IRRC No. 848
Biotechnology, weapons and humanity
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Abstract
Today, the world is on the verge of a revolution in biotechnology. Expected advances have enormous potential to benefit humanity. But these same technologies have great potential for misuse. They could facilitate the use of biological weapons either in armed conflict or as a means to spread terror. Deliberately inflicting disease and changing body chemistry is likely to become easier, deadlier, cheaper and more difficult to detect.