Kinder, Gentler world?

Old hat to some I am sure but what about modeling Bio-weapons in DS2 and
(SG2 or Starguard, depending on the list you read this on) (okay, if you want,
FT also) in game terms? Is it worth going beyond the DS2
granularity of such weapons  (Treated as Confidence tests - basically do
they fail under the shock of such inhumane weapons, including (less so)
the firer's troops)?  How would non-human races in teh genres (Starguard
and Tuffleyverse) be prone to view them?

Glenn/Triphibious
This is my Science Fiction Alter Ego E-mail address.

--------- Begin forwarded message ----------
From: "Wilson, Glenn M." <WilsonG@nima.mil>
To:<snip names>
Subject: Kinder, Gentler world?
Date: Thu, 17 May 2001 08:23:17 -0400
Message-ID: <8B9D41BEE275D3119E7E00805FBE64D3022ADDF3@stlx4>

http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_1334000/1334986.stm

Wednesday, 16 May, 2001, 23:51 GMT 00:51 UK Biological weapons could be even
deadlier

Experts say biotechnology could be used to make more effective weapons By BBC
Science's Corinne Podger

Diseases such as anthrax and botulism have long been
              feared for their potential use as bio-weapons.

But researchers in the journal Nature say the pathogens responsible for these
illnesses could be made even more deadly using the latest techniques in
biotechnology.

Earlier this year, scientists in Australia were working on a genetically based
contraceptive to control the country's mouse plague.

But, in the process, they accidentally created an unusually deadly strain of
mousepox, which is related to the human smallpox virus.

Lethal disease

In their journal paper, the researchers noted that if a similar genetic
manipulation was done on smallpox virus, this lethal disease could be made
even more dangerous.

The genetic experts warn that many other lethal pathogens could also be
modified for use as devastating biological weapons.

Anthrax, for example, is already one of the world's most deadly diseases, but
it can be treated using antibiotics.

Alistair Hay, a biological warfare expert at Leeds University, UK, says that
the anthrax bacterium could be altered to resist antibiotics.

Genetic information

And work of this kind could be made easier as the genetic codes of more and
more lethal bacteria and viruses are completed and published.

The genetic sequences of pathogens behind tuberculosis and cholera have
already been published, and those responsible for anthrax and leprosy will be
completed later this year.

But, Tim Read, one of the researchers sequencing anthrax, said there were
benefits as well as risks in making genetic
              information about these disease-causing microbes public.

While access to genetic data might make it easier to produce more deadly
versions of killer diseases, Dr Read said it was also stimulating vigorous
research into new vaccines and drugs to treat them.