The use of biochemical technology in war to enhance soldiers' combat capabilities and improve their survival rate in extreme environments is a multi-dimensional issue involving science, ethics and law. The following three aspects are discussed from the application of technology, potential risks and ethical disputes.： --- ###1. Potential directions for technology application 1. **Strengthening of physiological functions** - **Metabolic enhancement**: Through gene editing (such as CRISPR) or drug intervention, improve the oxygen utilization rate of soldiers (such as simulating the plateau adaptive gene EPAS1), extend the anaerobic metabolism time, or enhance the ability to withstand high temperature and low temperature (such as implanting antifreeze protein genes). -**Anti-fatigue and pain management**: Develop long-acting neurotransmitter modulators (such as dopamine/adrenaline regulation), or block pain signals by targeting nanorobots, so that soldiers can still maintain their mobility after injury. 2. **Perception and cognitive enhancement** -**Sensory expansion**: The use of photosensitive proteins (such as ChR2) to transform retinal cells to give soldiers night vision; or through auditory nerve stimulation technology to enhance the range of sound wave perception. -**Cognitive acceleration**: Short-term memory-enhancing drugs (such as amphetamines) or brain-computer interfaces analyze battlefield data in real time to assist decision-making speed. 3. **Environmental adaptability transformation** -**Survival in extreme environments**: Genetic engineering of skin cells to secrete UV protective substances (such as melanin enhancement), or the implantation of radiation-resistant flora (such as Deinococcus radiodurans) in the intestine through synthetic biology. -**Rapid wound repair**: Inject smart hydrogels containing growth factors (such as VEGF, FGF), or deploy programmable stem cells to accelerate tissue regeneration. 4. **Bio-mechanical fusion** -**Exoskeleton symbiosis system**: Directly control the exoskeleton through a neural interface, combined with muscle electrical stimulation technology (such as FES) to enhance weight-bearing capacity; use biofuel batteries (microbial/enzyme catalysis) to achieve continuous energy supply. --- ###2. Challenges and risks of technology realization 1. **Uncontrollable side effects** -Gene editing may lead to off-target effects (such as inducing cancer), and long-term use of neurotransmitters may cause cognitive disorders or addiction. -Rapid metabolic enhancement may accelerate organ failure (such as heart overload). 2. **Ethical and legal dilemmas** -Violation of the definition of “inhumane weapons” in the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and the Geneva Protocol. -“Superhumanizing" soldiers may lead to a loss of ethics in war and blur the boundaries between combatants and civilians. 3. **Technical reverse phage risk** -Genetically modified soldiers may become carriers of new biological weapons (such as carrying transmittable viruses). -An army that relies on biochemical technology may completely collapse in the event of an electromagnetic pulse or a cyberattack. --- ###3. Real cases and disputes -**US Military "Metabolic Advantage" Project**: DARPA has studied improving soldiers' endurance through mitochondrial function enhancers (such as AMPK activators), but it has been suspended due to ethical review. -**Russian ”Arctic Forces" experiment**: It is rumored that gene therapy will enhance the cold resistance of soldiers (based on the TFAM gene of the Siberian aborigines), but there is a lack of public evidence. - **Focus of ethical controversy**: The 2018 International Red Cross report pointed out that the transformation of biochemical technology may reduce soldiers to “disposable weapon systems”, challenging the basic prerequisites of human laws of war. --- ###4. Future prospects and limitations 1. **Technical bottleneck**: The current accuracy of gene editing is insufficient, and the bandwidth limit of the brain-computer interface (currently about 1Gbps) makes it difficult to achieve real-time battlefield decision-making. 2. **International regulatory requirements**: A global treaty is needed to restrict the abuse of military biochemical technologies, such as expanding the definition of “non-lethal weapons” in Article 7 of the Biological Weapons Convention. 3. **Alternative**: The development of AI-assisted combat systems or bionic robots may be more in line with humanitarian principles than the direct transformation of the human body. --- ### Conclusion Although the application of biochemical technology in the military field has potential, its risks far exceed the benefits of technology. The true "soldier enhancement” should focus on upgrading protective equipment and intelligent auxiliary systems, rather than breaking through the limits of human physiology. The core competitiveness of future wars may depend more on data integration and AI decision-making than on the biochemical transformation of soldiers' bodies.