Ebook: The Role of Biotechnology in Countering BTW Agents

Biotechnology is vital to counter biological and toxin weapons. Without biotechnology, the detection, identification and diagnoses of, and medical countermeasures to such weapons would be virtually impossible. As biological and toxin agents occur in natural outbreaks of disease or intoxications, there are both civil and military benefit to be had from the use of biotechnology in providing effective countermeasures to such agents.
The role of biotechnology in countering biological and toxin weapons is here addressed under seven major headings:

• The wider political and economic contexts;
• Enabling technologies for BTW agent detection;
• The applicability of biotechnological methods for BTW agent detection on the battlefield, in a terrorist incident, and in an inspection environment;
• Pre-exposure medical countermeasures;
• Diagnosis and identification;
• Post-exposure treatment and decontamination;
• Contribution of biotechnology to strengthening international conventions against BTW agents.

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Biotechnology is vital to counter biological and toxin weapons. Without biotechnology, the detection, identification and diagnoses of, and medical countermeasures to such weapons would be virtually impossible. As biological and toxin agents occur in natural outbreaks of disease or intoxications, there are both civil and military benefit to be had from the use of biotechnology in providing effective countermeasures to such agents.
The role of biotechnology in countering biological and toxin weapons is here addressed under seven major headings:

• The wider political and economic contexts;
• Enabling technologies for BTW agent detection;
• The applicability of biotechnological methods for BTW agent detection on the battlefield, in a terrorist incident, and in an inspection environment;
• Pre-exposure medical countermeasures;
• Diagnosis and identification;
• Post-exposure treatment and decontamination;
• Contribution of biotechnology to strengthening international conventions against BTW agents.

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Biotechnology is vital to counter biological and toxin weapons. Without biotechnology, the detection, identification and diagnoses of, and medical countermeasures to such weapons would be virtually impossible. As biological and toxin agents occur in natural outbreaks of disease or intoxications, there are both civil and military benefit to be had from the use of biotechnology in providing effective countermeasures to such agents.
The role of biotechnology in countering biological and toxin weapons is here addressed under seven major headings:

• The wider political and economic contexts;
• Enabling technologies for BTW agent detection;
• The applicability of biotechnological methods for BTW agent detection on the battlefield, in a terrorist incident, and in an inspection environment;
• Pre-exposure medical countermeasures;
• Diagnosis and identification;
• Post-exposure treatment and decontamination;
• Contribution of biotechnology to strengthening international conventions against BTW agents.

Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xxi
Dealing with a Headache: Three Scenarios and Two Dilemmas....Pages 1-7
Countering Biological Warfare: An Overview....Pages 9-31
Lessons of the Chemical Weapons Convention for the BTWC Protocol....Pages 33-45
Biotechnology and the Strengthening of the BTWC....Pages 47-51
Strengthening the BTWC through R&D Restructuring: The Case of the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology “Vector”....Pages 53-59
Dissolution of the Soviet Union, Introduction of a Market Economy and the Future BTWC Compliance Protocol: Impact on the Russian Biotechnology Industry....Pages 61-67
The Potential of Different Biotechnology Methods in BTW Agent Detection....Pages 69-77
The Potential of Different Biotechnology Methods in BTW Agent Detection....Pages 79-91
The Role of Biotechnology in BTW Agent Detection....Pages 93-103
Detection of Biological Agents and Biosensor Design....Pages 105-120
Detecting BTW Agents on the Battlefield....Pages 121-128
Detecting Biological Terrorism....Pages 129-140
Detecting Biological and Toxin Weapon Agents in an Inspection Environment....Pages 141-159
Possibilities and Limitations of Vaccination....Pages 161-183
The Development of an Oral Vaccine Against Anthrax....Pages 185-196
Vaccine Production....Pages 197-214
The Role of Biotechnology in Protection Against BTW Agents - Overview from a Medical Point of View and Identification of the Symptoms....Pages 215-225
Medical Countermeasures to Biological Warfare Agents....Pages 227-234
Treatment of Mass Casualties Under Worst Case Assumptions....Pages 235-245
The Post Exposure Prophylactic Measures Against Viral BTW Agents....Pages 247-256
Search of Biotechnology-Based Decontaminants for C/BW Agents....Pages 257-265
Biotechnology and Politico-Military Responses to BTW Agents....Pages 267-283
Biotechnology and the Development of Norms Against BTW Agents....Pages 285-297
Back Matter....Pages 299-314

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Biotechnology is vital to counter biological and toxin weapons. Without biotechnology, the detection, identification and diagnoses of, and medical countermeasures to such weapons would be virtually impossible. As biological and toxin agents occur in natural outbreaks of disease or intoxications, there are both civil and military benefit to be had from the use of biotechnology in providing effective countermeasures to such agents.
The role of biotechnology in countering biological and toxin weapons is here addressed under seven major headings:

• The wider political and economic contexts;
• Enabling technologies for BTW agent detection;
• The applicability of biotechnological methods for BTW agent detection on the battlefield, in a terrorist incident, and in an inspection environment;
• Pre-exposure medical countermeasures;
• Diagnosis and identification;
• Post-exposure treatment and decontamination;
• Contribution of biotechnology to strengthening international conventions against BTW agents.

Content:
Front Matter....Pages i-xxi
Dealing with a Headache: Three Scenarios and Two Dilemmas....Pages 1-7
Countering Biological Warfare: An Overview....Pages 9-31
Lessons of the Chemical Weapons Convention for the BTWC Protocol....Pages 33-45
Biotechnology and the Strengthening of the BTWC....Pages 47-51
Strengthening the BTWC through R&D Restructuring: The Case of the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology “Vector”....Pages 53-59
Dissolution of the Soviet Union, Introduction of a Market Economy and the Future BTWC Compliance Protocol: Impact on the Russian Biotechnology Industry....Pages 61-67
The Potential of Different Biotechnology Methods in BTW Agent Detection....Pages 69-77
The Potential of Different Biotechnology Methods in BTW Agent Detection....Pages 79-91
The Role of Biotechnology in BTW Agent Detection....Pages 93-103
Detection of Biological Agents and Biosensor Design....Pages 105-120
Detecting BTW Agents on the Battlefield....Pages 121-128
Detecting Biological Terrorism....Pages 129-140
Detecting Biological and Toxin Weapon Agents in an Inspection Environment....Pages 141-159
Possibilities and Limitations of Vaccination....Pages 161-183
The Development of an Oral Vaccine Against Anthrax....Pages 185-196
Vaccine Production....Pages 197-214
The Role of Biotechnology in Protection Against BTW Agents - Overview from a Medical Point of View and Identification of the Symptoms....Pages 215-225
Medical Countermeasures to Biological Warfare Agents....Pages 227-234
Treatment of Mass Casualties Under Worst Case Assumptions....Pages 235-245
The Post Exposure Prophylactic Measures Against Viral BTW Agents....Pages 247-256
Search of Biotechnology-Based Decontaminants for C/BW Agents....Pages 257-265
Biotechnology and Politico-Military Responses to BTW Agents....Pages 267-283
Biotechnology and the Development of Norms Against BTW Agents....Pages 285-297
Back Matter....Pages 299-314
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