Policies for developing African science must consider the continent's lack of capacity to face the threat of bioterrorism, say delegates at a meeting in Uganda. The meeting, which ended on 1 October, focused on the policy implications of using science to eradicate diseases while simultaneously controlling access to disease causing organisms to prevent bioterrorism. Delegates called for strict measures to be formulated to guard against the misuse of biology, and warned that failure to address concerns over biological weapons could undermine efforts to develop and instill confidence in science.