-
Scripps researchers identify botulism-fighting molecules
One compound extends survival time by thirty-six percent; sixteen percent of mice treated with the second molecule survived with no obvious symptoms
-
-
University of Portsmouth to test antibacterial gown
Hospital garb is coated with an anti-microbial coating known as Permagard; effort intended to mitigate MRSA transmission; unique design also minimizes contact with nurses
-
-
FluMist found to reduce childhood infections by 55 percent
Report comes soon after FDA approves Medimmune’s refrigerated vaccine; heightened asthma risks for infants cited; company looks poised to run away with the novel flu vaccine market, especially if deal with Iomai goes through
-
-
Air Force deploys mobile bioweapons detection labs
Equipped with $100,000 in equipment, the trailer can quickly identify fourteen biological agents; McConnell Air Force Base plays host; mobile testing marches on
-
-
DHS to consolidate Centers of Excellence program
Three centers focussing on biological and chemical weapons will merge; four new centers to come on line; decision prompted by congressional criticism and threatened budget cuts
-
-
Arkansas researchers develop new avian flu sensor
Swab samples from birds’ throats are exposed to micofluidic biochips; resulting complex is measured with a microelectrode array; researchers currently looking for funding
-
-
Universal Detection receives Army anthrax detection order
Early warning BSM-2000 anthrax kits will be tested at the Dugway Proving Ground; the British government has already purchased two, but deal is the first with DoD; systems “pops” spores to measure the release of dipicolinic acid
-
-
Nunn-Lugar appropriations come under fire
Senator Lugar slams the administration for cutting the overall budget by 7 percent and shortchanging efforts to secure biological weapons in the former Soviet Union; projects in Ukraine and Armenia to be delayed under proposd budget; Lugar will attempt to reinstate funding
-
-
Polonium poisoning creates a market need for treatment
Few treatments exists for curing alpha particle damage; Litvinenko’s death sends companies scrambling; Ovation Pharmaceuticals, Biolabs Protectan, and Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals all make claims
-
-
Washington U. researchers discover plague's weakness
The scourge of the Middle Ages continues to plague Africa; terrorism another major fear; researchers disable Yersinia pestis by removing a clot-inhibiting protein
-
-
Iomai wins $128 million HHS contract for patch-based flu vaccine
Innoculation method could be mailed to patients; adjuvant stimulants allow the company to stretch out the nation’s vaccine supply; company looks for distribution partners, but many already see MedImmune as the most promising candidate
-
-
Massachusetts researchers add nanotransmitters to microfluidic arrays
Technique used to quickly identify pathogens such as anthrax; cuts down on the size of handheld and static detection devices; waveguide and nanoantennas focus light to a spot size smaller than half its wavelength
-
-
Biophotonics market to emerge in 2011
Experts predict a $2 billion industry in a few years; intrinisc and extrinsic sensors try to prove themselves in the drug industry but with limited success; breakthroughs needed in microarrays before major homeland security applications will be possible
-
-
Raman spectroscopy used to identify counterfeit drugs
Breakthrough approach can identify fakes while inside their packaging; researchers at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory adjust the collection point a few millimeters in front of the laser signal; tests on paracetamol and ibuprofen prove the concept
-
-
Weather found to be a good predictor of epidemics
NASA climatologists provide Kenyan authorities a four month warning about a Rift Valley Fever outbreak; heat and moisture are strong indicators of a pathogen’s virulence; for countries unable to afford large-scale epidemiological surveys, weather provides a cheaper indicator
-
More headlines
The long view
Ransomware Attacks: Death Threats, Endangered Patients and Millions of Dollars in Damages
A ransomware attack on Change Healthcare, a company that processes 15 billion health care transactions annually and deals with 1 in 3 patient records in the United States, is continuing to cause massive disruptions nearly three weeks later. The incident, which started on February 21, has been called the “most significant cyberattack on the U.S. health care system” by the American Hospital Association. It is just the latest example of an increasing trend.