Detecting bioweapons using PCR
Genetics is used to make lethal bacteria, many of these lethal bacteria have no cures, they are referred to as bioweapons, being bacteria they are invisible due to the size of bacteria cells, which make them hard to detect, many countries are making these bioweapons to us in their war fare, with many deadly strains, bioweapons cause infections, intoxications, viruses, and immediate death.
Genetic technologies are useful in detecting biological weapons. PCR, which uses enzymes to amplify genetic material, in a day’s time, a target sequence of genetic material can be amplified to numbers that are detectable by laboratory tests such as gel electrophoresis. If sequence of nucleotides of the target is unique for the microorganism, the sequence could be encoding a toxin, and then PCR can be used to detect a specific microorganism from among the other organisms present in samples.
During the United Nations inspection for bioweapons in Iraq, the inspectors had a portable hand held PCR detector that was specifically designed to detect living Bacillus anthracis bacteria, which is the agent of Anthrax.
Even though detecting the bacteria does not help in curing it, it still helps prevent getting infected, even with vaccines for some of these weapons, still some do not have any cure, that is what the point of these weapons is, and that is what countries are competing for.
Links:
http://www.espionageinfo.com/Vo-Z/Weapons-of-Mass-Destruction-Detection.html
