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Weaponized genomics: potential threats to international and human security

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Genetic technologies are revolutionizing human health. In parallel, geopolitical instability has prompted renewed discussions on the risks of DNA technology being weaponized in international conflict. With today’s changing security environment, we argue that risk assessments must be broadened from genetically targeted weapons to a series of new domains.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for constructive criticism from P. Bacchus (Swedish Armed Forces) and K. Mossman (Michael G. DeGroote Institute for Infectious Disease Research, McMaster University, Canada).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    Subhayan Chattopadhyay & David Gisselsson

  2. Faculty of Social Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    Tony Ingesson

  3. Faculty of Law, Lund University, Lund, Sweden

    Alberto Rinaldi & Jessica Almqvist

  4. Department of Political Science and Law, Swedish Defence University, Stockholm, Sweden

    Oscar Larsson

  5. Department of War Studies and Military History, Swedish Defence University, Stockholm, Sweden

    J. J. Widen

Authors
  1. Subhayan Chattopadhyay
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  2. Tony Ingesson
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  3. Alberto Rinaldi
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  4. Oscar Larsson
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  5. J. J. Widen
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  6. Jessica Almqvist
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  7. David Gisselsson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to David Gisselsson.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Nature Reviews Genetics thanks Filippa Lentzos and Daniel S. Schabacker for their contribution to the peer review of this work.

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Chattopadhyay, S., Ingesson, T., Rinaldi, A. et al. Weaponized genomics: potential threats to international and human security. Nat Rev Genet 25, 1–2 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41576-023-00677-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41576-023-00677-8

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