The Potential Impact of a Pandemic Pathogen

Recent advances in biotechnology have allowed researchers to design and create biological agents much more easily and precisely than was possible before. If the field continues along this trend, over the coming decades it may become possible for someone to create a pathogen that has been engineered to be substantially more contagious than natural pathogens. The Black Death and the 1918 Flu show that pandemics can be some of the most damaging disasters for humanity. All the technologies involved here have important medical uses, in addition to hazards. For example, gene sequencing technology may also be essential to help us quickly diagnose new diseases.