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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Summary of an International Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13113.
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Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention

SUMMARY OF AN INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP

October 31 to November 3, 2010

Beijing, China

Convened in cooperation with

Chinese Academy of Sciences

IAP – The Global Network of Science Academies

International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

International Union of Microbiological Societies

Katherine Bowman, Kathryn Hughes, Jo L. Husbands, James Revill, and Benjamin Rusek, Rapporteurs

NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

Washington, D.C.
www.nap.edu

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Summary of an International Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13113.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
500 Fifth Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20001

NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this summary was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.

This project was supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, IAP - The Global Network of Science Academies, U.K. Global Partnership Programme, U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, U.S. Department of State, U.S. National Institutes of Health, and U.S. National Academies. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the organizations or agencies that provided support for the project.

International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-309-20929-8

International Standard Book Number-10: 0-309-20929-3

Additional copies of this summary are available from the

National Academies Press,

500 Fifth Street, N.W., Lockbox 285, Washington, D.C. 20055, (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington metropolitan area); Internet, http://www.nap.edu.

Copyright 2011 by the National Academies. All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States of America.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Summary of an International Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13113.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES

Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine


The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.


The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. Charles M. Vest is president of the National Academy of Engineering.


The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Harvey V. Fineberg is president of the Institute of Medicine.


The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. Charles M. Vest are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.


www.national-academies.org

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Summary of an International Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13113.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Summary of an International Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13113.
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PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The summary presented here provides the rapporteurs’ factual synopsis of plenary presentations delivered at the workshop Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, held 31 October – 3 November, 2010 at the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and convened under the auspices of IAP – The Global Network of Science Academies, the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (IUBMB), the International Union of Microbiological Societies (IUMS), the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the U.S. National Academies. It does not necessarily reflect the views of members of the Committee on Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological Weapons Convention: An International Workshop or the National Research Council.


This workshop summary has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures approved by the NRC's Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published summary as sound as possible and to ensure that the summary meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this workshop summary:

Ronald Atlas, University of Louisville, United States

Lorna Miller, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, United Kingdom

Kathryn Nixdorff, Darmstadt University of Technology, Germany

Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they did not see the final draft of the workshop summary before its release. The review of this report was overseen by James LeDuc, University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Appointed by the National Research Council, he was responsible for making certain that an independent examination of this summary was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of this summary rests entirely with the authors and the institution.


The rapporteurs particularly wish to thank the plenary speakers of the workshop, who were provided with the opportunity to review and comment on the brief factual summaries of their presentations.

Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Summary of an International Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13113.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Summary of an International Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13113.
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Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Summary of an International Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13113.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Summary of an International Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13113.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Summary of an International Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13113.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Summary of an International Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13113.
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Page R3
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Summary of an International Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13113.
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Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Summary of an International Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13113.
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Page R5
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Summary of an International Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13113.
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Page R6
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Summary of an International Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13113.
×
Page R7
Page viii Cite
Suggested Citation:"Front Matter." National Research Council. 2011. Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention: Summary of an International Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13113.
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Page R8
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This report offers a summary of the substantive presentations during an international workshop, Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention, held October 31 - November 3, 2010 at the Institute of Biophysics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It is meant to provide scientists and other technical experts with factual information about the range and variety of topics discussed at the workshop, which may be of interest to national governments and non-governmental organizations as they begin to prepare for the 7th Review Conference of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BWC) in 2011.

The Beijing workshop reflected the continuing engagement by national academies international scientific organizations, and individual scientists and engineers in considering the biosecurity implications of developments in the life sciences and assessing trends in science and technology (S&T) relevant to nonproliferation. The workshop provided an opportunity for the scientific community to discuss the implications of relevant developments in S&T for multiple aspects of the BWC.

Trends in Science and Technology Relevant to the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention follows the structure of the plenary sessions at the workshop. It begins with introductory material about the BWC and current examples of the types and modes of science advice available to the BWC and other international nonproliferation and disarmament agreements, in particular the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). This report includes only a very brief description of the some of the post-presentation discussions held during the plenary sessions - and does not include an account of the small breakout groups - since these were intended to inform the committee's finding and conclusions and will be reflected in the final report.

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