Willy earned his undergraduate degree from Oregon State University and his PhD in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Michigan. He is a founder of H3D Inc., and an expert in CZT calibration and performance. At H3D, Willy focuses on contract management, product design, and user-interface development.
With up to one million fans attending FIFA World Cup™ matches and festivities in Miami, Florida, the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department has equipped the city’s host stadium with advanced connected safety technology to help protect spectators, athletes, and event staff.
The technology is provided by Blackline Safety, a global leader in connected safety technology. Eight of Blackline’s connected EXO area monitors have been discreetly placed throughout the stadium to continuously monitor for potential hazards.
Highly visible, high-stakes environments like the World Cup require emergency responders to prepare for a wide range of potential risks, from accidental incidents to intentional chemical, biological, radiological and other public safety threats. Connected to the Blackline Live cloud platform, EXO technology provides incident commanders with real-time visibility into conditions, ensuring rescue teams can respond quickly if needed.
“These are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, and being asked to protect such a large event is incredible,” said Marcel Berube, Hazmat, Logistics and Training Lieutenant with the Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department in Florida. “You’re there in case anything happens, and you have a product that’s going to assist you to help everybody if needed."
Of the eight devices deployed, four are EXO 8 area monitors, equipped to detect up to eight gases plus gamma radiation, as well as four G7 EXOs, EXO 8’s predecessor. The monitors transmit readings live over a cellular network to Blackline Live software that act as a central command platform for the fire crew, giving them the instant data to make fast decisions if needed. Its long-lasting battery means no downtime throughout the tournament.
“Every day, our technology helps protect workers in some of the world's most demanding environments,” said Cody Slater, CEO, Blackline Safety. “At events like the World Cup, or the Winter Olympics in Italy earlier this year, that same mission extends beyond the worksite to help emergency responders protect the hundreds of thousands of people who have gathered to experience something unforgettable."
This deployment reflects the growing role of connected safety technology in public event security. Increasingly, fire departments and emergency management organizations are adopting cloud-connected monitoring solutions that provide greater visibility, faster communication, and improved coordination during planned events and emergency response operations.
Berube and his team were even able to use the data from Blackline's platform to inform the entire Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), a coordinated group of agencies including police, FBI, and more.
Blackline Safety worked closely with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue throughout planning and deployment to configure the system, support implementation, and help ensure the technology was ready for operational use before fans arrived.
“Every experience I’ve had with Blackline has been great,” Berube said. “The support is excellent. If you have a question, they run you through it without a problem, and everyone is very helpful. Every time I've had an issue, problem, question, they've been very supportive.”
Originally published by Reuters
Originally published by RAND
The current generation of large language models (LLMs)—a form of artificial intelligence (AI)—do not increase the risk of a biological weapons attack by a non-state actor, according to new RAND research assessing the potential risks posed by the misuse of AI.
While LLMs can generate troubling text associated with biological weapons, the report finds that the use of LLMs did not measurably change the operational risk of a biological attack as their outputs generally mirrored information readily available on the internet.
The report notes that risks may exist, but during a red-team exercise using experts to emulate malicious non-state actors, researchers did not find any statistically significant differences in the viability of biological weapons attack plans generated with or without LLM assistance. This suggests that the tasks involved in planning such an attack fall outside the capabilities of the LLMs examined.
“Just because today's LLMs aren't able to close the knowledge gap needed to facilitate biological weapons attack planning doesn't preclude the possibility that they may be able to in the future,” said Christopher Mouton, lead author and a senior engineer at RAND. “This is worth continuing to study because AI technology is available to everyone—including dangerous non-state actors—and it's advancing faster than governments can keep pace.”
Because LLMs are increasingly capable and available, it's important to monitor their evolution to ensure they are safe and secure from potential misuse, according to the report. Accurate risk assessment models, such as the methodology developed for this research, can be used to help evaluate these technologies and inform the discussion of effective regulatory frameworks.
The report, “The Operational Risks of AI in Large-Scale Biological Attacks: Results of a Red-Team Study,” is a follow-up study to an earlier methodology report published in October 2023. Funding for both reports was provided by gifts from RAND supporters and income from operations and was conducted by the new RAND Center for Global and Emerging Risks. Other authors are Caleb Lucas and Ella Guest.
Environics signed a remarkable contract with RMC (Rauma Marine Constructions) worth over 2M€ to supply CBRN Monitoring Systems to four Pohjanmaa Class multi-role corvettes, as part of the strategic Squadron 2020 project.
These new corvettes will be delivered to the Finnish Navy, a branch of The Finnish Defence Forces, from 2025 to 2027, and will serve anti-surface warfare, anti-air warfare, anti-submarine warfare, surveillance and mine-laying missions. They are expected to be in full operational status by 2029.
Pohjanmaa Class multi-role corvettes will have an overall length of approximately 114 m, beam of about 16 m, and the maximum draught will be about 5m making them the largest Finnish surface combatants since the 1930s coastal defence ships. Each vessel will have a crew of about 70.
The CMS (Combat Management System) Saab 9LV on board will incorporate weapons, associated systems, such as Environics’ EnviScreen Operix, and surveillance sensors, such as Environics’ CBRN monitoring devices ENVI BioScout and ChemProDM.
Together with the existing four Hamina-class missile boats, the four new Pohjanmaa Class Corvettes will form the backbone of the Finnish Navy from the mid-2020s onwards, replacing
“…the Navy’s decommissioned and soon-to-be-decommissioned combat vessel capability with capabilities meeting the requirements of future operating environments.”
Finland’s Ministry of Defence, Navy: New Pohjanmaa Class Corvettes to Strengthen Capabilities of the Navy, 19.09.2019
Environics has installed over 100 fixed ship CBRN Monitoring Systems, for naval and maritime / rescue forces of several countries, namely Algeria, Belgium, Canada, Finland, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Philippines, Taiwan, Turkey, and Singapore.
Only during 2021, Environics received orders of CBRN Monitoring Systems for over 20 vessels.
In addition, Environics has a long and solid experience of co-operation with renown shipyards globally, to name a few: Damen Group (Netherlands), St Engineering Marine Ltd. (Singapore), Intermarine (Italy), and HSL – Hindustan Shipyard Limited (India).
Heat Biologics, Inc. (to be renamed “NightHawk Biosciences”), a fully-integrated biopharmaceutical company focused on developing first-in-class therapies to modulate the immune system, today announced it has completed the acquisition of Elusys Therapeutics, Inc. a commercial-stage biodefense company and developer of ANTHIM® (obiltoxaximab), a treatment for inhalation anthrax. ANTHIM® is approved for use in the U.S. and Canada, and under the brand name Obiltoxaximab SFL in Europe and the United Kingdom.
Nighthawk acquired all outstanding shares of Elusys, which will continue to operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of NightHawk. No stock or warrants were issued in connection with the acquisition, and Elusys had no outstanding term debt.
The strategic acquisition of Elusys significantly expands the Company’s role in the biodefense space, complementing NightHawk’s RapidVax® platform, which is designed to target emerging biological threats. Pursuant to this acquisition, NightHawk also announced it plans to migrate manufacturing of ANTHIM® to its planned 500,000 square foot Scorpion biomanufacturing facility in Manhattan, Kansas, which is being constructed to support development of commercial-scale biologics and large molecules.
To date, Elusys has been awarded over $350 million in research and development grants, contracts and procurement orders from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the U. S. Strategic National Stockpile (SNS). Through ongoing, multi-year partnerships with the U.S. government, Elusys has been supplying ANTHIM® to the SNS - the government’s repository of critical medical supplies for biodefense preparedness.
Jeff Wolf, CEO of NightHawk, commented, “We are excited to announce the closing of this transformative acquisition, which provides us with a solid foothold in the biodefense space. Elusys has an established a successful track record collaborating with U.S. government agencies including BARDA, NIH, SNS and DOD. We plan to leverage Elusys’ existing relationships and distribution channels as a launching pad for RapidVax®, our “plug and play” platform designed for rapid development and delivery of new vaccines. In addition, we look forward to leveraging our new Kansas facility, which will enable us to manufacture these therapies internally and therefore benefit from significant operating synergies, as well as enhanced oversight, quality control, and speed to market. We are also exploring opportunities to expand ANTHIM® distribution abroad. This transaction is perfectly aligned with our overall vision to establish a fully-integrated ecosystem to deliver medical innovations faster, better, and more efficiently.”
David Lasseter, former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction, and a member of NightHawk’s Biothreat Advisory Board, commented, “This transaction is extremely timely, given the global uncertainty and unprecedented threats from foreign nations and rogue actors. Anthrax is one of the most significant biological warfare threats facing our country, with real potential for mass casualties. ANTHIM® represents a key medical countermeasure for the treatment of inhalation Anthrax.”
A special committee of Heat’s Board of Directors negotiated and approved the transaction and Cassel Salpeter & Co. provided a fairness opinion in connection with the transaction. Blank Rome LLP acted as legal counsel to Heat. Elusys was advised by RBC Capital Markets, LLC. Additional details on the transaction are outlined in Company’s Form 8-K, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and will be available on the Company’s website.
On this day in Canadian history, March 3 1875, a group including students from McGill University play the first organized ice hockey game at the Victoria Rink in Montréal. Use the code OTD030320 to get 20% off your CBRNe Convergence Canada registration fee (code live for 48hrs).
Battelle has won a $9.8 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract from the U.S. Air Force to support computational and experimental chemistry and computer modeling activities over a six-year period.
The Columbus, Ohio-headquartered research and development organization will help the military service know the reaction rates for chemical reactions, computer modeling, atmospheric chemistry modeling and atmospheric emissions pollution modeling, the Department of Defense said Monday.
Battelle will perform R&D work at its Columbus facilities through Dec. 7, 2027, as part of the sole-source contract with firm-fixed-price and cost-reimbursable line items.
The Acquisition Management and Integration Center of the Headquarters Air Combat Command obligated $50,000 in fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance funds at the time of the award.
An Australian-first facility to provide standardised testing of robotics is now open for business in Queensland. The purpose-built centre is part of a research and development partnership between defence solutions provider EPE and Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, based at CSIRO’s site in Pullenvale, outside Brisbane.
The MILTECS (Military Test, Evaluation, Certification and Systems Assurance) facility was developed in response to industry calls for a proving ground for field robotics and will carry out standardised testing across industries including defence, law enforcement, agriculture, manufacturing and mining to help drive Australia’s sovereign industrial capability.
The project is funded by EPE and the Defence Sovereign Industrial Capability Priority (SICP) Program, with partnership support from CSIRO.
EPE Managing Director Warwick Penrose said the collaborative partnership will enable advanced R&D into human-robot teaming in dynamic unstructured environments and provide the essential validation to ensure the capabilities provided to Defence today also meet future threats.
“The facility is a genuine example of how a joint investment by Government and industry combined with collaborative partnership with the research sector delivers critical Defence capability outcomes,” Mr Penrose said.
The facility incorporates two proving grounds: a robotics terrain park outfitted with vehicles, stairs, pipes, inclines and unstructured terrains (grass, gravel, rocks, trees, etc) and a NIST (U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology) certified obstacle course; and Counter IED Detection and training lanes for mounted and dismounted search.
The MILTECS facility also extends over two other sites with a Threat Mitigation Proving Ground at Helidon in the Lockyer Valley and Test Labs at EPE’s Brisbane facility.
The entire facility includes:
The collaboration between EPE and CSIRO will leverage knowledge and experience gained by EPE from international best practice through NIST test methods, and CSIRO’s world-leading robotics, navigation and surveying capabilities.
Group leader in CSIRO’s Data61, the agency’s data and digital arm, Dr Navinda Kottege welcomed the opening of the new facility.
“This new testing centre and partnership will help facilitate new capabilities and products that will advance local industry and strengthen Australia’s international standing in this domain,” Dr Kottege said.
CSIRO’s Pullenvale site is also home to the Robotics Innovation Centre (RIC) and CSIRO’s robotics and autonomous expertise at the Queensland Centre for Advanced Technologies (QCAT).
The robotic technologies being developed onsite could assist CSIRO in designing and creating technologies for CSIRO’s Labs of the Future initiative to establish digitised laboratories, flexible workspaces, a smaller more sustainable footprint, cutting‑edge smart infrastructure shared with partners, and an efficient carbon footprint.
Birmingham Biotech Ltd, an innovator in diagnostic tests, protective nasal sprays and mobile medical facilities, and the University of Birmingham have signed a licensing agreement to commercialise a novel anti-viral nasal spray that protects against COVID-19.
COVID-19 is both contracted and transmitted by inhalation of droplets or aerosols containing the SARS-CoV-2 virus, and the nose is the major viral entry point into the body, making it an ideal target for approaches designed to reduce person-to-person transmission.
The formulation was engineered by Professor Liam Grover, from the university’s Healthcare Technologies Institute, and a team of researchers who also collaborated on its testing. Professor Grover commented: “As COVID-19 restrictions around the world are gradually lifting, there is a real need for effective methods of viral protection. While existing measures like wearing masks and handwashing remain essential, this nasal spray provides an additional protective measure with the potential to reduce transmission. We are thrilled to be working with Birmingham Biotech to bring the anti-viral nasal spray to individuals around the world.”
Michael Hsu, Managing Director at Birmingham Biotech commented, “We are delighted to enter into a partnership with the University of Birmingham and to be able to work together with its world-leading academic researchers, to advance medical innovations. We have a shared commitment to bring our proprietary anti-COVID-19 nasal spray to as many people as possible at an affordable price, focusing on developing markets with the greatest need.”
The anti-viral spray is designed to work by encapsulating and deactivating the virus while it is still in the nose, preventing its wider uptake by the body. It is formulated with two compounds that are already approved by regulatory bodies in the UK, Europe and the US and widely used in medical devices, medicines, and food products.
Each of these compounds performs specific functions. The first, a polysaccharide gel which can ‘plume’ rather than ‘jet spray’ when applied with a typical nasal spray applicator and is retained on the mucous-coated epithelia in the nose where it coats and retains the virus, so it does not travel further down the respiratory tract. The second compound is a potent antiviral agent called carrageenan.1
The Birmingham researchers confirmed the complete inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 activity provided by carrageenan and the ability of the formulation to prevent contraction and transmission in cell culture and confirmed that the spray covers a surface area that is six times greater than when formulated without the gel.1
The licensing agreement covers the entire duration of the patents and gives Birmingham Biotech exclusive rights to market and sell the anti-viral nasal spray worldwide, except for India. Further to the licensing agreement, Birmingham Biotech plans to establish a joint venture with the University of Birmingham to commercialise new products based on intellectual property and technical knowledge from the university.
In the future, the two parties plan to co-develop other innovative products and technologies, such as COVID-19 throat sprays and nasal sprays targeted to protect individuals from other viruses. The anti-COVID-19 nasal spray is expected to be available in the UK and Asia in early 2022.
References:
1. Grover LM et al. Formulation of a Composite Nasal Spray Enabling Enhanced Surface Coverage and Prophylaxis of SARS-COV-2. DOI: 10.1002/adma.202008304
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