Bioweapons harvested from naturally occurring pathogens must be produced in large quantities to be viable enough to pose a health risk to those who are exposed and a laboratory is usually necessary to create bioweapons. The advancement of new biotechnologies such as synthetic biology, gene editing and nanobiotechnology, however, allows for previously unsuitable pathogens or biomaterials to become a viable option for new bioweapons.
Synthetic biology takes elements of natural biological systems and manipulates their properties, giving rise to potential forms of new bioweapons and creating the need to identify new challenges that arise in protective equipment and detection methods.