Highlights

- VEREX experts’ panels (1991–1993) and Ad Hoc group (AHG) (1994–2001) were created to work out a legally binding document (the so-called Protocol) to Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction. Their activity was stipulated by the necessity to take some steps to strengthen biological weapons non-proliferation regime;

- The Protocol was blocked by the USA in 2001, however, nowadays there is a necessity to use some of its articles and guidelines to verify Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention.

Relevance. Caused by the unreliability of international control over the spread of biological weapons, the emergence of new biological weapons of destruction of people and types of biological weapons.

Purpose of the study is to analyze the current state of things in terms of BTWC, and to find ways to update and improve previous research methodological tools for BTWC verification.

Study base sources. The authors have analyzed the sources, available in PubMed, Google Scholar, UN, National Electronic Library (Russia) databases.

Method. Analytical method has been employed.

Results. The studies have proved that the unified text of BTWC check protocol, prepared by Ad Hoc group contains a number of statements and practical guidelines that could be implemented by state-parties taking into account modern political, scientific, and technological circumstances. Moreover, if we return to the Act of the year 1994 with further discussion of the possibility to create a verification procedure, this will strengthen BTWC and boost its institutional capacity.

Conclusion. Practical efficiency of measures proposed by VEREX and AHG experts give state parties some reasons for conducting a detailed analysis of possible consequences of implementation of these measures in modern circumstances and for discussion of possible update of existing tools during the meeting of working group on BTWC strengthening during upcoming 10th review conference for state parties.

Human genome editing methods (“genetic scissors“) may be possibly used for biological attacks of various biological targets, including humans.

We should set up an international surveillance scheme to control the use of this method and to detect cases of hidden use of these destructive agents created on its basis.

Relevance. Human genome editing has been implemented into clinical practice since 2021 to cure different, mainly hereditary diseases. This method is quite promising and in the long run it can be used to cure contagious and somatic diseases as well.

The purpose of the study is to evaluate possible risks of misuse for this method.

The source base of the study. Scientific publications and research papers, available in PubMed.

Research method. Analytical.

Results. It has been shown that genome editing systems can block, remove or restore its own genes or human genome fragments. They can be employed to destroy whole ecosystems, to develop brand-new massive biological weapons to kill the population of certain countries. They are even able to change an evolutionary path of our species, and this may lead to its total extinction within several generations. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA has a particular focus on the development of tools that can identify the human genome editing, block possible changes and eliminate the consequences.

Conclusions. The fact that DARPA is so interested in tools mentioned above proves that genome editing is anymore not an experimental tool. Experts who realize the state of things in terms of biological warfare nowadays are concerned with the possible misuse of this tool. The use of genome editing should be regulated by a special Protocol to Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological (Biological) and Toxin Weapons and on their Destruction. Because this protocol doesn’t exist yet, the national regulatory authorities are obliged to establish limits for use of products that are based on these methods. They also should be able to prevent its misuse.

Highlights

- means and methods of biological war against agricultural crops have been devised and tested at field test site and

approved during the Korean war;

- this is a low-tech, but dangerous war, means of which don't have reliable conventional control.

Relevance. The number of people who have fallen victims to famine is comparable to that the number of people who have suffered from nuclear weapons use. However, the means and methods of biological war against agricultural crops almost haven’t been dwelled upon in Russian scientific publications. This dulls our sense of danger and makes us inferior to foreign experts in this field.

Purpose of the study is to consider the historical aspects of means of biological war against agricultural crops and conventional control tools that exist nowadays.

Study base sources. The author has studied the Khabarovsk trials dedicated to crimes committed by Japanese military men; Report of the International Scientific Commission for the investigation of the facts concerning bacterial warfare in Korea and China (1952); official declassified documents on the United States biological weapons program, books and articles retrieved from full-text English scientific journals available on the Internet.

Materials and methods. Analytical. The author used suggestions of Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA).

Discussion. The USA, Germany and Japan have been leaders in the development of biological weapons of this type since 1940–1950. Means and methods of war against agricultural crops are still powerful. This paper has thoroughly dwelled on this topic. Current trends have turned the situation in this field into chaos, the range of pathogens and their potential targets is constantly widening, there are no reliable conventional control tools.

Conclusions. As we actually don’t fully understand the ways and methods of war against agricultural crops, we can miss the very onset of such a war and we won’t be able to detect the enemy. That is why we should broaden our knowledge in the field; this topic should be studied at the universities. Monocropping countries with poor farming techniques that grow mostly one-year-old plants are more vulnerable to biological weapons damage effects.

Highlights

The use of artificial intelligence has great potential for predicting the toxic properties of new little-studied chemical compounds, reducing the time and financial costs associated with identifying the risks of possible threats.

Relevance. Mycotoxins, which are secondary metabolites of mold fungi, represent one of the most significant factors of chronic risk associated with food products. Their danger exceeds the threat posed by synthetic pollutants, plant toxins, food additives, and pesticide residues. However, for many mycotoxins, the full toxicological profile has not yet been established, and traditional analysis methods remain labor-intensive, costly, and insufficiently effective. This makes the search for new approaches to assess their danger and control highly relevant.

Purpose of the study is to study the toxicological profile of mycotoxins produced by the pathogenic fungus Albifimbria verrucaria and to determine their level of danger using chemoinformatics and machine learning.

Study base sources. Analysis of scientific literature available through open Russian and English-language Internet resources.

Method. In silico methods were applied to analyze the toxicological profile of mycotoxins, enabling the identification of high-risk compounds. These methods prioritize substances for further in-depth toxicological assessment, significantly reducing the time and resources required for research.

Results and Discussion. The study results showed that approximately 50% of mycotoxins produced by mold fungi belong to hazard classes I and II. At the same time, a significant portion of these compounds remains outside the control zone, despite their potential threat to living organisms. This highlights the need for more thorough study and monitoring of such substances.

Conclusions. The obtained data confirm the importance of developing and implementing modern systems for monitoring and regulating mycotoxins, especially for poorly studied and new compounds. The use of chemoinformatic methods makes it possible to effectively identify the most hazardous substances and focus efforts on their research, thereby enhancing food safety and reducing risks to human and animal health.

Highlights

- nowadays it is impossible to maintain contaminated vehicles and equipment in special decontamination centers near

the battle line due to far-ranging precision weapons and drones;

- promising on-board sets and special treatment devices should be more independent and powerful than previous ones

(IDTS, SST, DK-4) and be able to work directly at the lines of combat contact.

Relevance. The main shortcomings on-board special treatment sets and devices are low special treatment rate (0,5–1,0 m2/min),considerable physical efforts during treatment, restricted list of used solvents (formulae) and ways of special treatment, as well as lack of sanitizing for armaments and military and special purpose equipment beyond special decontamination centers.

The purpose of the study is to find out possible ways to enhance the efficiency and improve functionality of on-board special treatment devices employed for armaments and military and special purpose equipment and personnel decontamination (sanitizing).

Study base sources. The authors have analyzed Russian and foreign open-source data on the topic in question.

Method. Analytical method has been employed.

Discussion. The analysis of key performance parameters for on-board special treatment devices, employed for armaments and military and special purpose equipment that are operated by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and its foreign counterparts has confirmed that either the existing special treatment sets should be improved or a new (unified) on-board special treatment device (set) should be developed which can provide a full special treatment of armaments and military and special purpose equipment with water-based, solvent and foam solutions as well as their sanitizing in summer, autumn and spring.

Conclusions. It is worth to develop a promising on-board special treatment set for armaments and military and special purpose equipment if degassing (decontaminating), deactivating, disinfecting solutions and solvents are going to be used. If the foam formulae are going to be used, then a fluid pump should be integrated into the system. It should be able to maintain pressure of at least 14 kgs/m2. Besides, a foam maker should be implemented, the geometrical properties of which can defined with the help of jet blower design theory.

Highlights

It is necessary to improve methods that permit to eliminate radioactive substances from surfaces that are being contaminated as a result of nuclear industry activity.

Relevance. In the course of development, conventional decontamination methods have reached their potential technological limit and nowadays may not totally meet the needs of Russian NBC Protection Troops in technological technical, economic and ecological aspects.

Purpose of the study is to evaluate advantages of laser electromagnetic emission in terms of contaminated surfaces deactivation.

Materials and methods. The authors of this paper have analyzed the English language sources available on Google Scholar. Particular–to general analysis was employed. The article has addressed electromagnetic emission laws.

Discussion. The essence of thermal decontamination methods is that contaminated surface is treated with energy flows of high intensity in the form of infrared light emissions or hyperthermal gas flow, etc. This is the basic premise for deactivation of items by hyperthermal impact or electromagnetic emission to be exact. It should emphasized that deactivation by laser permits to decrease radiation burden for military personnel as well as helps to return to production expensive equipment used to eliminated the consequences of technological disasters. Considering the mentioned above, we should think over the possibility and necessity of use of lasers to decontaminate armaments and military and special purpose equipment. The optical fiber lasers can be easily integrated into processing lines for decontamination devices due to the fact that a laser beam can go along optic fiber at a distance of several tens of meters without losing power. There are no adjustable knots and expendable materials in optical fiber lasers, that is why they are very reliable and efficient.

Conclusions. Modern optical fiber lasers have small dimensions, low power consumption and low weight. They don’t require special climatic or air clarity conditions that is why they are supposed to be easily integrated into processing lines for decontamination devices.