The Center of Excellence for Emerging and Zoonotic Animal Diseases held its kickoff in the K-State Alumni Center.
The center's goal is to defend U.S. agricultural systems against bioterrorism and to find solutions to pathogens transferred between humans and animals.
"This is Kansas State University responding to one of the most imminent national threats," said Tom Thornton, President and CEO, Kansas Bioscience Authority. "The Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission, the post 9/11 group that determined imminent terrorist threats, has determined that the most imminent threat to our nation's homeland security is a biological attack."
The center received 12 million dollars from the Department of Homeland Security. Researchers hope the center can provide scientific information in a national emergency.
http://www.ktka.com/news/2010/jun/28/kansas-state-university-launches-animal-disease-ce/
Showing posts with label US Department of Homeland Security. Show all posts
Showing posts with label US Department of Homeland Security. Show all posts
Saturday, 24 July 2010
Monday, 31 May 2010
BIOTERRORISM: tool to detect viruses and bacteria
The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California has announced a new tool that will aid law enforcement in detecting and identifying the agents of a bioterrorism attack.
The Lawrence Livermore Microbial Detection Array (LLMDA), developed between October 2007 and February 2008, detects viruses and bacteria using 388,000 probes arranged in a checkerboard pattern in the middle of a one-inch-wide by three-inch-long glass slide. The current version contains probes that can detect more than 2,000 viruses and about 900 bacteria within a 24-hour period.
“The ability to detect the major bacterial and viral components of any sample can be used in countless different ways,” said Tom Slezak, the program’s associate leader for informatics. “This is important because it fills a cost-performance gap that is relevant to many missions: biodefense, public health and product safety.”
“The LLMDA allows us to not only identify the biological pathogens on a priority screening list, but also any other already-sequenced bacteria or virus in a sample that you might not have been expecting to find, including possible novel or emerging pathogens,” he added.
The team is already testing a next-generation LLMDA with 2.1 million probes and they plan to update probes with new sequences of bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms every year.
The detection array will be evaluated for operational bio-forensic use at the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Maryland.
http://www.gsnmagazine.com/article/20722/national_lab_has_victory_fight_against_bioterroris
The Lawrence Livermore Microbial Detection Array (LLMDA), developed between October 2007 and February 2008, detects viruses and bacteria using 388,000 probes arranged in a checkerboard pattern in the middle of a one-inch-wide by three-inch-long glass slide. The current version contains probes that can detect more than 2,000 viruses and about 900 bacteria within a 24-hour period.
“The ability to detect the major bacterial and viral components of any sample can be used in countless different ways,” said Tom Slezak, the program’s associate leader for informatics. “This is important because it fills a cost-performance gap that is relevant to many missions: biodefense, public health and product safety.”
“The LLMDA allows us to not only identify the biological pathogens on a priority screening list, but also any other already-sequenced bacteria or virus in a sample that you might not have been expecting to find, including possible novel or emerging pathogens,” he added.
The team is already testing a next-generation LLMDA with 2.1 million probes and they plan to update probes with new sequences of bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms every year.
The detection array will be evaluated for operational bio-forensic use at the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Maryland.
http://www.gsnmagazine.com/article/20722/national_lab_has_victory_fight_against_bioterroris
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