The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) presented its Public Service Award on Sunday to biologist Matthew Meselson for nearly 40 years of campaigning against chemical and biological weapons programs.

Meselson, currently a professor of Molecular and Cell Biology at Harvard University, has had a long and distinguished career in molecular genetics. As a graduate student under Linus Pauling in 1953, Meselson, along with Frank Stahl, proved the theory of semi-conservative DNA replication with an experiment that has been called "the most beautiful experiment in biology." Later he worked with Sydney Brenner and Francois Jacob to describe messenger RNA for the first time.

Paul Berg, winner of the 1980 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his work with recombinant DNA, presented the award. He told the hundreds of biologists attending the ceremony, "We honor Matt not for his abundant research accomplishments, but for the impact he has had on public policy by applying his intelligence and investigative skills and determination to issues of war and peace."

Meselson has been involved in policy issues concerning chemical and biological warfare since 1963 when he worked for the Arms Control Agency. In his sobering yet inspirational acceptance speech, Meselson offered the rapt audience what he called two "irrefutable propositions."

The first is that all major technologies that our species has ever developed, from metallurgy right up to the most advanced computer technology, have been exploited not only for peaceful purposes but also for hostile purposes. The second is that emerging biotechnology eventually will teach us how to manipulate all of life's processes including cognition, behavior, development and reproduction.

"What happens if we put these two propositions together?" Meselson asked. "I don't know. But it could be really bad. This may be the first time that our species really must look far into the future and take certain actions in advance. So if that's true, we really need some new thinking."

Meselson believes one way to address the situation is to create an international law, similar to that for plane hijacking and theft of nuclear materials, which would make the development, production, use, transfer or acquisition of biological weapons illegal. "While this won't stop everybody, it'll stop some people. We're moving into a time when the whole world needs more law even though it's a hard pill to swallow in some cases."

Meselson is part of a group from Harvard and the University of Sussex that drafted just such a treaty. They are currently trying to find governments that will support the law. Recently, the idea has been getting favorable reviews from the European Union, but Meselson thinks it could be an uphill battle to get support from the United States. "Just now our country isn't terribly eager to get into any new conventions, so that might not happen."

Meselson ended his speech with some advice for the biological community. "Understanding more about these things is one of our best defense mechanisms," he said. "Nobody is better suited to think about this than biologists, because it's our science that we're talking about here."