The National Security Threat From Biotechnology

The gene-editing technology CRISPR-Cas9 is a pressing security challenge for the United States and the international system because it reduces the constraints on biological weapons proliferation.

CRISPR-Cas9 is inexpensive, widely accessible, and easy to learn, allowing individuals to conduct genetic modification that previously required state-level laboratories. As a result non-state actors or weak states can pursue offensive biological weapons at ease. CRISPR created biological weapons will be extremely virulent and enable the development of “precision pathogens” that can target certain ethnic groups. Bioweapons can also be used to offset the conventional military advantages of the U.S. Thus the capabilities enabled by CRISPR make it a tool for terror and deterrence. 

The international oversight of biological weapons is poorly suited to manage the danger that CRISPR-Cas9 poses. The 1972 Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) was negotiated in an era when biological weapons programs were assumed to be state-run. Unlike nuclear arms control regimes, the BWC lacks a formal verification body. Monitoring CRISPR is further complicated by the dual-use nature of biotechnology, as the same equipment used for medical purposes can be used for nefarious ends. Historical cases underscore these weaknesses. The Soviet Union’s Biopreparat program was created despite treaty commitments. Additionally, North Korea is assessed by the U.S. State Department to maintain an offensive biological weapons capability while remaining a party to the BWC. Equally as threatening are recent intelligence assessments that major powers view biotechnology as a strategic tool, with China explicitly treating genetic data as a national resource .

The challenge created by CRISPR-CAS9 is further illustrated by recent events. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the capacity of biological agents to disrupt the globe, leading to millions of deaths and producing profound economic and political consequences. While COVID-19 was not a weapon, it revealed how unprepared nations are for managing sudden biological threats. 

 In a world where precision gene-editing tools are easily accessible, and remain unregulated, the threat of bioweapons is at an all time high. Therefore CRISPR-Cas9 is one of the most pressing security challenges facing the U.S. and the international system today.