Global Biodefense November 2, 2020 This week’s selections include partnering with schools for pandemic flu preparedness; validation analysis of the Global Health Security Index; and the hurdles of contact tracing across America… read more.
Tag Archives: WMD
Highly sensitive trigger enables rapid detection of biological agents
MIT News September 16, 2020 Researchers at MIT Lincoln Laboratory have developed Rapid Agent Aerosol Detector (RAAD) for the U.S. military’s early warning system for biological warfare agents. It pulls aerosol to cull out the small particles. NIR laser diode creates a structured trigger beam that detects the presence, size, and trajectory of an individual aerosol particle. If the aerosol article is roughly 1 to 10 micrometers a UV laser is activated to illuminate the particle. If the particle seems threat-like, it is vaporized to collect atomic emission to characterize the particle’s elemental content. The steps are integrated into a […]
Breathable second skin materials provide smart protection against chemical and biological agents
Nanowerk May 6, 2020A team of researchers in the US (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, U.S. Army Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center, MA) demonstrated a smart material that is both breathable and protective by successfully combining a base membrane layer comprising trillions of aligned carbon nanotube pores and a threat-responsive polymer layer grafted onto the membrane surface. The carbon nanotubes could easily transport water molecules through their interiors while also blocking all biological threats, which cannot fit through the tiny pores. To add protection against chemical hazards, a layer of polymer chains is grown on the material surface, which […]
Chasing the Antidote for Deadly Nerve Agents
Global Biodefense March 13, 2020 Poisons such as organophosphorus nerve agents and pesticides wreak havoc by blocking an enzyme essential for proper brain and nerve function. Fast-acting drugs, called reactivators, are required to reach the central nervous system and counteract damage that could lead to death. To enhance the antidote’s effectiveness, the reactivator’s ability to cross the blood-brain barrier should be improved, it should bind loosely to the enzyme, chemically snatch the poison and then leave quickly. A team of researchers in the US (UC San Diego, University of Tennessee, Ohio State University, University of Utah, Oak Ridge National Laboratory) […]
An Ambitious Goal: Reducing Biothreats and Making Bioweapons Obsolete
Global Biodefense March 9, 2020 A workshop brought together government, national laboratories, academia, industry, policy and entrepreneur communities to address the challenges of mitigating and eliminating the risks bioweapons present. The report highlights a wide range of considerations that must be addressed. It provides insights on Key technological trends; Raises questions of the data and information access required for rapidly characterizing and responding to biological attacks and outbreaks; Explores market and supply chain dynamics in depth; Points to significant U.S. government capacities that can be used and expanded, including its vast testing and evaluation infrastructure; Highlights the need for coordinated […]
Advancing nuclear detection and inspection
MIT News November 14, 2019 Previously proposed solutions lacked the combination of isotopic sensitivity and information security. Researchers at MIT present the experimental feasibility proof of a technique that uses neutron induced nuclear resonances that is sensitive to the combination of isotopics and geometry. The information is physically encrypted to prevent the leakage of sensitive information. The approach can significantly increase the trustworthiness of future arms control treaties while expanding their scope to include the verified dismantlement of nuclear warheads themselves…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLE
Portable radiation detectors make the invisible, visible
Physics World August 8, 2019 Traditionally, workers have used hand-held meters to survey small areas methodically, square centimetre by square centimetre. This process is cumbersome, and it can also mean that technicians spend unnecessarily long periods of time in dangerous environments. An international team of researchers (UK, Japan) developed Hot Spot Locator (HSL) that images gamma radiation similar to the way digital cameras image visible light. Signals from an array of high-energy radiation sensors are coupled with a coded aperture, a collection of around a dozen pinholes, which the HCL’s deconvolution algorithms can interpret to create a true image of […]
Project BioShield: Building a Better Medical Countermeasure Pipeline
Global Biodefense August 5, 2019 When Project BioShield was initially signed into law 15 years ago, the nation had few medical countermeasures to rely on in national emergencies. BARDA has since supported 27 projects using Project BioShield authorities and funding, adding 15 products to the Strategic National Stockpile. Working with industry partners, 10 of those products have achieved FDA approval and the others are available under FDA Emergency Use Authorization guidelines. Companies interested in partnering with BARDA on medical countermeasures to combat chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear (CBRN) threats, pandemic influenza or other emerging infectious diseases, can get insights and […]
Darknet Biological and Chemical Terrorism Activities: Guide for Law Enforcement
Global Biodefense July 26, 2019 With the increasing use of the Darknet for criminal activities, the danger of acquiring, transferring, or smuggling biological or chemical material, weapons and chem/bio terrorism-related information while remaining undetected becomes ever more pressing. The ‘INTERPOL Operational Manual on Investigating Biological and Chemical Terrorism on the Darknet’ was developed by a team of experts within the CBRNE and cyber communities. Officers working in the fields of intelligence, counter-terrorism investigation and cybercrime are able to use this manual as a reference document that outlines the basic concepts, best international practices, as well as techniques and procedures useful […]
The Nation Faces Long-Standing Challenges Related to Defending Against Biological Threats
GAO June 26, 2019 GAO reviewed biodefense reports, relevant presidential directives, laws, regulations, policies, strategic plans; surveyed states; and interviewed federal, state, and industry officials, among others. GAO’s past work has identified a number of challenges related to the nation’s ability to detect and respond to biological events that transcend what any one federal department or agency can address on its own. In September 2018, the White House issued the National Biodefense Strategy and associated plans, which could help to address some of the ongoing challenges GAO has previously identified. However, because implementation of the strategy is in early stages, […]