The great achievements of molecular biology and genetics over the last 50 years have produced advances in agriculture and industrial processes and have revolutionized the practice of medicine. The very technologies that fueled these benefits to society, however, pose a potential risk as well—the possibility that these technologies could also be used to create the next generation of biological weapons. Biotechnology represents a “dual use” dilemma in which the same technologies can be used legitimately for human betterment and misused for bioterrorism.

The Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council have produced a number of reports on the subject of bioterrorism and dual use issues in life science research. All are free to download.

	Biotechnology Research in an Age of Terrorism 164 pages | Paperback | Price: $31.50 In recent years much has happened to justify an examination of biological research in light of national security concerns. The destructive application of biotechnology research includes activities such as spreading common pathogens or transforming them…[more]
	Challenges and Opportunities for Education About Dual Use Issues in the Life Sciences 146 pages | Paperback | Price: $22.50The Challenges and Opportunities for Education About Dual Use Issues in the Life Sciences workshop was held to engage the life sciences community on the particular security issues related to research with dual use potential. More than 60 participants from… [more]
	A Survey of Attitudes and Actions on Dual Use Research in the Life Sciences: A Collaborative Effort of the National Research Council and the American Association for the Advancement of Science 188 pages | Paperback | Price: $78.30 The same technologies that fuel scientific advances also pose potential risks–that the knowledge, tools, and techniques gained through legitimate biotechnology research could be misused to create biological weapons or for bioterrorism. This is often called… [more]
	Globalization, Biosecurity, and the Future of the Life Sciences 318 pages | Paperback | Price: $50.40 Biomedical advances have made it possible to identify and manipulate features of living organisms in useful ways&#8212leading to improvements in public health, agriculture, and other areas. The globalization of scientific and technical expertise also means that… [more]
	Biological Threats and Terrorism: Assessing the Science and Response Capabilities: Workshop Summary 336 pages | Paperback | Price: $37.80 In the wake of September 11th and recent anthrax events, our nation?s bioterrorism response capability has become an imminent priority for policymakers, researchers, public health officials, academia, and the private sector. In a three-day workshop, convened by.. .[more]