Dark Winter An insider’s guide to pandemics and biosecurity

In Dark Winter, world-leading epidemiologist Professor Raina MacIntyre navigates the past, present, and future of pandemics and biosecurity. MacIntyre examines the history of biological warfare (and why it is called the ‘poor man’s nuke’), Soviet and US bioweapons programs, developments in genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and catastrophic laboratory accidents. She also explores the COVID-19 pandemic and the heated debate around its origins, and shares the analysis she has conducted in trying to determine whether it’s a natural or unnatural pandemic. Looking ahead, MacIntyre outlines the future of genetic engineering, synthetic biology, and bioterrorism, and the national and global security needed to manage quantum changes in technology, along with how we might avoid future pandemics.

Raina MacIntyre is NHMRC Principal Research Fellow and Professor of Global Biosecurity at UNSW. She heads the Biosecurity Program at the Kirby Institute, which conducts research in epidemiology, vaccinology, bioterrorism prevention, mathematical modelling, genetic epidemiology, public health and clinical trials in infectious diseases.

Preface: Corona dawn 1. Believe the unbelievable 2. Insider threat 3. Error, not terror 4. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde of biological research 5. Jurassic Park for viruses 6. The self-replicating weapon 7. Smallpox - coming soon to a town near you? 8. Information warfare 9. Trust me, I’ m a doctor 10. Epidemic detectives 11. The Zombie apocalypse 12. The biological sniper weapon 13. A biological winter References Index