Research
Amid a monkeypox outbreak that continues to grow internationally, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) exercised an option on an existing contract this week to acquire additional intravenous (IV) doses of the TPOXX smallpox treatment.
TPOXX is a U.S. Food and Drug... Read More »
In a letter to leadership at the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) revealed nine whistleblowers had disclosed concerns of mislabeling and unauthorized manufacturing of... Read More »
During some COVID-19 surges, U.S. hospitals were hampered in terms of staff, supplies, or space to care for patients that exceeded their normal operating capacity, though health care coalitions helped fill some gaps.
According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a review of eight... Read More »
The Integrated Public Alert Warning System (IPAWS) used by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) may soon be capable of providing hazard and evacuation alerts directly to vehicles’ infotainment screens.
This week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology... Read More »
Roche Diagnostics announced a new test for its line-up this week to offer additional means for decision-making and treatment options surrounding SARS-CoV-2, particularly in at-risk patient groups.
The Elecsys IGRA SARS-CoV-2 test focuses on the T-cell response to offer a potentially better... Read More »
Responding to the ongoing American struggle with opioids in general and fentanyl in particular, United States Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) joined the Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition (HC ARC) and other stakeholders in his state to address the larger issue of addiction and overdose.
Last... Read More »
Through letters dispatched to the U.S. Departments of Commerce, Energy, Health and Human Services, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, leaders of the House Energy and Commerce Committee have requested briefings on federal network... Read More »
As more states and localities declare emergencies over the growing monkeypox outbreak, President Joe Biden this week formed an official White House national monkeypox team from other agencies to guide federal response.
Helming the team will be FEMA’s Regional Administrator for the American... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recently announced the selections for $1.16 billion in climate resilience funding through two competitive grant programs to help communities across the nation enhance climate and disaster... Read More »
To improve first responder operations and get them the best technology, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) hosted the Urban Operational Experimentation (OpEx) 2022 from July 18-22, 2022.
At this gathering, S&T and its National Urban Security... Read More »
A new report from U.S. Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, has found that China’s efforts to undermine the U.S. Federal Reserve System have been going on since at least 2013.
According to the report, China’s Threat to... Read More »
The Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) recently outlined the results of a recent school safety summit tailored for federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and campus law enforcement personnel.
The School Safety Summit: Strategies for Prevention was conducted July 19-21, 2022,... Read More »
The biopharmaceutical company Soligenix, Inc. signed a worldwide exclusive license this week guaranteeing supply of its ricin antigen to SERB Pharmaceuticals, which the latter intends to use in developing a therapeutic treatment for ricin toxin poisoning.
"We are pleased to be partnering with... Read More »
The Space Development Agency (SDA) recently announced the award of two prototype agreements to provide National Defense Space Architecture (NDSA) missile warning/missile tracking warfighting capability.
The agreements, which include a potential total value of more than $1.3 billion, are... Read More »
Beginning last week, Aegis Sciences began testing for monkeypox at its laboratories in Nashville, Tenn., adding potential capacity for up to 10,000 tests per week to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) national Laboratory Response Network (LRN).
To achieve this, Aegis will... Read More »
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently detailed the successful execution of its first Operational Fires (OpFires) program flight test at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
The OpFires system accomplished all test objectives, including the initial use of a U.S.... Read More »
While the general focus has been on the immediate effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the outbreak also reversed years of progress in the fight against antimicrobial resistance (AR), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In a report released this week – "COVID-19:... Read More »
Nipah virus became the newest target of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) this week, with the launch of a phase 1 clinical trial to evaluate an investigational vaccine from Moderna, Inc. and NIAID’s own Vaccine Research Center.
This potential vaccine was built... Read More »
With new and aggressive strains of COVID-19 continuing to emerge, such as the omicron subvariants BA.4/5, Moderna, Inc. has continued developing new means to counter them, including its booster candidate mRNA-1273.214, which recently delivered promising results.
One month after administration... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently awarded a $161,000 grant to Kenzen, Inc., based in Kansas City, Mo., to develop wearable technology to prevent heat-related injuries.
S&T’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP) targeted... Read More »
New recommendations meant to overhaul U.S. research oversight for enhanced potential pandemic pathogens (ePPPs) and life sciences dual-use efforts were submitted last week by a 34-member group of scientists, public health experts, and policy researchers.
These recommendations were submitted by... Read More »
Threat detection and security firm Smiths Detection announced that it has entered an agreement with Kromek to deliver wearable radiation detection equipment to North and South America.
“Smiths Detection is committed to deliver the best security screening solutions to our customers," Smiths... Read More »
The U.S. Chemical Security Analysis Center (CSAC) opened an experimental new facility known as the Chemical Security Laboratory (CSL) this week in partnership with the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC).
Located at Aberdeen Proving Ground in... Read More »
In an effort to stock up for emergencies involving nerve agents, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) announced last week it will work with French developer Crossject to gain ZENEO needle-free autoinjectors for the anticonvulsant midazolam.
Midazolam works to treat... Read More »
The efforts of an interdisciplinary research team funded by the National Institutes of Health’s Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) Tech program have yielded a quick, cost-effective new means of detecting and identifying known variants and subvariants of SARS-CoV-2.
The results of the... Read More »
A new study conducted by consulting firm Trail of Bits and funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) concluded that despite claims to the contrary, blockchains are not impenetrable but can be subverted to dishonest means.
Despite the growing prevalence of blockchains... Read More »
Inoculations began this week at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, for up to 100 participants in a phase 1 trial of novel universal flu vaccine candidate BPL-1357.
Testing will be conducted at this site alone and will focus on volunteers between 18 and 55... Read More »
With the acceptance of a biologics license application (BLA) from Emergent BioSolutions Inc. last week, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to review the potential of AV7909, an anthrax vaccine candidate.
“Over the last 20 years, Emergent has partnered with the U.S.... Read More »
At the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Machine Common Sense (MCS) program, researchers last week offered demonstrations of improvements to robotic system performance, showcasing advancements in intuitive physics, intentional actors, and spatial navigation.
Comparing the... Read More »
Late-stage biopharmaceutical company Soligenix, Inc. announced last week that it has created and tested a bivalent filovirus vaccine that offered 100 percent protection to non-human primate test subjects against the lethal Marburg and Ebola viruses.
"Filoviruses such as Zaire ebolavirus, Sudan... Read More »
A new partnership arranged between SC Johnson and the Global Fund this week will focus on resource development for malaria, one of the world’s oldest and deadliest diseases.
Together, the pair intend to push for social impact in some of the places malaria has proven most stubborn: Burundi, the... Read More »
Battelle officials have indicated the company has developed a proven solution to eliminate the source of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminated drinking water.
The PFAS ANNIHILATOR, which destroys the chemicals by preventing them from entering drinking water systems, stemmed... Read More »
Roche broke new ground with its cobas SARS-CoV-2 Duo, which this week received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) emergency use authorization (EUA) to become the first PCR test capable of simultaneously detecting COVID-19 and quantitatively measuring viral load levels.
“The test’s... Read More »
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has selected three research teams to develop solutions for hybrid reef-mimicking structures research.
DARPA launched the Reefense program to target coastal flooding, erosion, and storm damage threatening civilian and Department of Defense... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is funding the development of a cloud-based capability aiding digital indoor mapping capability.
Collaboration with Waterloo, Ontario-based Mappedin Inc. yielded Mappedin Response, which enables first... Read More »
