Gary Novak
Independent Scientist
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Botulism will never be used successfully by terrorists, and not in a practical way as a military weapon. It is a toxin which is fragile, unstable and impossible to purify in large quantities or apply to a purpose.

A Protein is not for the Air

Botulism toxin is a protein, which is a chain of amino acids. It targets the nerve system disrupting neurotransmitter function resulting in paralysis and death.

When proteins are concentrated, they coagulate becoming gummy like cheese. So botulism toxin would have to be kept very dilute in water.

When proteins desiccate, they lose complex biological properties becoming like shoe leather. So botulism would not be practical as an airborne toxin, not to mention the fact that proteins do not stay suspended in air like nerve gas.

Journalists claim that biological weapons such as botulism can be produced in a five gallon bucket in someone's back yard. There are biological reasons why their claims are absurd.

Botulism is Adapted for Lakes

The natural function of botulism is to kill fish and birds in stagnant lakes. When dead creatures wash onto the shore, botulism bacteria break down the protein converting some of it into botulism toxin which washes into the lake killing more fish and birds.

When botulism bacteria (Clostridium botulinum) feeds on protein, it must break it down into short chains of amino acids for absorption as nutrients. Enzymes must be used to break down the protein. Bacteria cannot excrete enzymes from whole cells; the cells must break apart to release them.

So the net effect is that very short chains of amino acids and monomers are absorbed as nutrients, and then some are reassembled into longer chains and released as toxin.

What keeps the enzymes from destroying the toxin? Nothing does. The waves on the shoreline must wash the toxin into the lake before the enzymes destroy it.

Notice that there are no waves or shoreline in a five gallon bucket. You might think that modern technology could produce a substitute, such as a filter pad. It can't. Even separating a common protein from bacterial gunk would be difficult. With a protein destroying enzyme being produced at the same time, the toxin can't even accumulate without being destroyed.

Using Whole Cells is not Realistic

Therefore, propagandists sometimes pretend that whole cells might be used for botulism weaponry. First, whole cells aren't anything like a toxin. The quantities change from nanograms to kilograms. How are a large quantity of cells going to be gotten into anyone? Airborne spores? The toxin is not in the spores. Slop in drinking water? Pumping a truckload of slop into a water tank is not how terrorist do things.

Botulism bacteria produce toxin only under certain nutrient conditions which require amino acids being absorbed as nutrients. Spores are not produced under those conditions; they require a depletion of nutrients. Therefore, the spores do not have toxin in them. If rapidly growing cells were used for toxin, they would be unstable, and the toxin would be broken down.

So whole cells are not a real method of producing botulism toxin. The pretense that they are is nothing but disinformation for a public which is supposed to imagine the results.

Botulism in a water supply has been a traditional story. It doesn't seem relevant to the military; and terrorists could never achieve it on their own. There is some talk of terrorists getting assistance from a rogue country. Maybe with explosives, but not with biologicals. Such countries are too inept with their science to be successful at such a demanding task.

Iraq cannot Produce it

Even Iraq can't produce an effective delivery system for biologicals. The evidence indicates that they threw up everything they had during the gulf war, and most persons didn't notice. Most of their focus is on liquid dispersion, such as spray planes, which is unrealistic for biological weapons.

Reports state that Iraq had botulism toxin in a few weapons which were found after the Gulf War. It would have been slop in liquid form, which would be totally nonfunctional. Iraq is not sophisticated enough to test for functionality.

Journalists claim that Iraq has sophisticated science laboratories. The glitter might impress some persons, but Iraq's science functions at the level of a coolaid stand.

A lot of persons don't realize it but science cannot be produced in a vacuum the way technology can. Science has too many interdependent elements for short-cut versions. Complex science can only be produced in an environment of a developed science establishment. It isn't just a question of buying enough materials; it is a question of knowledge, contacts, access, interaction, scale, expense, diversity, freedom, etc.

Terrorists Tried it and Failed