SATURDAY, Nov. 17, 2001 (HealthDayNews) -- Edible vaccines. Materials that self-replicate to repair wounds. Miniature biosensors. Lightweight armor.
These are just some of the potential ways that biotechnology could help U.S. soldiers survive and perform more effectively on the battlefield of the future, says a recent report from a U.S. National Research Council (NRC) committee.
Recent strides in biotechnology offer the promise of a wide range of military applications. The report, "Opportunities in Biotechnology for Future Army Applications," is an attempt to identify areas most relevant to the Army so it can plan its science and technology program for the next 25 years.
Biotechnology is the manipulation of microorganisms and plant and animal cells to produce such materials as food, medicine and chemicals that are useful to humans.
The 16-member committee included a wide range of experts, from medical doctors to sensor specialists to bioprocess engineers, says study director Robert Love, a senior program officer at the NRC. The council is a private, nonprofit institution that provides science and technology advice under a congressional charter.
Although some of the ideas seem far-fetched, almost in the realm of science fiction, Love says the committee identified what it feels are achievable technologies.
"These are all possibilities. The committee was looking 25 years into the future," he says.
The U.S. Army, which sponsored the study, has little money for biotechnology research. This report helps identify a range of possible applications for biotechnology that may warrant special focus for those limited funds, Love says.
"We didn't try to tell them which things would be more important because, quite honestly, the Army will have to decide that," says Love, a former Army officer.
The report deals only with defensive applications of biotechnology, he stresses.
Soldiers may one day wear biosensors that are able to detect and signal the presence of toxic chemicals, biological weapons or any other environmental threats in air or water. Biosensor systems also might be used to trigger the automatic release of an antidote or activate a protective mask when a dangerous substance is detected.
Soldiers may stand a better chance of surviving combat wounds through the use of biomaterials, which are organic or synthetic materials compatible with the human body. The idea is to find materials that can self-replicate and heal wounds or repair broken bones.
The report also mentions new types of rugged computer memories made from genetically engineered proteins. These would be used in portable battlefield computers carried by soldiers.
Other potential military biotechnology applications identified in the report include:
- Biological markers that help distinguish U.S. soldiers from enemy troops;
- Lightweight armor and camouflage clothing inspired by items found in nature;
- Edible vaccines that can be incorporated into food;
- Using the genetic characteristics of soldiers to improve vaccine effectiveness.
While Love says the report focuses on the defensive use of biotechnology, one critic notes that enhanced defensive capability achieved with biotechnology can actually lend an offensive advantage to an army.
"One of the great difficulties in biodefense research is always that what is offensive and what is defensive is in the eye of the beholder. It's the problem of dual use," says Edward Hammond, director of the Sunshine Project USA, based in Austin, Texas.
The Sunshine Project is an international, non-profit organization that opposes what it terms the hostile use of biotechnology.
Hammond disagrees with the argument that the United States has no choice but to pursue military biotechnology research because other countries are doing the same thing.
"I believe the issue is really prevention," he says.
That can be achieved through strong international laws prohibiting any military use of biotechnology or biological weapons, Hammond says.
What To Do
To learn more about biotechnology, click here.
Here's where to go to read the full NRC report, "Opportunities in Biotechnology for Future Army Applications".
For an opposing view on military use of biotechnology, go to the Sunshine Project.
