Bacillus anthracis

16. 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

25. Case Study US Anthrax Attack September 18 – October 9, 2001
Anthrax spores found in this Princeton NJ mailbox

26. terrorists (?) mail letters containing
Anthrax spores to 5 US Newspapers
and 2 US Senators

27. 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

29. The Justice Department has named no suspects in the case

30. How do you combat Bioterrorism?
How can Biotechnology help?

32. ….Biodefense Techniques
Field tests
Antibody based
PCR
Comparison with DNA sequences
Biosensors
For monitoring air and water conditions

33. Current Biosensor Technologies
Microfluidics
Tiny chips that have fluid channels and sensing chambers
Uses nucleic acid-base to detect pathogens
E-noses
Can identify single molecule in samples
Fast, Expensive

34. 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

35. 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.

36. 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

39. REFERENCES