Research
Defense contractor Lockheed Martin is proceeding with a Missile Defense Agency contract to develop a Low Power Laser Demonstrator (LPLD) missile interceptor, which utilizes a laser and beam control system to intercept hostile missiles.
Under the contract, Lockheed Martin will improve and mature... Read More »
Combating diseases such as Ebola, influenza, and a host of other global catastrophic biological risks could be addressed by 15 emerging technologies, many of which are easy to use, high-tech and low cost.
In “Technologies to Address Global Catastrophic Biological Risks,” the report issued... Read More »
A new study found that the immune response to three experimental Ebola vaccines last at least two and a half years, opening the door of possibility for further vaccine development -- far beyond Ebola’s limited scope.
Katie Ewer, the co-author of the study, said the findings could encourage... Read More »
Patients with compromised immune systems are highly vulnerable to infection, but a new study focused on mice at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine appears to have identified a cellular target that could improve vaccine efficacy.
The study is being conducted by Dr. Som... Read More »
A blog post written by Stephen Pike, managing director at UK-based Argon Electronics, recently examined the HazMat risks that accompany industrial chemical incidents.
Pike maintains chemical manufacturing facilities present potential hazards that, if not properly addressed, could place workers... Read More »
A drug currently under development for use against flu pandemics is at risk of being outpaced by the virus it is meant to prevent, according to researchers at Imperial College London and Public Health England.
In a study, the organizations found that two genetic mutations could bring the flu... Read More »
Recognizing the need for comprehensive cybersecurity programs, while also realizing the economic difficulties that hinder their development, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently formed a program to answer and address these issues.
S&T... Read More »
Achaogen recently announced that it would supply data from its discontinued LpxC inhibitor antibiotic research program to Pew’s Shared Platform for Antibiotic Research and Knowledge (SPARK).
"By sharing these data with the wider scientific community, Achaogen has demonstrated true leadership,... Read More »
Sandia National Laboratories has developed a new sounding rocket program to carry experiments and prototypes of missile technology that could significantly cut research and development time for new weapons systems.
The High Operational Tempo Sounding Rocket Program, or HOT SHOT, was launched... Read More »
Robotic Research, LLC of Maryland gained a three-year, $9 million military contract last week for work on Autonomous Unmanned Systems Teaming and Collaboration (AUSTC) for a variety of missions.
Robotic Research has worked with the U.S. Army’s Armament Research, Development and Engineering... Read More »
Hurricanes are a devastating reality for the U.S. coastline, but the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is working to reduce their threat through predictive and support technology.
The tools form several important roles in crisis response. For one,... Read More »
A genomic analysis published in The New England Journal of Medicine this week revealed that an outbreak of Nigerian Lassa fever cases this year was not caused by any single virus strain or fueled by increased human-to-human transmission.
The analysis followed an unusual surge in Lassa fever... Read More »
SIGA Technologies announced this month that it has entered into an agreement with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases to study the post-exposure prophylactic use of TPOXX, a drug currently stockpiled by the U.S. government to treat smallpox outbreaks.
The Cooperative... Read More »
Operating on the knowledge that Ebola and malaria are both endemic to Central and West Africa, and that many people treated for Ebola have been found to be infected with malarial parasites as well, researchers from Texas Biomed and the University of Iowa are working to assess a connection between... Read More »
Even as tuberculosis (TB) becomes the most common infectious disease in the world, a new study by an international research team has determined that only around 25 percent of new cases of antibiotic-resistant strains are being detected.
Such a result marks a need for dramatic changes in... Read More »
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently signed a memorandum of agreement to strengthen cybersecurity in healthcare systems and medical devices.
Together, the two agencies will seek to create greater coordination and cooperation on... Read More »
BAE Systems technology successfully demonstrated its ability to provide U.S. intelligence organizations with data from BAE Systems’ Geospatial eXploitation Products (GXP) Platform and access to geospatial imagery.
The technology, XTS Guard 5, was equipped with the GXP platform demonstrated... Read More »
Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) officials have initiated the first Marburg vaccine in a Phase 1 adult clinical trial evaluating safety and immunogenicity.
“Given the recent deadly outbreak of Marburg virus in Uganda, there is a critical need to develop a safe and effective... Read More »
The opportunity for public health disasters is growing in the United States, fueled by falling vaccination rates reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week.
The data revealed that vaccinations are still common among children, but they are not as common as they were, or... Read More »
An international collection of scientists have developed a new vaccine with the potential to shield people from both Lassa fever and rabies, and the drug has proven successful in preclinical testing.
Known as LASSARAB, the vaccine utilizes a weakened rabies carrier injected with genetic material... Read More »
The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) announced this week that a strategic partnership between the department and Johnson & Johnson will seek to advance efforts against chemical, biological, radiation, nuclear, disease, and antimicrobial threats in the United States.
The two... Read More »
One of the critical problems for getting pandemic vaccines out there is a bottleneck formed by the necessity of tests to determine their potency, but a new type of test -- VaxArray -- may bring immediacy to the system.
"With the 100th year anniversary since the 1918 influenza pandemic, there has... Read More »
The Chinese government is investing more than the United States in the use of non-human primates as laboratory models for deadly infectious disease research, according to expert testimony delivered on Tuesday during a meeting of the Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense.
Jay Rappaport, director... Read More »
With the danger of African swine fever growing each year -- and now poised to spread into Asia -- experts at Kansas State University and the Biosecurity Research Institute are taking notice and taking action to keep it from infecting the United States as well.
African swine fever is a... Read More »
Experts in the areas of nuclear and radiological emergencies convened at an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) symposium this week to discuss ways to communicate during such emergencies effectively.
"Communication is a challenge that we all face together," Juan Carlos Lentijo, deputy... Read More »
A recently published House Homeland Security Committee report highlighted the scope of ISIS external operations against Western countries, as well as other terrorist incidents inspired by the group.
The Committee has been tracking terrorist activity linked to ISIS since the group’s formation,... Read More »
Researchers from the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston recently developed a cheaper way to create vaccines without sacrificing their safety or effectiveness.
The way forward focuses on cost-cutting in both storage and production. Traditionally, many vaccines are... Read More »
The University of Montana is responsible for the creation of a new universal flu vaccine, under a five-year, $10 million contract awarded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
The award was granted to Jay Evans, director of UM’s Center for Translational Medicine, who will be joined by... Read More »
Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology in The Netherlands and Keio University in Japan are currently exploring infectious disease test alternatives through the use of a special glowing paper strip, a drop of blood, and a digital camera.
The study, published in the journal... Read More »
A study conducted by New York University confirmed that text messages are a rapid means of information spread amidst public health crises, representing an invaluable means of data sourcing.
"Sourcing data from individuals directly, such as through mobile phones, has the potential to provide... Read More »
Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) announced this week that it would take part in an experimental treatment for the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) currently being pursued by international cooperation.
Their involvement focuses on ZMapp, a treatment that utilizes three antibodies as part of its... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is researching the detection and prevention of homemade explosives at various labs and test facilities across the country.
DHS reports that there are approximately 3,000 improvised explosive device (IED) incidents in... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Human and Human Services (DHHS) has contracted with the company Genentech in managing and sharing the cost to develop a portfolio of medical treatments designed to counter the spread of influenza and other health security threats.
DHHS, operating through its Biomedical... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) selected BAE Systems this week for a new research and development contract to address current and future technology needs among the military.
In so doing, DOD has also put Bae Systems in the running for future contract task orders -- one of 15 companies to... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is sponsoring Siga Technologies on its development of an intravenous formulation of TPOXX -- a smallpox antiviral medication of which DHHS is currently purchasing additional doses.
“We want to save as many lives as possible after a... Read More »
