A new Fogarty program is aimed at strengthening scientific expertise at institutions in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone so that when the next infectious disease outbreak comes, they will be prepared to rapidly respond. The goal is for scientists to plan research training programs that enable quick implementation of therapeutic or vaccine trials when the next infectious disease threatens.
Battelle and Nanotherapeutics Inc. announced that the organizations have entered an alliance to bring together core research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E), as well as manufacturing capabilities needed to expedite the development of medical countermeasures. These resources are urgently required by the Department of Defense to protect deployed military forces from chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) officially opened a new Test & Evaluation Laboratory building at the Transportation Security Laboratory (TSL). Located at the William J. Hughes FAA Technical Center in Egg Harbor Township, N.J., the new building expands TSL’s reinforced laboratory space for conducting tests of explosives detection systems.
Vaccinations have begun in a multi-site Phase 2/2b clinical trial testing an experimental DNA vaccine designed to protect against disease caused by Zika infection. The vaccine was developed by government scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health.
Add rapid, mobile testing for Zika and other viruses to the list of things that smartphone technology is making possible. Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed a smartphone-controlled, battery-operated diagnostic device that weighs under a pound, costs as little as $100 and can detect Zika, dengue and chikungunya within 30 minutes.
To improve response to floods in the future, the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, Greater New Orleans, Inc., and the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) staged a mutual aid experiment in January 2017 to demonstrate new information-sharing technology.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) announced a $198K award to PetPace LLC to assess its product’s ability to provide real-time health monitoring of U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) canines. The SVIP K9 Wearable Technologies Call aims to use personalized, real-time data gathered from canines via wearable devices.
The Department of Commerce and First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) announced the selection of AT&T to build the first nationwide wireless broadband network dedicated to U.S. first responders. This partnership is a significant investment in the communications infrastructure that public safety desperately needs for day-to-day operations, disaster response and recovery, and security for large events.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced a change in the Project 25 Compliance Assessment Program (P25 CAP) listing of grant-eligible radio equipment for first responders. In order to be fully compliant with all P25 CAP requirements, radio equipment that requires encryption must use Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) 256.
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) must screen every bag boarding commercial aircraft within the United States. The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate’s Office for Public Safety Research developed a training system that not only makes TSOs more efficient, but also maintains their accuracy.
