Biological weapons, chemical synthesis

Toxin Any toxic substance that can be produced by an animal, plant, or microbe. Some toxins can also be produced by molecular biological techniques (protein toxins) or by chemical synthesis (low-molecular-weight toxins). Chemical agents, such as soman, sarin, VX, cyanide, and mustard agents, typically man-made for weaponization, are not included in this discussion except for comparison. 

Animal venoms often contain a number of toxic and nontoxic proteins. Until recently, it would have been practically impossible to collect enough of these materials to develop them as biological weapons. However, many of the venom toxins have now been sequenced (ie, their molecular structure has been determined), and some have been cloned and expressed (ie, produced by molecular biological techniques). Some of the smaller ones could also be produced by relatively simple chemical synthesis methods. The following are examples of the mechanisms of action and sources of venom toxins ... 

TOXIN. A poisonous substance that occurs naturally in animals, bacteria, or plants. Examples include botulinum toxin, ricin, and tbe tri-chothecene mycotoxins. Some toxins can be produced artificially through chemical synthesis. The military relevance of toxins was recognized during World War I, when the U. S. Army Chemical Warfare Service (CWS) conducted research and production of selected toxins at the Catholic University of America. Weapons having toxins as their primary payload are controlled as both chemical weapons (CW) (under the Chemical Weapons Convention [CWC]) and biological weapons (BW) (under the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention [BTWC]). Toxins have also seen use as assassination weapons. See also JUGLONE SAXITOXIN. 

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