Volume 15, Issue 1

With the rise of technology as an industry in the modern world, new innovations come with exciting benefits and dangerous effects. Bioterrorism has historically been used as an army’s strongest weapon and with this rise of technology, we have seen bionanotechnology become the new focus of this type of warfare. Bionanotechnology is the combination of nanotechnology with microbiological components, and the world is unprepared to regulate it. Existing regulations and organizations such as the Nanotechnology Task Force, Biological Weapons and Toxins Conventions, and the Department of Defense are on high alert for this developing weapon, bionanotechnology poses unprecedented risks for communities.

Genes are foundational to all organisms, yet their specific makeup is left to chance. Genome editing technologies, such as CRISPR, allow scientists to manipulate the gene and rid it of disease-causing mutations. Recent advancements have rendered current authority inefficacious in ensuring biosecurity. Nations could create “designer diseases” to infect others while protecting their own. The use and access to genome editing technologies must be controlled to restrict their use as biological weapons.

The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) have made it illegal for States to develop or use certain chemical and biological weapons. However, these treaties are not all-encompassing. Many nations continue to develop and produce chemical and biological weapons. In 2002, as part of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Pentagon released a proposal from an Air Force lab seeking permission to develop biologically based chemicals that would significantly alter human behavior. The premise of behavior-modifying chemicals in conflict situations raises concern, primarily if this technology is developed, how should it be regulated?

The present article investigates the connection between environmental justice and biosecurity. Environmental justice is simply the improvement of environmental conditions for vulnerable populations. Biosecurity is the field that implements different measures that have the intended purpose of preventing the introduction and/or spread of harmful pathogens. The author provides a quick history of the creation of environmental law and subsequently describes the event that occurred in Afton, North Carolina that led to the creation of the concept of environmental justice. Next, the author establishes a nexus between environmental justice and biosecurity through describing the biosecurity issues with laboratories located in Boston, Massachusetts (MS) and Galveston, Texas (TX). The author also discusses the Flint, Michigan water crisis to provide a clear picture of how poor environmental conditions contribute to the harmful spread of pathogens. Lastly, the author provides a possible solution of emphasizing safety measures to promote optimal environmental conditions for vulnerable populations which in turn will strengthen biosecurity.

Artificial intelligence and Biohacking prominent fields of emerging technology. Nonetheless, both fields are minimally regulated. Regulating policy is necessary to ensure that AI-Driven Biohacking can safely innovate.

The present article analyzes the ineffectiveness of the United Nations’ enforcement of biological warfare violations. After the Biological Warfare Convention (BWC) of 1972, little has been done to punish violations. This is in part to the failure of the BWC to implement an accountability system. Additionally, the sanctioning powers of the United Nations Security Council have been routinely stymied by the veto powers of the five permanent members (China, Russia, United States, United Kingdom, and France). To ensure countries abide by the BWC, a solution is needed regarding veto powers. This article proposes that the United States should pursue a United Nations amendment creating a narrow carve-out exception of the veto power in relation to biological warfare violations.