In October 2001, just weeks after 9/11, letters filled with white powder containing Bacillus anthracis spores were mailed to news offices and U.S. senators [11, 21]. The attack killed five people and hospitalized 17 others, causing widespread panic and forcing a fundamental change in how the world viewed microscopic threats [14, 21]. It proved that biological agents could be used to incite terror and disrupt entire governments [13, 21]. From Offense to Defense
The story of biodefence is a shift from the horrors of biological warfare to a complex, modern race against pathogens—both natural and man-made . It is a narrative defined by moments of sudden crisis, like the 2001 anthrax attacks , which transformed biodefence into a permanent pillar of national security [11, 21]. The Turning Point: Amerithrax biodefence
: Advances in synthetic biology and AI have lowered the bar for creating lethal, novel pathogens in laboratories [2, 19]. In October 2001, just weeks after 9/11, letters
For a deeper dive into the history and potential future of these threats, the graphic novel Germ Warfare: A Very Graphic History provides a visual walkthrough of these "microscopic weapons" [4]. It proved that biological agents could be used
Historically, biodefence emerged from the shadows of offensive biological weapons programs [31, 35].