Biodefence May 2026

: Advances in synthetic biology and AI have lowered the bar for creating lethal, novel pathogens in laboratories [2, 19].

: While countries like the Soviet Union once ran massive covert programs to weaponize diseases like smallpox and plague, international treaties (like the Biological Weapons Convention) shifted the focus to purely defensive research [22, 35]. biodefence

The story of biodefence is a shift from the horrors of biological warfare to a complex, modern race against pathogens—both natural and man-made . It is a narrative defined by moments of sudden crisis, like the 2001 anthrax attacks , which transformed biodefence into a permanent pillar of national security [11, 21]. The Turning Point: Amerithrax : Advances in synthetic biology and AI have