Write briefly about (a) Biowar, (b) Biopiracy and (c) Biopatents.

Explanation

(a) Biowar. The wars fought by bioweapons like viruses, bacteria, fungi, spores and toxins etc. against humans, their crops and animals is called as blowar, e.g.
1. In 1992 Britain developed huge amounts of anthrax.
2. Germany used Bacillus anthracis (anthrax) to infect livestock and animal feed exported to allies. Diseases caused by bioweapon agents are like-
(i) (Small pox, (ii) Anthrax, (it) Fever, (iv) Plague, (v) Viral excephalitis, (v) Botulinum toxin (skeletal muscle paralysis) etc. Bioweapons are -
(i) Low cost weapons
(ii) Cause far more asualities than conventional or chemical weapons.
(iii) These are invisible and multiply at a very fast rate.
(iv) They are colourless, odourless and tasteless.
(b) Biopiracy. It is patenting and exploitation of bioresources of other nations without proper authorisation or access and benefit sharing agreement. Biopiracy is being carried out by many organisations and multinational companies by posing that components of bioresources of other countries) are products of their research. Bioresources or biological resources are all those oganisms from which commercial benefits can be obtained. Every country has its own bioresources. Current use of bioresources by a nation depends upon biodiversity and traditional knowledge related to their utilisation,
Turmeric has been patented in U.S.A for its healing properties. Antidiabetic medicines have been patented from Bitter Gourd and Jamun. There is a European patent for extraction of Neem oil for use in controlling fungal attack on plants. Another US patent is for pesticides from Neem tree.
(c) Biopatent is an official right from a governrtlent, granting an inventor or establishment the sole monopoly to use a particular biological material for commercial exploitation of (i) Strains of microorganisms, (ii) Cell lines (iii) Genetically modified plants and animals (iv) DNA sequences (v) Protein encoded by DNA sequences (vi) A particular biotechnological procedure (vii) A production process (viii) Product (ix) Product application. Biopatent have been granted somewhat indiscriminately by industrialised countries like U.S.A, Japan and members of European Union. The argument in favour of granting such biopatents was to stimulate research and economic growth. However, there are serious objections to such biopatents on ethical, political and scientific basis.