A report on pandemic prevention, co-authored by chemical weapons expert Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, highlights the threat posed by synthetic biology and warns of the possibility of “bad actors” developing and spreading genetically engineered pathogens that are far more virulent than Covid.
The report said the coronavirus has shown that even a relatively non-virulent pathogen can have a huge impact. A pathogen specially modified to be as virulent as possible could create huge disruption.
“Covid has shown that even low-virulent pathogens can have strategic impact and create a massive terror effect. The area of biosecurity in the food production sector could also be a target area in future. Viruses and bacteria aimed at the food chain have the potential for massive disruption and destabilisation,” it said.
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In the report Mr de Bretton-Gordon, a former British army colonel, warns that because the UK is an international travel hub it is at particular risk and says a pandemic early warning system must include the capability to detect and track emerging viruses.
“In an age of increasingly democratised gene-editing capabilities alongside continued international turbulence, the world must be prepared for the next biological event, whether synthetic or natural, deliberate or accidental,” he wrote.
