You are on page 1of 3

Meah Puckhaber

Microbes and Society


2016SP ATW31

Part I
Click on History of Bioterror
200-word summary from medieval siege to anthrax attack
During the 1300-1400s although there wasnt much known on how germs could cause
disease, the rotting bodies of animals were used in sieges until people gave up and came to a
truce as they could not stand the horrible stench.
By the time of the American Revolution some diseases were known. The British military
would expose smallpox to the soldiers, from the pus of the pustules in an effort to immunize by
causing a mild case of the disease. They even tried using it to spread disease although it didnt
work out in their favor with the civilians. They also targeted Native Americans by giving them
blankets and handkerchiefs that were infected with the disease at a peace making parley.
World War I and World War II much more was understood on how microbes caused
disease and it militaries began to use them as biological weapons. They were even targeting live
stock. During this time there was the Geneva Protocol that prohibited the use of chemical and
biological agents, although not any research or development.
During the Cold War the Soviet Union and the U.S. were exploring many different
bacteria, viruses and other biological toxins and established ways to disperse them into aerosols,
bombs and missiles. However, in 1972 the U.S among more than 100 other nations signed the
Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, which was the worlds first treaty that barred the
possessions of any biological agents except for defensive research.
Despite the ban there were outbreaks in the Soviet that claimed 70 lives, they found later
that it was from the military base. Another attack in Oregon by an Indian guru who sprinkled
salmonella on salad bars and caused 750 cases of food poisoning, they had ruled it to be a natural
outbreak but later found out the truth. Anthrax was spread in letters in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks
which claimed 5 lives and caused illness in 22 others, no one was ever named responsible for the
letters, however it is suspected that it was an insider at the Army lab.
You can really see how knowledge was gained quickly and how germs, bacteria and
toxins were used in warfare. Its quite interesting to learn how it had advanced over the years.
Part 2
Click on Future Germ Defenses
Under promises of DNA vaccines click on making vaccines
Summarize the steps in making all six different types of vaccines
Measles virus- Altered viruses are taken using a tissue culture to grow, it is kept at a low
temperature which provides an environment that is not suitable for the human, therefore, it will
be easily destroyed by the human body. After many generations have grown, about a 10-year
process, they search for the viruses that have desirable characteristics, it is then ready to be
administered as a live attenuated vaccination.

Smallpox virus- The Cowpox virus is first taken from the udder of a cow, the virus is then
placed in a petri dish, a purifier than isolates the virus and finally it is ready to be transferred to a
syringe for vaccination.
Polio virus- The virus is placed in a tissue culture where it will replicate itself. It then will
be isolated by the use of a purifier. Formaldehyde is then poured over the virus to inactivate it.
Since the virus is now dead it will not produce a desirable immune response, so a booster will be
required.
Tetanus- Many copies of the bacteria Clostridium tetani by using the growth medium. In
this setting the bacteria will produce toxins. The toxins will then be separated from the bacteria
with the purifier. After they are separated they will then need to be neutralized with aluminum
salts in order to be safe. Finally, an adjuvant is then added and the toxoid vaccination for tetanus
is then ready to be administered.
Hepatitis B- You would first need to pull out a segment of DNA from the hepatitis B
virus. A yeast is added because it will copy part of the DNA and produce a protein which makes
up the hepatitis B protein coat. The yeast cells and proteins will then be separated by using the
purifier. Since the DNA left doesnt contain the viral DNA that makes the virus harmful its not
possible to cause disease and is ready to be administered.
HIV- A growth medium is used to produce billions of copies of the viruss gene by a
technique called polymerase chain reaction (PCR.) A vector is then combined with the virus
gene, a bacteria host is then added, the vectors are then shocked into the bacteria, we would use
the purifier to separate the bacteria next from the altered vectors. The altered vectors are then
ready to be administered produce as a naked-DNA vaccination for HIV.
Part 3
Click on Interview with Biowarriors
Select one interview and give a 100-word summary
Dr. Ken Alibek who fled to the U.S. in 1992 carried very private information on the
Soviet Unions biological weapons programs, he was then interviewed along with the U.S.
governments longtime bioweaponeer, Bill Patrick by NOVA.
Both Ken and Bill talked with NOVA about how biological technology has advanced very
quickly and how Ken is concerned about the scientists of the former Soviet Union because they
have techniques and knowledge to manufacture very dangerous weapons, not knowing where
they are or where they are going is scary as they can share the knowledge with other countries.
Kens co-worker who formerly worked in biological weapons area in Russia was telling him
about how easy it is to steal things from the biological weapons facilities. How the scientists had
a desire to sell plasmids for research and were able to do so. He went on to talk about how there
is even a company that sells techniques and scientific journals that elaborate how to manufacture
very pathogenic agents. He explained 10 years prior it would have required millions of dollars to
get one technique and now you can easily get information as low as a cost of a translator and the
situation is becoming difficult to control.
They went on to discuss how Ken was running an anthrax production facility where 300
tons of anthrax was produced in a 250-day period. They joked with each other about it, when he
had realized that the U.S. was producing less and he had thought he could have produced allot
more.

Ken then responds to NOVA during a question about second thoughts on what he had
done in his career in Russia. He had expressed that he was a physician and that he wasnt right
for him to be involved in that business but he wasnt able to escape it. Bill was then asked his
take on it and he responded that he felt it was something patriotic that they did because the policy
of the country is to always have biological warfare available as a response, not usage, but in
response.
Part 4
Click on Global guide to Bioweapons
Select five countries and give a summary of their biological weapons capabilities.
The United States has many different defensive research agents such as anthrax, many
types of fevers that produce hemorrhage as well as other diseases, about 28 different types as
well as the plague. They have bioweapons research and defensive bioweapons program.
Russia seems to have allot of research, production, testing and storage of bioweapons as
well as a defensive bioweapons program. They have anthrax, plague, typhus, Ebola and some
others that the U.S. doesnt have as well as about 10 of the same. They have biological agents to
infect humans as well as livestock and anti-crop properties.
Germany has very few possible agents such as plague, cholera, yellow fever, typhus,
foot-and-mouth disease, glanders, potato beetle, and wheat fungus.
South Africa has even fewer possible agents such as anthrax, cholera, and botulinum
toxins.
Canada has anthrax, rinderpest, botulinum toxin, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, plague,
tularemia and ricin.

You might also like