U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder released a statement announcing the reestablishment of the Domestic Terrorism Executive Committee within the Department of Justice. This committee will coordinate closely with U.S. Attorneys and other key public safety officials across the country to promote information-sharing and ensure an effective, responsive, and organized joint effort.
Whole genome sequencing is a cutting-edge technology that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has put to a novel and health-promoting use: supporting investigations of outbreaks of foodborne illnesses. The technology looks at the DNA fingerprint left behind by disease-causing bacteria, allowing FDA to identify the source of an outbreak with more detail and clarity than ever before.
Arizona State Universitys Biodesign Institute announced it is entering a new, $9 million phase of a multimillion, multi-institutional development project. In this phase, the Institute will produce a diagnostic test rapidly measure human absorption levels of ionizing radiation in the event of an unplanned radiological or nuclear event.
Most people aren't aware of how dangerous glass becomes once it's been shattered. A sheet of glass that has become shattered instantly transforms into thousands of razor-sharp daggers, ready to pierce the skin, causing serious and sometimes fatal injuries said Surface Armor owner and CEO, Rick Pietrykowski.
Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered that some compounds called polyoxoniobates can degrade and decontaminate nerve agents such as the deadly sarin gas. This and other characteristics may make such compounds ideal for protective suits, masks, or other personal protective clothing.
To counter the continuing threat of nuclear-fueled explosives, such as dirty bombs, sophisticated detection methods are required. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) has awarded a $2.8 million contract to Alion Science and Technology to develop enhancements to nuclear detection technology.
Avon Protection has announced an order of 135,000 M50 mask systems from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) under the additional requirements option of its sole-source U.S. Joint Services General Purpose Mask (JSGPM) program contract.
An international research team led by Professor Daniel Altmann, Imperial College London, and funded by U.S. National Institute of Health explored a new form of vaccine against the anthrax bacterium. Research on a cohort of Turkish farmers who had developed a natural immunity to the less dangerous form of cutaneous anthrax triggered the interest in the "lethal factor."
Leidos, a national security, health and engineering solutions company, was awarded a prime contract by the U.S. Air Force to provide research, development, testing, and evaluation for homeland defense and security technical area tasks to the Department of Defense community of interest.
Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and the Yale School of Public Health reported in an editorial that experiments involving the creation of dangerous flu strains that are transmissible between mammals pose too great a risk to human life because of the potential for accidental release.
