Dr. Kanatjan Alibekov, a former director of Russia\'s biological warfare program who has defected to the United States, warns that the U.S. is not doing enough to protect against biological warfare. He urges more funds to be put into research and argues that efforts at arms control (such as the Biological Weapons Convention) are futile.

For the first time, biologists are planning to genetically modify an invasive species with the express purpose of killing it off. The target is a European species of carp that has taken over many Australian rivers and streams.

(Photo: Tim Martin/NPL)
Researchers are planning to use gene technology to stop the fish producing female offspring, forcing the population to crash.

A genetic trick known as gene silencing could help wipe out serious farm pests such as the Mediterranean fruit fly but also has applications for controlling the breeding of genetically modified organisms such as "super salmon".

After the worldwide alarm triggered by 2003's SARS outbreak, it might seem reckless to set about creating a potentially far more devastating virus in the lab. But that is what is being attempted by some researchers, who argue that the dangers of doing nothing are even greater.

Researchers are working on a way to evaluate and rank the various geoengineering proposals that have been put forward to combat global warming.