Biological Weapons and Bioterrorism

Bioterrorism has been in the news and on the minds of the American public a lot these days. Biological weapons are cheap to make and easy to conceal. They have been of little military significance thus far but of tremendous value from a propaganda perspective, making them ideal for terrorism. Researchers at universities around the country are busy working on ways to combat these toxins. A promising cure for anthrax, the disease now synonymous with bioterrorism, is being developed by biochemical engineers and chemists at The University of Texas at Austin. What is the lecture about? This lecture will briefly discuss the use of biological weapons throughout history, but will focus on anthrax and the research being performed at the University of Texas based on powerful antibodies that could provide a treatment for even late stage anthrax infections.