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Hackensack to deploy three in one mobile medical response unit
Federal funding of $3.2 million makes this unique approach possible; FEMA’s Carolina Med1 unit seen as too large for Hackensack’s streets; a trauma unit, surgery bay, and lab can operate seperately or as a aingle unit
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Canada Foundation for Innovation awards homeland security grants
Research into protecting infrastructure and developing new energy sources receive special attention; hundreds of million of Canadian dollars awarded for a wide range of scientific endeavors; Universities of Toronto and Calgary among winners
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New "gene chip" quickly and inexpensively identifies bird flu
Unlike previous diagnostics, technology developed by researchers at the University of Colorado and the CDC relies on a single isolated virus gene; matric gene a target because it evolves extremely slowly, meaning that test can last a while without being tweaked; researchers currently looking to bring test to market
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USDA and Spanish scientists develop anti-E. coli food wrap
Made from apple puree and oregano oil, product could displace traditional water-based washes; essential oils have natural antimicrobial abilities, but oregano is best against E. coli; sugary coating permits long-term adhesion to fruits and vegetables
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Nanotechnology allows for rapid detection of viruses
Forget waiting anxiously for days for lab test results; a new nanotechnology allows for detection of dangerous viruses within seconds — something which patients will appreciate as much as homeland security and first responders eager to identify a bioterror attack sooner rather than later
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SIGA wins $2.3 million in Air Force biodefense projects
Company is known for its SIGA-246 smallpox drug, but its competencies are far ranging; new contracts call for drugs to counteract Dengue viruses, biowarfare pathogens, and orthopox viruses other than smallopox
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Hawaii set to award flu management contract
With $2.6 million, the custom system must track flu victims, hospital admissions, and drug distribution; due to large numbers of domestic and international visitors, as well as geographic isolation, Hawaii is particularly vulnerable to an epidemic; contract is just part of an $11 million pandemic campaign
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MIT researcher creates anti-flu paint
Daubed onto doorknobs or aircraft tray tables, prickly polymer punctures bacterium and virus cells; Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus reduced by a factor of 10,000 within minutes
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Israeli company BioPen offers in-the-field testing for bioagent exposure
Miniaturized technology offers a complete ELISA array for only $15 a test; device can also test for water potability and various cancers; researchers are actively looking for $1-2 million in R&D funding
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New England planners look to athenahealth to track epidemic health outcomes
Exercise at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center will test an Internet-based approach to handling patient care; ability to provide surge capacity and manage patient records key factors; athenaNet platform supports the system
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JMAR warned by NASDAQ it may be delisted
Maker of popular BioSentry and other laser-based and X-ray detection systems receives note from NASDAQ that it is not in compliance with the minimum bid price requirement and may be delisted
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Investors wary of Emergent going into IPO
With government the only purchaser of anthrax vaccines, market size and cash flow are major comcerns; ongoing troubles with vaccines — for Emergent and VaxGen — suggests a bad long-term investment; company’s post-anthrax plans are uncertain
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University consortium melds agro-safety with business continuity
Created by Virginia Tech, UC Davis and others, the Agricultural Vulnerability Assessment Training Program helps farmers defend their crops and make contingency plans; thirty-four courses to be offered nationwide; program funded by $2 million DHS grant
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Agroterror overview
The vast dispersion of the American agriculture industry makes prevention of agroterror difficult; the best approach is a tracking and mitigation regime that prevents infection after an attack; GIS technology, matched up with RFID tags and sensors, is the most likely solution
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Promising test results for SIGA's smallpox drug
The prospect of terrorists infecting the population with smallpox is taken seriously by those in charge of biodefense;
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The long view
Are We Ready for a ‘DeepSeek for Bioweapons’?
Anthropic’s Claude 4 is a warning sign: AI that can help build bioweapons is coming, and could be widely available soon. Steven Adler writes that we need to be prepared for the consequences: “like a freely downloadable ‘DeepSeek for bioweapons,’ available across the internet, loadable to the computer of any amateur scientist who wishes to cause mass harm. With Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4 having finally triggered this level of safety risk, the clock is now ticking.”
A Brief History of Federal Funding for Basic Science
Biomedical science in the United States is at a crossroads. For 75 years, the federal government has partnered with academic institutions, fueling discoveries that have transformed medicine and saved lives. Recent moves by the Trump administration — including funding cuts and proposed changes to how research support is allocated — now threaten this legacy.
Vaccine Integrity Project Says New FDA Rules on COVID-19 Vaccines Show Lack of Consensus, Clarity
Sidestepping both the FDA’s own Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee and the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), two Trump-appointed FDA leaders penned an opinion piece in the New England Journal of Medicine to announce new, more restrictive, COVID-19 vaccine recommendations. Critics say that not seeking broad input into the new policy, which would help FDA to understand its implications, feasibility, and the potential for unintended consequences, amounts to policy by proclamation.