Rapiscan® Systems, a leading global supplier of security inspection technology, today announced that its 920CT checkpoint screening system has achieved C3 approval from the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) under its Common Evaluation Process (CEP) for Explosive Detection Systems for Cabin Baggage (EDSCB).

QinetiQ North America (QNA) has announced that it has won the competition for the U.S. Army’s Common Robotic System-Individual (CRS(I)) program.

The seven-year Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract, valued up to $164m is for the delivery of small ground robots. It includes a Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) phase worth approximately $20m over one-to-two years, followed by a series of annual production releases. QNA has been awarded a $4m initial order as part of the LRIP phase.

The CRS(I) robot is designed to be back-packable and is equipped with advanced sensors and mission modules for dismounted forces to enhance mission capabilities. CRS(I) features an interoperability profile (IOP) compatible open architecture to support a variety of payloads and missions to detect, identify, and counter hazards. 

This significant win for small ground robots builds on QNA’s recent contract awards for the Route Clearance Interrogation System program (RCIS) and Phase II of the Common Robotic System-Heavy program (CRS-H).

“Providing robust, reliable, and exceptionally capable ground robots to support our armed services has been a driving passion at QNA for decades now,” said Jeff Yorsz, President of QinetiQ North America. “Our CRS(I) robot combines performance, intuitive control, and easy transport with a very competitive price point.  This will redefine the market for next-generation back-packable robots.

In February of this year leaders and stakeholders turned out to view the highly anticipated Stryker Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle (NBCRV) Sensor Suite Upgrade program demonstration at the Combat Capabilities Development Command (CCDC) Chemical Biological Center. 

The NBCRV demonstration provided a first look for many at the brand new suite of chemical sensors deployed on the NBCRV, a huge leap forward in terms of capabilities for not only the vehicle but for CBRNE Soldiers tasked with operating and carrying out missions using the NBCRV. 

“We’re not writing about the future, we’re not thinking about the future, we’re building the future,” Lt. Col. Jeffrey Strauss of the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND), Joint Project Manager for Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Contamination Avoidance (JPM NBC CA) said during his opening remarks to the audience of more than 50 people. 

Currently, CBRN Soldiers investigate potential CBRN threats at close range from a slow-moving or completely stopped vehicle, sometimes directly exposing the vehicle to the threat in order to conduct sampling and often creating an easy target for the enemy. It was clear to many in the Science and Technology (S&T) community, the CBRNE community and the Army that the NBCRV had opportunities for modernization. 

“This capability is meant to operate outside the threat,” Scott Kimmel, Deputy Commandant of the U.S. Army CBRN School said. “NBCRV has to operate with a cavalry squadron because the days of the NBCRV being left in the rear of the fight are over.” 

The sensor package upgrade consists of six sensor capabilities. 
1. The Deep Purple Unmanned Aerial Vehicle equipped with the Array Configurable of Remote Network Sensors flies sensors into a chemical cloud for interrogation. 
2. A Joint Chemical Agent Detector automatically detects, identifies and alarms to chemical warfare agents and toxic industrial chemical vapors.
3. A standoff detector called the improved Mobile Chemical Agent Detector detects, identifies and maps chemical weapon vapors. 
4. The Vehicle Integrated Platform Enhanced Radiation Detection, Indication, and Computation is the NBCRV’s internal point sensor and is specifically tailored for mounted operations in radiological-nuclear environments. 
5. The Mounted Enhanced RADIAC Long-Range Imaging Networkable (MERLIN) system, which is comprised of two subsystems that are complementary but work independently of each other, MERLIN-Imager (MERLIN-I) and the MERLIN-Applique (MERLIN-A). MERLIN-I enables stationary standoff radioisotope detection and MERLIN-A consists of four sensors mounted on the corners of the NBCRV, enabling moving standoff detection.
6. The Chemical Sensor Detector analyzes ground liquids using a laser and spectrometer and is deployable on-the-move. 

In May, a team of operators will showcase the NBCRV’s capabilities at the Joint Warfighter Assessment 2019 in Washington state.

DARPA aims to apply the power of social networks to research and development via a novel social media platform purpose-built to quicken the pace of U.S. technology development. Polyplexus, which was recently launched as a public platform, is designed to increase access to scientific evidence and accelerate hypothesis development, research proposal generation, and research sponsor engagement. The platform’s real-time interactions and functionality are designed to dramatically shorten the time between the emergence of concepts and the submission of worthy proposals.

The platform facilitates connections among experts across academic disciplines so they can propel novel research opportunities together. Beta-launched for academics only in 2018, Polyplexus is now open to the broader research and development community and features an initial offering of research topics for collaboration and potential funding. DARPA seeks participation from anyone who is interested in sharing and learning about emerging science and technology including researchers, practitioners, and even retirees.

Polyplexus is composed of three integrated components: a public information feed where users can promote interesting research and connect it to other research via tweet-like summary statements called micropubs; a private tool for synthesizing new ideas, known as micropub portfolios; and an incubator environment. Incubators allow research sponsors in government and industry to post specific topics of interest and find research and development specialists to address their challenges.

Following a 2018 test phase that was restricted to academic researchers, Version 1 of Polyplexus is now open to the public. Researchers and research sponsors across disciplines and industries are invited to sign up and become “Plexors” at https://polyplexus.com/users/login

With the public launch of Polyplexus, DARPA’s Defense Sciences Office intends to fund up to 30 one-year seedling efforts developed through Polyplexus incubators over the next 18 months. These funding opportunities are capped at a maximum of $100,000 each. They will roll out at a pace of approximately two per month.

An explosion at a pesticide plant in eastern China on Thursday, March 21st, has, according to state media, killed 47 people and injured more than 600, 90 of which are reportedly in critical condition.

The blast occurred at the Chenjiagang Industrial Park in the city of Yancheng, in Jiangsu province, the fire was reportedly brought under control in the early hours of this morning. The cause of the explosion is under investigation, but the company - which produces more than 30 organic chemical compounds, some of which are highly flammable - has been cited and fined for work safety violations in the past, the China Daily said.

China's State Administration for Work Safety cited 13 types of safety hazards at the company in February 2018. They included the mishandling of tanks of toxic benzene, which is believed to be the source of the blast on Thursday.

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. recently announced the initiation of a Phase 3 trial to evaluate the lot consistency, immunogenicity, and safety of AV7909 (anthrax vaccine adsorbed with CPG 7909 adjuvant) following a two-dose schedule administered intramuscularly in healthy adults.

AV7909 is being developed for post-exposure prophylaxis of disease resulting from suspected or confirmed Bacillus anthracis exposure.

“Emergent is pleased with the advancement of the AV7909 development program,” said Abbey Jenkins, senior vice president and vaccines and anti-infectives business unit head at Emergent BioSolutions. “Dosing the first subject in this large clinical study is a milestone achievement and we look forward to continuing to execute on our development and procurement contract for AV7909.”

AV7909 is designed to elicit a faster immune response than the currently available anthrax vaccine. It is comprised of Anthrax Vaccine Adsorbed (AVA) in combination with an adjuvant, the immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotide compound CPG 7909. The addition of CPG 7909 to AVA has been shown, in previous Phase 1 and Phase 2 studies, to safely accelerate and enhance the immune response.

In evaluating the lot consistency of AV7909, the study will be using three consecutively manufactured lots of the vaccine candidate. This Phase 3 randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study plans to enroll 3,850 adults across 35 sites within the U.S. with an overall study duration of approximately 20 months. More information on the study is available on https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03877926

USGS/EPA Collaboration: Bacillus anthracis in American Soils: From Sample Collection to Data Application 

March 21, 2019, 2:00-3:00 PM ET

Please register at https://www.epa.gov/homeland-security-research/forms/homeland-security-research-webinar-usgsepa-collaboration-bacillus

Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent for anthrax, is naturally occurring in soil and can persist for many decades. Following an intentional wide-area or indoor aerosol release of B. anthracis, there is the potential for contamination of soil surrounding the affected area. Decisions regarding site clean-up will rely on knowledge of fate and transport of the pathogen as well as having access to sampling and analysis methods to determine extent of contamination and if decontamination efforts have been successful. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been conducting collaborative research in this topic area since 2010. This presentation will discuss the joint USGS and EPA efforts to develop a comprehensive approach for informing remediation of B. anthracis in soil and how data gleaned from such efforts might be applied for decision making purposes.

Speaker Bios: 
Dale Griffin
United States Geological Survey (USGS)
Dr. Griffin received a B.S. in Microbiology, in Public Health, and a with a research focus on the use of molecular methods for detection of standard water quality indicators, alternate indicators, pathogens, and source-tracking microorganisms in aquatic environments from the University of South Florida. Dr. Griffin is currently employed by the USGS as an environmental public health microbiologist and is working on microbial water quality issues, long-range dust storm associated dispersion of microorganisms around the globe, and how the geochemistry of soils control the background distribution of pathogens.

Erin Silvestri
United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Erin E. Silvestri has in Occupational and Environmental Epidemiology from the University of Michigan, School of Public Health and a certificate in Geographic Information Systems from Northern Kentucky University. She has worked for the EPA's National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC) for 12.5 years. She is currently working for NHSRC's Threat and Consequence Assessment Division. Her focus has been on of sampling and processing methods for pathogens in soil and development of an online tool to document biological sampling and analysis plans.

Emergent BioSolutions Inc. has announced that it has signed an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract with the U.S. Department of State to establish a long-term, reliable, and stable supply chain for medical countermeasures that address chemical warfare agents. The contract is comprised of a five-year base period of performance along with five one-year option periods with a total contract value of a minimum of approximately $7 million to a maximum of $100 million over the contract’s period of performance. Emergent will be supplying two of its current medical countermeasures addressing chemical threats; the Trobigard atropine sulfate/obidoxime chloride auto-injector, a drug-device combination product for emergency use in the event of nerve agent or organophosphate poisoning, and RSD (Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion Kit), which is intended to remove or neutralize chemical warfare agents and T-2 toxin from the skin.

“Emergent is pleased with this follow-on opportunity to meet the U.S. government’s need for medical countermeasures that enhance the security of U.S. diplomats and other Chief of Mission personnel engaged in high-risk environments worldwide,” said Doug White, senior vice president and head of the devices business unit at Emergent BioSolutions. “Our mission – to protect and enhance life – has been at the core of our 20-year history of partnering with governments. We look forward to successfully completing deliveries of our Trobigard auto-injector under our 2017 contract and to our continued partnership with the State Department as we expand our portfolio of solutions to address existing and emerging chemical warfare agents for the long-term.”

“One of our most important responsibilities is to respond to critical threats to Department diplomatic missions overseas and to maintain the safety of deployed employees,” said William A. Walters, M.D., managing director of operational medicine for the U.S. Department of State. “This begins with establishing a stable supply chain of medical countermeasures and ensuring adequate stockpiles as we equip ourselves with the tools that best enable a safe, accurate, and timely response to the highest risk chemical agents.”

Under this IDIQ contract, Emergent will maintain the capability to manufacture and deliver various medical countermeasures defined by the Department of State, including the Trobigard auto-injector, Reactive Skin Decontamination Lotion Kit, and auto-injector training devices.

More than a million first responders and emergency managers in the United States now have a science-based chemical decontamination decision tool and updated guidance on how best to decontaminate a massive number of people after chemical exposure.

This second edition of the guidance, called Primary Response Incident Scene Management or PRISM, incorporates new scientific evidence on emergency self-decontamination, hair decontamination, the interactions of chemicals with hair, and the effects of a combined decontamination strategy referred to as the “triple protocol.”

PRISM introduces the triple protocol, comprised of disrobing and conducting dry decontamination, wet decontamination using the ladder pipe system with high volume/low-pressure water deluges from fire trucks and technical (or specialist) decontamination. The clinical research showed that, taken together, the three steps of the triple protocol remove 99.9 percent of chemical contamination.

To further aid first responders and emergency managers, experts from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Library of Medicine (NLM) at the National Institutes of Health collaborated with University of Hertfordshire researchers to devise a decision-support tool called ASPIRE or the Algorithm Suggesting Proportionate Incident Response Engagement. The tool helps responders determine which decontamination approaches will work best in a given situation.

ASPIRE, and the guidance, are integrated into the Chemical Hazards Emergency Medical Management (CHEMM) web-based resource created by ASPR and NLM as part of a suite of preparedness and emergency response tools that includes the CHEMM Intelligent Syndromes Tool (CHEMM-IST), Dermal Exposure Risk Management and Logic for Emergency Preparedness and Response (DERMaL eToolkit), and now ASPIRE. The guidance and ASPIRE also are incorporated into the latest edition of the WISER CHEMM mobile app, expected to be available soon.

The guidance can be found at www.medicalcountermeasures.gov.

At the turn of the year, Telerob Gesellschaft für Fernhantierungstechnik mbH has introduced the new generation of its proven EOD robot tEODor – the tEODor EVO. Based on advanced technologies, the tEODor EVO offers among other things a completely revised, trend-setting operating concept that enables the operator to handle the robot easily and conveniently.

The operating concept "Robo Command" consists of a communication unit reduced in volume and weight and a modern controller with a multi-touch screen and ergonomic design. The operation is based on applications known from tablets and smartphones and therefore is particularly intuitive. Wireless operation over IP Mesh guarantees stable radio transmission and outstanding network coverage, parti­cularly in urban environments. The additionally installed repeaters can be used to increase the range by 1000 m (LOS) each if necessary. 

“During the development of our new tEODor EVO, the main focus was on the one hand on the technical development, but of course also on the user-friendliness of the EOD robot. Especially in stressful situations, the user needs to rely on fast, safe and uncomplicated operation. Our tEODor EVO makes it possible!”, says Thomas Biehne, Managing Director.

Telerob Gesellschaft für Fernhantierungstechnik GmbH is an independent, medium-sized, owner-managed company based in Ostfildern near Stuttgart, Germany, producing homeland security solutions. The product range includes remote-controlled robots for disarming improvised explosive devices and investigating hazards, fully equipped service vehicles as well as mobile system solutions ensuring the safety and security of critical infrastructure.

We have added all kinds of functionality to our CBRNe World site, that you might not be aware of! We still have 14 years of magazines to download, like the old site, by clicking on the Archive button in the Magazine tab... but have you explored your 'Doohickey' yet? 

Up in the top right corner there is your Doohickey (other technical terms are available) that has your subscription details, that allows you to opt in, or out, of the various newsletters we'll be doing this year... but it also allows you to search the entire catalogue of articles and news. We have now tagged all articles and news items, there are now 2,500 documents to search through, which have a combined number of 2.5 million tags in them. This allows you to quickly search the entire database for a wide variety of tags, from the generic to the specific. The image below should give you an idea of where you need to go... 

There will be lots more functionality added through 2019, including different levels of membership and a new way to get involved with our comprehensive directory of CBRNE products. As if 14 years of magazines, a searchable database of 2,500 documents and information wasn't enough... 

Today, the Opioid Detection Challenge, a $1.55 million USD global prize competition, was launched by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), in collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). The Challenge calls upon innovators to submit novel plans for rapid, nonintrusive detection tools that will help find illicit opioids being trafficked into the United States through international mail.

“CBP is excited to partner with DHS S&T to identify the next generation of interdiction tools,” said CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan. “The technologies that emerge from this innovation challenge will be important elements of our multi-layered approach to combat the flow of opioids and other dangerous illicit drugs.”

The abuse of opioids such as fentanyl has created an unprecedented public health crisis across the United States. In 2017, approximately 50,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses. Large-scale drug trafficking of fentanyl can occur via small packages sent in the mail as well as through other avenues like ports of entry, making detection a significant challenge.

“Stopping the flow of illicit drugs from coming into the United States is a crucial part of addressing the addiction crisis. This competition will bring together innovators, experts, and technology leaders to help meet the challenges we face head-on and accomplish our ultimate goal-saving lives,” ONDCP Director Jim Carroll said.

“This competition is part of the comprehensive government effort to address the opioid crisis that is devastating too many American communities,” said DHS Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary for Science and Technology William N. Bryan. “New tools and technologies offer a critical opportunity to more quickly and accurately detect opioids before they enter the United States.”

“Postal Inspectors have always made it their mission to protect the public and the U.S. Postal Service from the dangers of illegal narcotics,” said Chief Postal Inspector, Gary R. Barksdale. “This challenge and the partnerships involved will provide better mechanisms and technologies to identify and stop the flow of opioids into the country.”  

The Challenge calls on innovators in a wide range of fields, from forensic science to industrial quality assurance to artificial intelligence, to help disrupt the flow of opioids into the United States. Submissions should be well-developed plans for automated, user-friendly tools and technologies that have the potential to quickly and accurately detect opioids in parcels, without disrupting the flow of mail. The Challenge is open to international and domestic participants, as defined in the Rules, Terms and Conditions.

Those interested in participating in the Challenge should submit their plans by 4:59 PM ET, April 24, 2019. The judges will evaluate the submissions and select up to eight finalists to advance to Stage 2 of the competition. Each finalist is expected to be awarded an equal share of the $800,000 Stage 1 prize pool.

In Stage 2, finalists will participate in a 14-week prototyping accelerator, during which they will develop their plans into testable prototypes and compete for an additional $750,000 in cash prizes. Stage 2 will culminate in a live test event hosted by DHS, where finalists will convene for on-site testing of their prototypes. One grand prize winner is expected to be awarded $500,000 and one runner-up is expected to be awarded $250,000.

For more information about the Opioid Detection Challenge, visit opioiddetectionchallenge.com.