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Biological
The U.S. Department of Defense and the National Nuclear Security Administration said earlier this month that they will partner with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory to work on a biodefense supercomputing system.
On Thursday, the DoD said it was working with NNSA to increase the computing... Read More »
With China in mind, U.S. Reps. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) recently introduced the BIOSECURE Act (H.R.8333) – a bill to make it illegal for the federal government to contract with the biotechnology companies of foreign adversaries.
Pitched as a way to safeguard... Read More »
High-risk biological research and technology both in the United States and abroad is under new scrutiny from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committee, after the announcement of a new investigation by its chair and ranking member.
“Biotechnologies, such as CRISPR, are... Read More »
Seeking to keep adversaries’ hands off sensitive American genetic data, a bipartisan and bicameral group of federal lawmakers recently introduced the Prohibiting Foreign Access to American Genetic Information Act of 2024 and took aim at certain biotechnology companies’ practices.
“Every... Read More »
With a looming sunset date for the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD) at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and John Cornyn (R-TX) introduced a bill this week to keep the agency open for another two years.
At stake, according to Peters, is... Read More »
With the introduction of the Safeguarding American Genetic Data Act of 2023 last week, U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) sought to prevent biotechnology companies with ties to foreign adversaries from accessing American genetic data and personal health information.
“Every day, Americans get blood... Read More »
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) officials are touting a new program they maintain addresses bloodstream infections (BSI)-causing fungal and bacterial pathogens.
The Synthetic Hemo-technologIEs that Locate & Disinfect (SHIELD) program seeks to develop broad, preventive... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) finished building and commissioning a first of its kind National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) in Kansas last month, opening the doors of the only U.S. lab with biosafety level-4 containment capable of housing large livestock.
Supported by... Read More »
Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced a new initiative to help countries prepare the systems and capabilities to manage emerging threats.
The Preparedness and Resilience for Emerging Threats Initiative (PRET) will officially launch on April 24-26, 2023, during a global... Read More »
Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a reference material based on baker’s yeast cells – a harmless yet living biological material – that they intend to use for training first responders on biothreats.
“Suspicious powder incidents occur... Read More »
To improve local efforts to respond to hazardous materials incidents, the United States Department of Transportation (DOT) announced this week that it will award $32.4 million in grants to states, territories, and Tribes.
A total of 81 grants will be split between six different hazardous... Read More »
The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense announced Tuesday that it had received a $5.2 million grant from Open Philanthropy to strengthen efforts to improve preparation for biological incidents, ranging from pandemics and zoonotic diseases to biological terrorism and warfare.
The private... Read More »
From a virtual press conference to a letter to the White House, U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) led eight colleagues in pressing for the Biden administration to tap the Defense Production Act to increase domestic production of monkeypox vaccines.
The senator’s state of New York currently... Read More »
New legislation up for consideration in the U.S. House would revamp the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts on weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) by modernizing its Countering WMD office and formalizing and expanding its Office of Health Security.
The Health Security and Countering... 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 »
At a hearing convened by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, lawmakers heard from federal officials about the risks posed by chemical, biological, nuclear, and radiological weapons, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) efforts to counter them, and the creation of... 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 »
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 »
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 »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is seeking 2022 Biometric Technology Rally submissions.
DHS S&T indicated the agency is requesting industry personnel to submit applications to participate in the 2022 Rally slated for the Maryland Test... Read More »
Through awards amounting to approximately $577 million, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is working to create nine Antiviral Drug Discovery (AViDD) Centers for Pathogens of Pandemic Concern, working to develop innovative drugs.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has... Read More »
A global, Phase 3 trial of approximately 20,000 older adult volunteers for the Bavarian Nordic A/S MVA-BN RSV vaccine candidate began this week and is expected to produce results by mid-2023.
The randomized, double-blind test will gather those aged 60 years and older in both the United States... Read More »
The Director of National Intelligence (DNI) research and development arm, the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA), has initiated the Biometric Recognition & Identification at Altitude and Range (BRIAR) program.
“National security technologies must accurately and reliably... Read More »
U.S. Sens. John Hickenlooper (D-CO) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) introduced legislation Thursday that would modernize programs currently focused on surveilling and forecasting future pandemic-causing viruses.
Called the Modernizing Biosurveillance Capabilities and Epidemic Forecasting Act, the bill... Read More »
Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and Munich Security Conference (MSC) personnel are espousing the benefits of a recently convened tabletop exercise to reduce high-consequence biological threats.
The effort involved uniting senior leaders from across government, industry, and civil society to... Read More »
In support of the federal Project BioShield incentivization effort, the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) recently launched a Request for Proposals for late-stage development, approval, and procurement of an antibiotic capable of overcoming... Read More »
A new partnership between governmental, military, and academic scientists seeks to collaboratively develop a vaccine over the next five years capable of protecting against tularemia, melioidosis, and plague from a single source.
Aided by a $10 million grant for the Defense Threat Reduction... Read More »
BARDA’s Division of Research, Innovation, and Ventures (DRIVe) announced a new Area of Interest (AOI) and that it is looking for new partners to evaluate intervention strategies for acute respiratory distress.
The goal of the AOI is to improve long-term patient recovery after receiving... Read More »
The Bipartisan Commission on Biodefense announced launched a public awareness campaign Wednesday to support the Apollo Program for Biodefense, a project that aims to eliminate pandemics in ten years and reduce other biological threats.
The campaign, similar in scope and importance to landing... Read More »
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Tuesday that it has awarded $22 million to nearly 30 organizations across the globe to combat antimicrobial resistance (AR) and other healthcare threats.
The CDC also established two new networks – the Global Action in Healthcare... Read More »
Members of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee expressed support for a proposed initiative that would create an international organization aimed at detecting and preventing new biological threats, either unintentionally developed or intentionally introduced by rogue actors, like terrorists or... Read More »
Clinical stage biopharmaceutical company Heat Biologics, Inc. recently unveiled a new cellular vaccine platform that it says is designed to allow quicker manufacturing, greater stockpiling and customizability suited to combating a wide range of biological threats.
The emergence of the Omicron... Read More »
Former U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks, a Republican who represented the 5th District of Indiana from 2013-2021, and former Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Peggy Hamburg, who served as the agency’s 21st commissioner between 2009-2015, have joined the Bipartisan Commission on... Read More »
