The Department of Defense (DOD) has awarded BioFire Defense the NGDS Technology Development contract. The NGDS program will expand BioFire's FilmArray diagnostic menu by developing biothreat test capabilities as well as develop and deliver the new standard of biowarfare detection to the DOD, replacing the current Joint Biologic Agent Identification and Diagnostic System.
The recent symposium on "Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases and Global Health Security: Examining MERS and Polio," which was organized by Georgetown University Medical Center (GUMC) and the university's School of Foreign Service, discussed the challenges of researchers to stay ahead of evolving infectious microbes.
"One of our hazmat team customers in North Carolina recently approached us asking if we knew anything about this substance," stated Bruce King, CEO of AristaTek. "After searching and finding little reputable data on acetyl fentanyl, we dug deeper and compiled some useful information that should help these folks with planning and responding to these incidents."
The Naval Postgraduate School's (NPS) Department of Defense Analysis is helping North African nations improve the security of their land and sea borders through a series of workshops. The program offers coalition military and law enforcement officers, as well as civilian leaders, a foundational knowledge of the international maritime environment and intricacies of transnational terror.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recently became the first higher education institution in the state to receive the Ready to Respond Campus designation from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA). The Ready to Respond Campus program is an initiative aimed at enhancing campus safety, preparedness and response efforts.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) spring outlook predicts moderate flood potential in Midwest, elevated risk of ice jams; California and Southwest stuck with drought.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has established a new network of five clinical research organizations that will design and conduct clinical studies needed to develop medical countermeasures. These drugs, vaccines, and diagnostic tests will help protect the public's health against bioterrorism, pandemic influenza, and other public health emergencies.
The proposed budget will enhance public safety and community resilience to weather and climate disasters. By making smart investments in critical infrastructure and innovative science, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will be able to strengthen the agency's oceanic and coastal programs, as well as its internal and extramural programs.
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a laser sensor that can identify salmonella bacteria grown from food samples about three times faster than conventional detection methods. The machine, known as BARDOT, scans bacteria colonies and generates a distinct black and white "fingerprint" by which they can be identified.
