Scientists at the University of Utah, ARUP Laboratories, and IDbyDNA Inc. have developed ultra-fast, meta-genomics analysis software called Taxonomer that dramatically improves the accuracy and speed of pathogen detection. The software analyzes the sequences of nucleic acids, detects pathogens, and profiles a patient's gene expression in a matter of minutes.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) designed an innovative online tool called MicrobeNet to go beyond common germs like E.coli or influenza to address uncommon germs like Streptobacillus moniliformis and Capnocytophaga. Since 2013, the CDC has helped laboratorians and doctors accurately and rapidly diagnose causes of diseases and save lives.
A training program will help approximately 35,000 first responders and workers, whose jobs may expose them to infectious diseases, protect themselves while also minimizing the spread of disease to others. The three-year, $9 million program is being launched by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal agencies.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) investigation of the 2011 Joplin tornado was the most comprehensive study of a tornado event. Based on its findings, the agency made 16 recommendations for improving: how buildings and shelters are designed, constructed, and maintained in tornado-prone regions; and the emergency communications that warn of imminent threat from tornadoes.
A University of Oklahoma team of chemists has developed a new antibiotic formulation to fight the sometimes deadly staph infection caused by methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and other antibiotic-resistant infectious bacteria. The new drug to treat MRSA combines traditional antibiotics approved by the Food and Drug Administration, such as methicillin, with the polymer BPEI.
The Department of Defense (DoD) is providing $1.76 million in extra funding to military laboratories to expand Zika virus surveillance worldwide and assess the virus's impact on deployed service members' health and readiness, Navy Cmdr. Franca Jones said in a recent interview.
CNA, in partnership with the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and in cooperation with the International Association of Chiefs of Police, will lead an initiative to provide training and technical assistance to implement the recommendations and action items of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing Final Report.
Mark Ghilarducci, director of the Governor's Office of Emergency Services for the State of California, testified before the U.S. House of Representatives on behalf of the National Emergency Management Association (NEMA). The hearing examined how the Department of Homeland Security is assisting states in preparing for and responding to cyberattacks.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the availability of $10.7 million in funding for research that could solve critical water problems in rural and agricultural watersheds across the United States. This funding is available through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill and administered by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
The New York Police Department (NYPD), the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate recently took part in an active shooter exercise at a Brooklyn high school to evaluate tactics and technologies for responding to and containing rapidly escalating shooting incidents.
