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Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) researchers have developed a device that enhances the efforts of first responders while treating patients in trauma-induced environments.
The patent-pending VitalTag is a stick-on sensor designed to measure and track a patient's vital signs to help... Read More »
In a leap forward for vaccination efforts, researchers from the University of Southern California (USC) have created a polio vaccine that maintains its usefulness without refrigeration.
Though initially believed to be entirely eradicated, there were 22 reported cases worldwide in 2017 due to its... Read More »
Battelle was awarded earlier this month a 2018 R&D 100 Award for its creation of a web-based DNA screening platform for the detection and characterization of sequences of concern in genomic data.
The award-winning technology – called ThreatSEQ – is a commercial DNA screening solution that... Read More »
Declining stock prices caused by low returns on antibiotic research and development have caused companies to abandon antibiotic R&D, putting additional pressure on the few remaining companies focused on drug discovery.
This is according to a statement recently issued by the Infectious... Read More »
Though a crucial and effective means of keeping Hazardous Materials (HazMat) first responders safe, training programs are often not fully implemented due to time constraints and budget cuts.
According to a paper written by independent CRBN consultant Debra Robinson, many personnel do not... Read More »
Researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and associates recently isolated a human antibody that could potentially neutralize the threat of West Nile virus, according to a report published last week in Nature Microbiology.
If so, it could lead to the first effective treatment of the... Read More »
The First Responder Network (FirstNet) Authority’s Public Safety Advisory Committee (PSAC) recently appointed Todd Early as its new chairman.
Early has more than 25 years of leadership experience in public safety. He is Texas’ contact person for public safety communications and is assistant... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate is working with public safety officials in the Houston-area to evaluate first responder technologies.
DHS, along with industry partners and 13 local Houston-area public safety agencies on a HAZMAT-related scenario... Read More »
Merck has started the submission of a rolling Biologics License Application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for an investigational vaccine to combat the Zaire strain of the Ebola virus, the company recently announced.
The V920 vaccine, scientifically known as rVSV-ZEBOV, falls under... Read More »
Avionics and IT firm Rockwell Collins will demonstrate how its integrated training solutions are enhancing digital battlespace during next week's Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference (I/ITSEC).
Officials said the firm is expected to introduce the next-generation of... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently announced a partnership with its Dutch counterparts Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research and the National Cyber Security Center, part of the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security, to focus on... Read More »
Phase 1 testing of a vaccine for the Zika virus showed a favorable safety profile in all doses and schedules tested, Emergent BioSolutions announced.
The vaccine, VLA1601, is being developed by Emergent BioSolutions and Valneva SE. Zika is a mosquito-borne virus that has been detected in... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) outdated BioWatch Program, launched in 2003 as an early warning system for potential bioterrorist attacks in the United States, is being replaced, a federal expert told members of the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense on Nov. 14 during a report... Read More »
In an international effort to reduce global catastrophic risks associated with technological advancements, the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) has established a multi-year project that will develop and promote actions that limit the potential misuse of biotechnology.
Launched last month, the NTI... Read More »
A study funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determined that the most serious outbreaks of norovirus could be tracked to a particular genotype of the virus.
The study, published in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, tracked nearly 3,800 outbreaks in the United States... Read More »
Rapidly evolving wearables and 3D printed devices are among the inexpensive and portable diagnostic tools on the market today, some of which can detect and diagnose disease in less than an hour for biosurveillance.
However, developing these devices on a much greater scale for biosecurity... Read More »
In the wake of several severe storms, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is using a probe device to assess soil conditions around bridge pillars.
S&T officials said hurricanes and heavy rains often cause strong, overflowing river currents that can... Read More »
A workshop hosted by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America assembled in Baltimore, Md., this week to address the overuse of antimicrobials and to determine the best course for combating drug-resistant bacteria.
The Antimicrobial Stewardship Research Workshop was based on the genuine... Read More »
The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (USAF AFLCMC) has selected Rockwell Collins to provide combat fighter aircraft with Digital GPS Anti-Jam Receivers (DIGAR).
DIGAR receivers will bring highly-reliable navigation for Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve F-16 aircraft operating in... Read More »
A survey commissioned by the public education and advocacy group Research!America has determined Americans deem antibiotic resistance as a public health problem with a myriad of treatment implications.
Research!America officials said 65 percent of survey respondents consider antibiotic... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently announced an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the first single-use fingerstick tests for Ebola virus detection, complete with a portable reader system more easily used outside of labs.
While this is the second fingerstick test made... Read More »
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) recently announced the development of three new technologies designed to detect improvised explosive devices (IEDs) as part of its Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Program.
The three technologies -- a semi-autonomous robot for detection of mines... Read More »
Two universities have received a combined $1,272,320 from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) to improve cybersecurity control investment decisions.
The University of California, San Diego was awarded $1,045,015 earmarked development of threat... Read More »
With support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, InDevR is seeking to improve potency testing for its VaxArray platform in regards to measles and rubella vaccines.
The result, they hope, will be a quicker delivery of vaccines to market and lower production costs, which has proven to be... Read More »
Sandia National Laboratories is pushing U.S. development of autonomous hypersonic aircraft, using a unique wind tunnel and advanced laser diagnostic technology to get there.
The goal is to advance aircraft past five times the speed of sound. It is a top national defense priority, and as such, a... Read More »
Officials from the U.S. Health and Human Services Department attended the Fifth Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) Ministerial Meeting in Indonesia this week to reaffirm U.S. support for the initiative and commit additional funding.
GHSA, which launched in 2014, is a worldwide effort to... Read More »
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is funding a broad research effort designed to assess elements surrounding the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.
Officials said the CDC recently awarded contracts to Amy Pruden and Marc Edwards, professors in the Charles Edward Via, Jr. Department of... Read More »
Lockheed Martin’s modern Telephonics RDR-1700B -- an advanced radar system -- was successfully integrated onto a 74K aerostat this week, expanding the capabilities of the unmanned aircraft.
That aerostat floats, tethered, over a vast array of terrains, utilizing wide-area communications and... Read More »
The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) is asking the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to increase its support of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA).
The GHSA, launched following the West Africa Ebola outbreak in 2013, is focused on pandemic prevention. It helps... Read More »
A study published in Nature Medicine this week revealed that nearly half of tuberculosis (TB) diagnosed patients each year could potentially be cured with treatments shorter than those recommended.
Specifically, the study examined three TB trials previously thought to disprove the efficacy of... Read More »
The possibility of early prenatal screening for and enhanced understanding of the link between Zika infection and fetal abnormalities may have grown, with a University of Southern California (USC) discovery of birth defect-associated biomarkers.
Publishing their findings in the Journal of... Read More »
Raytheon is pressing forward on a GPS Next-Generation Operational Control System (GPS OCX) in time for the launch of GPS III next month, and initial test data indicates huge successes against cybersecurity threats and data corruption.
In all tests so far, the system has blocked the broadcast of... Read More »
A report released last week in Open Forum Infectious Diseases highlighted the importance of maintaining high measles vaccination coverage to protect those with compromised immune systems.
The report detailed a circumstance in which a 26-year-old man receiving leukemia treatment for leukemia went... Read More »
Though mosquitoes are the feared spreader of Zika virus in the Americas, researchers recently said that it is wild monkeys passing the disease to them, and guaranteeing its staying power.
Published in Scientific Reports, the collaborative effort from researchers of the University of Texas... Read More »
The Ku-band radio frequency radar (KuRFS) developed by Raytheon is front and center in a new, $191 million contract awarded to them by the U.S. Army.
KuRFS has already seen deployment with “sense and warn” capabilities in several areas, from rocket detection to swarming unmanned aircraft... Read More »