Genetic Weapons

Genetic Weapons ranks 9th in the list of Future Weapons of Mass Destruction. When you take biological weapons to the next, horrifying level, you get genetic weapons. These are genetically targeted weapons, which means that you might take a typical biological weapon (anthrax, for example) and customize it to exclusively infect persons with specific genetic features. That is, if you simply wanted to eradicate one ethnic group, you could do so.

In the past, the concept of genetic weapons was dismissed as unfeasible or unrealistic. Genetic advances have shown that this is wrong. According to the paper Biotechnology, Weapons, and Humanity II, their research into vaccine creation and attempts to heal genetic disorders has allowed scientists to correctly map the human genome in a way that exposes unique genes that are specific to different ethnic groups. Rogue scientists can then utilize this information to target certain genes rather than use them to help humanity and cure ailments. It is believed that with this information, ethnic-specific biological weapons could be constructed in the future.

Other genetic weapons do not have to rely on existing diseases; they can disrupt human RNA. A genetic weapon might shut down essential genes required for your survival and function by using a technique known as RNA interference. This could be used against an enemy population while having no effect on the attacking population. It would not be able to entirely remove one side, but statistics suggests that up to 20% of a population might be affected immediately. And that is more than enough to inflict serious harm.