Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies Center for International Security and Cooperation Stanford University


A researcher prepares DNA samples at Berkeley National Laboratory.
Photo credit: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory



October 30, 2012 - Op-ed

Experts predict personalized bioweapons possible in the near future

Appeared in Atlantic Magazine, October 30, 2012

CISAC Affiliate Marc Goodman and co-authors Andrew Hessel and Steven Kotler outline how advances in biotechnology may be used in the near future to create personalized biological agents that target individuals based on their DNA. They argue that these custom agents could be weaponized or used for exploitation, and that synthetic biology is poised to become the next big security threat.