DNA Arms Race: The Weaponization of Genetic Information

Keiko Pomakis

Published: September 7, 2024

DNA is a valuable weapon in today’s highly technologically advanced society. Since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, different countries have worked hard to develop ways to collect and use genetic information. In recent years, the Chinese government has created a possibly dangerous program, under the name BGI, that may be unethically collecting and studying human DNA from around the world, and using the collected data to create weapons capable of targeted destruction. By promoting the use of BGI labs, Chinese scientists may be able to access the genetic information of people who use the Fire-Eye labs, many of whom are located in various foreign countries. 

BGI labs (Fire-Eye labs) can look at an individual’s personal, unique DNA, which consists of four bases, that contain all of our individuality and genetic information. All DNA is unique to an individual according to Mendel’s Law of Independent Assortment and Segregation. This includes things from hair and eye colour to how likely one is to have certain health conditions and more. Fire-Eye labs are advertised as an easy way to identify viruses and illnesses within a human by zooming into the very genetic makeup of our bodies and recognizing unfamiliar DNA (like viruses and bacteria), similar to the protein cas9, which is a big component of the CRISPR process, a gene editing tool that is on the rise. 

If used for its intended purpose, Fire-Eye Labs could be a very effective tool in identifying harmful factors in one’s body. This could catch illnesses in their early stages and provide much advance warning for the affected, giving them more time and information needed to correctly respond to the harmful factor, whether the affected should prepare for surgery, death, a simple cold, or another issue. It could also help doctors and other medical professionals diagnose and treat patients with obscure issues and symptoms. Overall, in the right hands, Fire-Eye labs could be a useful asset that may help our society in many ways. 

The biggest concern regarding the Fire-Eye labs is the collection of genetic information. Some analysts believe that genetic data is one of the most valuable resources because it can be used in a multitude of ways, including the creation of biological weapons. If there's one thing humans are good at, it’s destruction. The idea of lab-made biological weapons carefully crafted to target specific demographics in a highly effective manner is terrifying, and it only hints at what the future holds. Once one country develops such weapons, a global scramble for biological weapons will be at its peak, with every government trying to one-up each other in terms of power, by making and advancing in the biological weapon industry, similar to the nuclear arms race of the 1960s. 

Although BGI claims they collect no personal data from individuals, there is strong evidence to suggest otherwise, including suggestive statements and a suspicious trend of the Chinese government advancing in genetic studies. Because the BGI company is based in China, the Chinese government has access to all of its data, and all of the genetic information the Fire-Eye labs have collected from people worldwide. In 2015, the Chinese government stated that it is in their interest to become a bio-technologically advanced country by 2025. China may be collecting genetic information to reach its bio-technology advancement goals. Many people, including some scientific and ethical professionals, are worried that, with the collection of this genetic data, China will develop weapons capable of precisely targeting an individual or a demographic, which could have very devastating consequences.

This technological advancement is difficult to be completely against or completely for because it has very beneficial effects as well as possibly catastrophic consequences. The idea of a highly effective piece of equipment, capable of identifying viruses is very appealing for obvious reasons. It would facilitate the lives of many individuals in the medical field. However, paired with the extortion of personal genetic information to create weapons, the program is hard to support fully. Overall, the idea of the development of an illness-identification system is highly interesting but the mass collection of personal data is frightening, as no one knows what the future holds.

Sources:

Wang, Z. (October 2017) Systematic Government Access to Private-Sector Data in China Oxford Academic. Retrieved from https://academic.oup.com/book/27039/chapter/196332910

Warrick, J and Brown, C. (September 21st, 2023) China’s quest for human genetic data spurs fears of a DNA arms race The Washington post (TWP). Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2023/china-dna-sequencing-bgi-covid