( technology to be weaponized; many meth...)Microbial forensics: The next great forensic challenge

technology to be weaponized; many methods could be used by adversaries to perpetrate an attack, from simple to complex; physicians may not diagnose early symptoms of disease if not warned to look for them, increasing risk and allowing adversaries to escape; effective treatments may not exist for many agents; numerous unprotected agricultural targets exist; and the availability of basic knowledge and biological equipment in hospitals, universities, industries, and from commercial sources. In addition, "A perpetrator can be long gone by the time a disease takes effect, and the original crime scene could be difficult to locate and link to suspects," Murch said.

Additionally, the biological and ecological complexity of most biothreat agents present forensic microbiologists with a number of significant analytical and interpretive challenges. "It is doubtful that any one single technique will be sufficient, but rather a 'multivariate approach' will be required that is tailored to the threat encountered and situation to be addressed. In any case, the scientific and investigative processes must be closely coupled and mutually supportive," Murch said.

There have been numerous national responses to bioterrorism, depending upon the mission of an agency. For example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and others have identified and categorized biologic agents that potentially could be used as weapons based on the criteria of public health impact, ease of dissemination or transmission, requirements for public health preparedness, and social disruption. NIH has created eight national Bioinformatics Resource Centers to speed research on the target agents. Several National Academy studies have dealt with issues related to bioterrorism, life sciences, and security.

The Bioforensic Analysis Program, National Bioforensics Analysis Center, has also been created as part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and operates in partnership wi
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Source:American Chemical Society

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