This is Intelligence Matters with former acting director of the CIA, Michael Morrell.

Brought to you by Lockheed Martin.

Your mission is ours.

Synthetic biology is a tool.

Just like a hammer, you can use it for good or you can use it for nefarious purpose.

If you understand biology, if you understand this network of small molecules and genes and environmental influences,

then you can disrupt that, not only for good, but perhaps for bad.

What we're trying to do here is just to call attention to this tool and to bring this to the attention of developing leaders.

Say, look, you have to take this into account when developing plans for security and for operations.

We have to understand what might happen out there if technology falls into the wrong hands of someone who is trying to do harm to others.

What is the risk here? What is the threat?

What we're concerned about is the production of either small molecules of gene products that perhaps could be used in a way that is a negative influence on someone's health.

And we're talking about a bio weapon here, right?

We are talking about bio weapons.

And so, again, whether you talk about a material or something that happens to be infectious, that's just different levels of threat.

There are no boundaries when it comes to the information.

There are no boundaries when it comes to science.

And there's certainly no boundaries when it comes to scientific expertise and interest because there is such an enormous level of interest coming out of Asia and particularly China.

It's something to consider when thinking about where synthetic biology can go, not only for the good, but potentially for the bad.

Dr. Kenneth Wickeiser is the associate dean for research and a professor of biochemistry at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

He was a graduate of West Point and he served in the United States Army.

Dr. Wickeiser earned his PhD in molecular bio physics and biochemistry from Yale University.

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