DetectaChem, the global leader in innovative portable threat detection solutions used extensively by the U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Homeland Security, law enforcement and first responder agencies around the world, today announces the launch of a revolutionary ultra-low sensitivity Fentanyl Test Strip for law enforcement, paramedics, other first responders and the general public. 

The MobileDetect Fentanyl Test Strips detect low trace amounts of fentanyl and its major illicit analogues, such as Carfentanil, Acetyl Fentanyl, Butyryl Fentanyl, Remifentanil, Ocfentanil, Sufentanil, p-Fluoro Fentanyl, Furanyl Fentanyl, Valeryl Fentanyl, 3-Methyl Fentanyl and more. "We are excited and proud to provide an affordable and highly accurate test for first responders with true trace level fentanyl detection capabilities," Kisner continued. "Unfortunately, this crisis is not slowing down, so our best defense is better, safer testing for our men and women on the front line."

The new MobileDetect Fentanyl Test Strips are available for purchase now on the DetectaChem Store.

TERRIFFIC system is put through its paces in two RNe trials

 Using real radioactive sources in a series of challenging operational scenarios, SDIS73, the fire service of the Savoie region in France, tested and assessed the fully integrated TERRIFFIC (Tools for early and Effective Reconnaissance in cbRne Incidents providing First responders Faster Information and enabling better management of the Control zone) System and was able to compare its benefits with their own legacy systems. This two-day trial was held at the end of September.

Just two weeks earlier, police and fire officers from the Slovak and Czech Republics had also put the final System through its paces in a bespoke two-day tabletop and field exercise, again comparing it to existing legacy systems. The extremely useful feedback from both the final trial and field exercise was very positive and bodes very well for the future development and deployment of the TERRIFFIC System.

Col. Denis Giordan of SDIS73 said in an interview during the final trial: “I think that TERRIFFIC, after two long days of tests, training and trials, may be added into our (CBRNe) toolbox. TERRIFFIC is not able to give solutions to each situation, but TERRIFFIC may be part of a solution in numerous situations.”

This trials’ campaign has been at the heart of the whole TERRIFFIC project, which has continually sought to deliver improved situational awareness to RNe incident commanders. It has achieved this by bringing together innovative specialist technologies, including a miniaturised gamma camera and flat panel beta detector, both mounted onto specially adapted drones and robots, and new plume modelling software. The data these detectors deliver is automatically fed into the augmented reality solution and CBRNE Frontline, the incident management software used by NATO forces, and here operated from a dedicated fast response vehicle – the MODES van.

“It’s good to see that technology is constantly evolving. This is very important and necessary, especially in the field of CBRN materials,” said Ltc. Zdenek Patrik, senior investigator, Czech Police during the field exercise.

Operational practitioners from the police and fire services and CBRNe specialist organisations have been involved throughout the TERRIFFIC project. Initially they helped to establish the scope of the work, they have supported us in developing the right technical solutions and have ultimately assessed whether we have met their operational needs. This was the real proof of the power of using innovative technology in an RNe incident to help CBRNe officers manage the event more effectively – and greatly reduce the risks to personnel.

After three and a half years’ work, the TERRIFFIC project is extremely pleased to announce that it has achieved all of its objectives since its inception in April 2018. “As the project nears its conclusion at the end of October 2021, we are confident that several the partners will go on to find markets for the combined solutions with their existing, and hopefully new customers as well, in the European police, fire and military CBRNe sectors”, enthused project coordinator Ulisse Gendotti of Arktis Radiation Detectors.

Block MEMS, LLC (Block) has been awarded a $2.6 million contract in support of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) to detect Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices (VBIEDs). The focus of the program is to detect vehicles containing VBIEDs before they enter stadiums, office building parking structures, and other "soft targets." Block's technology is able to detect trace explosives at a standoff distance of up to five meters.

The program will build on Block's next generation quantum cascade laser (QCL) technology, which was funded by the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA) [See Music of the Ainur, CBRNe World, February 2018, Ed.]. Dan Cavicchio, Block's CEO, stated that, "We are grateful for the opportunity to partner with S&T to develop and commercialize the technology for detection of Vehicle-Borne IEDs. Block's infrared laser technology will help to identify vehicle-borne explosives before they enter an underground parking garage or stadium parking facility." During the past ten years, improvised explosive devices have injured or killed over 150,000 people worldwide. Over 50,000 of these people were the victims of Vehicle-Borne IEDs.

Noble.com, LLC a leading defense procurement and technology company, announced today that it had closed its acquisition of Federal Resources. Noble, a privately held global supply chain company headquartered in greater Boston, provides services in global supply chain management, expeditionary logistics, mission support, distribution and fulfillment, and streamlined procurement to U.S. Government and DoD customers. Federal Resources, located in Stevensville, Maryland, supplies highly technical safety and security solutions serving the U.S. military, federal government, and state and local first responders.

This news follows Noble’s March 2021 acquisition of Tactical & Survival Specialties, Inc., (TSSi), a mission-focused equipment and logistics provider to military, law enforcement and disaster response professionals worldwide. “Together, we will provide more customers with mission-focused, single-source procurement and just-in-time delivery,” said Tom Noble, the company’s co-founder and CEO. “In complex and shifting threat environments around the world, we will simplify our customers’ operations, and their lives, by connecting them seamlessly with the products and services of more than 13,000 suppliers.”

The CEO called the deal a turning point for the people of both organizations. “We’re combining our experience, expertise and offerings,” he said, “along with our integrated systems, cutting-edge data analytics and customized user interfaces, to serve our great customers better than ever.”

Friday October 15th saw the release of the (annual) regular article on incidents in Canadian labs that are licensed under the Human Pathogens and Toxin Act (HPTA). 

The full report can be accessed here 

Forty-two incidents involving 57 individuals were reported to Laboratory Incident Notification Canada in 2020. There were no suspected or confirmed laboratory acquired infections. The annual incident exposure rate was 4.2 incidents per 100 active licenses. Most exposure incidents occurred during microbiology activities (n=22, 52.4%) and/or were reported by the hospital sector (n=19, 45.2%). Procedural issues (n=16, 27.1%) and sharps-related incidents (n=13, 22.0%) were the most common occurrences. Most affected individuals were exposed via inhalation (n=28, 49.1%) and worked as technicians or technologists (n=36, 63.2%). Issues with standard operating procedures was the most common root cause (n=24, 27.0%), followed by human interactions (n=21, 23.6%). The median number of days between the incident and the reporting date was six days.

Conclusion: The rate of laboratory incidents were lower in 2020 than 2019, although the ongoing pandemic may have contributed to this decrease because of the closure of non-essential workplaces, including laboratories, for a portion of the year. The most common occurrence type was procedural while issues with not complying to standard operating procedures and human interactions as the most cited root causes.

Are you planning to go to CBRNe Convergence, or another event, that offers a long flight/transit (yeah, you remember those...) and wondering what to read? How about a tale of low cunning and high intrigue that will surprise and amaze? It might not have a race to the airport, but Milton Leitenberg's piece on the Russian disinformation campaign has most everything else - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10736700.2021.1964755?scroll=top&needAccess=true

The abstract is included, but it basically goes into a great deal of detail in how the Russian's have had an active disinformation campaign from 1949 to the present day. Abstract: From 1949 until 1988, the Soviet Union conducted a nearlyFrom 1949 until 1988, the Soviet Union conducted a nearlycontinuous campaign of false allegations of biological-weapon(BW) use by the United States. In 1995, senior Russian militaryofficials revived this pattern of false allegations, which continuesto the present day. Russian officials amplified the campaign afterthe US government funded the transformation of former SovietBW facilities in the Commonwealth of Independent States underthe Nunn–Lugar program. The outbreak of the COVID-19pandemic in China in January 2020 prompted a very greatlyexpanded Russian-government BW-related disinformation effort.This paper aims to present a reasonably comprehensive accountof these activities and to assess their significance. The Russiangovernment under President Vladimir Putin has demonstratedopen disdain for both the Biological and Toxin WeaponsConvention and the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Peer-Reviewed Publication: Northwestern University
Published in Eurekalert

A Northwestern University research team has developed a versatile composite fabric that can deactivate both biological threats, such as the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, and chemical threats, such as those used in chemical warfare. A material that is effective against both classes of threats is rare.

The material also is reusable. It can be restored to its original state after the fabric has been exposed to threats by a simple bleach treatment.The promising fabric could be used in face masks and other protective clothing.

“Having a bifunctional material that has the ability to deactivate both chemical and biological toxic agents is crucial since the complexity to integrate multiple materials to do the job is high,” said Northwestern’s Omar Farha, an expert in metal-organic frameworks, or MOFs, which is the basis for the technology.

Farha, a professor of chemistry in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, is a co-corresponding author of the study. He is a member of Northwestern’s International Institute for Nanotechnology.

The MOF/fiber composite builds on an earlier study in which Farha’s team created a nanomaterial that deactivates toxic nerve agents. With some small manipulations, the researchers were able to also incorporate antiviral and antibacterial agents into the material.

MOFs are “sophisticated bath sponges,” Farha said. The nano-sized materials are designed with a lot of holes that can capture gases, vapors and other agents the way a sponge captures water. In the new composite fabric, the cavities of the MOFs have catalysts that can deactivate toxic chemicals, viruses and bacteria. The porous nanomaterial can be easily coated on textile fibers.

The study was published recently in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS).

The researchers found that the MOF/fiber composite exhibited rapid activity against SARS-CoV-2 and both gram-negative bacteria (E. coli) and gram-positive bacteria (S. aureus). Also, the active chlorine-loaded MOF/fiber composite rapidly degraded sulfur mustard gas and its chemical simulant (2-chloroethyl ethyl sulfide, CEES). The nanopores of the MOF material coated on the textile are wide enough to allow sweat and water to escape.

The composite material is scalable, Farha added, as it only requires basic textile processing equipment currently used by industry. When incorporated into a facemask, the material should be able to work both ways: protecting the mask wearer from virus in his or her vicinity as well as protecting individuals who come into contact with an infected person wearing the mask.

The researchers also were able to develop an understanding of the material’s active sites down to atomic level. This allows them and others to derive structure-property relationships that can lead to the creation of other MOF-based composites.

The title of the paper is “Immobilized Regenerable Active Chlorine within a Zirconium-Based MOF Textile Composite to Eliminate Biological and Chemical Threats.” Yuk Ha Cheung of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Kaikai Ma of Northwestern University are first authors of the paper. Ma also is a co-corresponding author.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Omar Farha has a financial interest in the startup company NuMat Technologies, which is seeking to commercialize metal-organic frameworks.

Smiths Detection, a global leader in threat detection and security screening technologies, today confirms that its air sampler, BioFlash, can detect SARS-CoV-2 variants including the Alpha variant (B.1.1.7), Beta variant (B.1.351), Gamma variant (P.1), the Kappa variant (B1.617.1), Delta (B.1.617.2) and Delta plus variant (B.1.617.2.1).

The company is currently confirming the ability to detect the Lambda variant, with results likely available in Autumn.

In January, Smiths Detection announced that BioFlash was capable of detecting airborne SARS-CoV-2 by the United States Army of Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), and has been successfully used by several Universities to stop the spread of COVID-19 following airborne detection in several campus buildings.“It has been a great asset to have this equipment at UMBC. As everyone knows, you need a layered protection strategy to combat COVID. BioFlash is easy and fast to use which makes it a critical part of our mitigation strategy to help prevent transmission,” said Mike Pound, Director of Environmental Health and Safety for University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).“Emerging variants are a threat to pandemic recovery; however, mitigation strategies that utilize BioFlash will have an advantage. BioFlash works by collecting aerosols and identifies the presence of dangerous pathogens using sensitive, specific and rapid detection in near-real time without laboratory analysis. Not only can BioFlash detect COVID-19 and its variants, it can be used by anyone, giving them immediate results, in minutes not days, which helps stop the spread of COVID-19 and other airborne pathogens.” Explains Warren Mino, Managing Director, Smiths Detection.

Avon Protection will be showcasing their latest respiratory and ballistic protection solutions at AUSA exhibition on October 13-16^th 2021. As an innovative capability provider, Avon Protection understand the unique requirements of the modern warfighter and tactical operator. The capability on display at AUSA demonstrates Avon Protection’s continued investment in designing and delivering integrated soldier systems to the U.S. DOD.

Building on their position as a leading supplier of solutions to the U.S. DOD, Avon Protection will be demonstrating their full respiratory range including the M50, M53A1 and ST54 alongside their Avon Protection Ceradyne helmet portfolio. Integration is at the core of Avon Protection’s capability, their products are developed to integrate seamlessly with ancillary equipment such as the respirator, helmet and other head systems. This approach to integration between solider equipment provides militaries with the highest level of performance and protection whilst still maintaining operational agility.

James Wilcox, President - Military, Avon Protection commented: “It is an exciting opportunity to present our ballistic and respiratory protection portfolio together at AUSA. Integration with other soldier systems is always front of mind when we design and engineer new products for our customers. The products on display at AUSA demonstrate how our product portfolio interface together to provide the U.S. DOD with high performance personal protective equipment.”

Avon Protection will be exhibiting at AUSA, October 11 - 13^th 2021 on Booth 619

Leidos was recently awarded a prime contract by Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for their Personalized Protective Biosystem (PPB) program. Through this award, Leidos will develop technology that reduces the need for burdensome protective equipment while increasing defense against both existing and future chemical and biological (CB) threats. This three-phase, five-year cost-plus-fixed-fee contract has a total ceiling value of $19.3 million.

“Leidos thrives at tackling the world’s toughest challenges; in this case, protecting frontline personnel against emerging threats with a revolutionary approach to personal protection equipment,” said Leidos Chief Technology Officer Jim Carlini.

DARPA’s PPB program addresses the national need for lightweight and adaptive personal protection equipment for military and healthcare personnel. The recent pandemic highlighted this challenge on a global scale.

Through this award, Leidos is launching a combination of innovative, robust and flexible platforms known as SPIDERMAN (Smart Protective Integrated Dynamic Ensemble for Reactive, Multifaceted Agent Neutralization). The technology comes in the form of both lightweight protective materials and tissue-protective countermeasures. It enables CB threat protection without prior knowledge of the agent’s nature. The goal is to create new and improved ways to address different, emerging and uncharacterized threats through advanced technology.

“Leidos has assembled a world-class team and is proud to lead the execution of this revolutionary program,” said Dr. John Dresios, Executive Biology Director and Principal Investigator for the Leidos PPB team. “SPIDERMAN has the potential to deliver transformative advancements that will provide broad and specific, as well as rapid and sustainable protection against chemical and biological threats. We’re excited to help engineer new ways to protect the military and our nation.” 

In the wake of reporting about Peter Daszak and his involvement with the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and his removal from the The Lancet's COVID-19 Commission, a further call has been made to remove him of his role of President of EcoHealth Alliance. 

In a letter sent to the EcoHealth Alliance board, as well as DHS, NIH, and NIAID, a group of ten scientists have raised their concerns about Peter Daszak, and him remaining as president of the organisation. 

The letter, available to download here, states that "Daszak has now been proven to have concealed several extreme situations of conflict of interest, withheld critical information and misled public opinion by expressingfalsehoods." 

The group also express concern that "Dr. Daszak’s behaviour has already caused enormous damage to public trust in science and scientists, and will likely resonate for many years, in the US and beyond. Despite this turmoil, EcoHealth Alliance still represents a valuable scientific missionand a key message for our present and future generations. However we have reached theunavoidable conclusion that this mission will be greatly compromised if there is anyfurther involvement of Dr. Daszak with EcoHealth Alliance."

The news of this broke over the weekend, so there has been no futher comment as yet from those the letter was addressed to. We will keep our eyes peeled for furhter info and update when we can. 

Since last posting information on the requirment of applying for an NIE to travel to the USA, the web pages at the US Embassy in the UK have changed, and may have dones so elsewehere also. 

The information required to apply for an NIE is now to be found in Section 4: Information for non-immigrant visa or ESTA holders requiring an NIE on the UK embassy page here 

The required information remains mostly the same, although the number of questions has been shortened. 
Under Section 4 click on "I have another reason to travel to the United States and need a National Interest Exemption" This will display the steps you need to take, the information you are required to provide, and also the list of questions you need to answer in your application email.