from the battletech dept.
The National Research Council's Board on Army Science and Technology has released a study ("Opportunities in Biotechnology for Future Army Applications") that recommends the U.S. Army embrace advancements in biotechnology that promise to help soldiers survive and perform better in the 21st century, and seek exemptions from some regulatory approval processes to speed up the development of new medical treatments. The NRC is part of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences.
Recommendations in the report stress the importance of developing defensive technologies aimed at improving the survivability and effectiveness of U.S. soldiers. The report specifically does not address the use of biotechnology for offensive applications. The recommended technologies included biosensors, biomaterials, molecular electronics and biological energy sources.
"Although soldiers in 2025 may look much the same as their present day counterparts, they will be drawn from a society that has been armed by biotechnology with increased strength and endurance and superior resistance to disease and aging," the report's executive summary said.
Additional information is available in this UPI article and this press release.
