Biotechnology is vital to counter biological and toxin weapons. Without biotechnology, the detection, identification and diagnoses of, and medical countermeasures to such weapons would be virtually impossible. As biological and toxin agents occur in natural outbreaks of disease or intoxications, there are both civil and military benefit to be had from the use of biotechnology in providing effective countermeasures to such agents. The role of biotechnology in countering biological and toxin weapons is here addressed under seven major headings:

• The wider political and economic contexts;
• Enabling technologies for BTW agent detection;
• The applicability of biotechnological methods for BTW agent detection on the battlefield, in a terrorist incident, and in an inspection environment;
• Pre-exposure medical countermeasures;
• Diagnosis and identification;
• Post-exposure treatment and decontamination;
• Contribution of biotechnology to strengthening international conventions against BTW agents.

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Acknowledgements. Introduction. Biotechnology in Countering Biological and Toxin Weapons: An Overview; A. Kelle, M.R. Dando, K. Nixdorff, G.S. Pearson. Section I: Political and Economic Dimensions of Countering BTW Agents and Strengthening the BTW Control Regime. Dealing With a Headache: Three Scenarios and Two Dilemmas; H. Müller. Countering Biological Warfare: An Overview; G.S. Pearson. Lessons of the Chemical Weapons Convention for the BTWC Protocol; A. Kelle, J. Matousek. Biotechnology and the Strengthening of the BTWC: The View from West European Industry; R. van Sloten. Strengthening the BTWC through R&D Restructuring: The case of the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology `VECTOR'; L.S. Sandakhchiev, S.V. Netesov. Dissolution of the Sovjet Union, Introduction of a Market Economy and the Future BTWC Compliance Protocol: Impact on the Russian Biotechnology Industry; J. Compton. Section II: Biotechnology in BTW Agent Detection: Underlying Technologies. The Potential of Different Biotechnology Methods in BTW Agent Detection. Antibody Based Methods; P. Sveshnikov. The Potential of Different Biotechnology Methods in BTW Agent Detection. DNA Methods: Gene Probes; D. Leslie. The Role of Biotechnology in BTW Agent Detection. DNA Methods: Polymerase Chain Reaction; K. Nixdorff, A.G. Prilipov. Detection of Biological Agents and Biosensor Design; J.J. Valdes, J.P. Chambers. Section III: Biotechnology and BTW Agent Detection in Different Environments. Detecting BTW Agents on the Battlefield; H. Garrigue. Detecting Biological Terrorism. Evaluating the Technologies; G. Eifried. Detecting Biological and Toxin Weapon Agents in an Inspection Environment; G.S. Pearson.Section IV: The Role of Biotechnology in the Pre-Exposure Treatment of BTW Agents. Possibilities and Limitations of Vaccination; K. Nixdorff. The Development of an Oral Vaccine Against Anthrax; N.D. Zegers, et al. Vaccine Production; J. Melling. Section V: The Role of Biotechnology in Diagnosis and Identification of BTW Agents. The Role of Biotechnology in Protection against BTW Agents &endash; Overview from a Medical Point of View and Identification of the Symptoms; G. Berensci, G. Faludi. Medical Countermeasures to Biological Warfare Agents; D.R. Franz. Section VI: The Role of Biotechnology in Protection Against BTW Agents: Post-Exposure Treatment. Treatment of Mass Casualties under Worst Case Assumptions; S.-Å. Persson. The Post Exposure Prophylactic Measures Against Viral BTW Agents; S.V. Netesov. Search of Biotechnology-based Decontaminants for C/BW Agents; R. Dierstein, H.-U. Glaeser, A. Richardt. Section VII: The Impact of Biotechnology on Politico-Military and Normative Efforts to Counter BTW Agents. Biotechnology and Politico-Military Responses to BTW Agents; M.R. Dando. Biotechnology and the Development of Norms Against BTW Agents; A. Kelle. Index.