If you, or a colleague, have a paper you’d like to present to your peers, colleagues, responders then we have an open call. Any paper justifiably related to CBRNe or HazMat will be considered by our panel of experts. 

Deadline for submissions is Friday September 3^rd

Previously organisations like Battelle, The Justice Institute of British Columbia, FLIR, BioFire Defense, The EPA CBRNe Consequence Management Advisory Team, The Netherlands Organisation for Applied Science Research, the University of Hertfordshire, and the United States Postal Inspection Service have presented their research at CBRNe Convergence. As opposed to scientific conferences this is a chance for you to talk to the people that will directly benefit from your research, it is a chance to explain what it will mean to them and to gain insight from your peers.

Successful individuals can be considered for a poster or a speaking slot in the ‘Call for Papers’ section. Speaking slots will be 20 minutes and if accepted also include a poster. Those that are selected to speak will also receive the privilege of having their paper published in CBRNe World.

Speakers also will receive free entry for the duration of the conference and workshops. Poster submissions will receive a 20% discount off government delegate rates.

The abstract should be between 250-500 words and include the following: Background (purpose/objective/rationale of the research, relationship too other areas if any); Methods; Preliminary Results; Preliminary Conclusions; Potential impact to mission/warfighter (if known).

Submissions will be assessed by a panel drawn from scientists and first responders, so all papers will be judged to be both practical and understandable with equal weighting being given to both scientific merit and benefit to practitiors.

Deadline for submissions is Friday September 3^rd

Send all abstracts to:

FLIR Systems, Inc. announced that it has received more than $70 million in new orders for its advanced ground robots from the U.S. Armed Services. The U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps placed orders for nearly 600 FLIR Centaur® robots, including additional spares, antennas, and payload mounting kits. As a result, the U.S. Army awarded FLIR a $31.6 million contract increase for its Man Transportable Robot System Increment II (MTRS Inc. II) program. The new award raises the ceiling value of the original MTRS Inc. II contract from roughly $158 million to $190 million.

Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams use the FLIR Centaur unmanned ground system to assist in disarming landmines, unexploded ordnance, improvised explosive devices, and similar dangerous tasks. Operators can quickly attach different sensors and payloads to the robot to address other missions, including chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threats.

In 2017, the Army chose Centaur as its MTRS Inc. II solution for a multi-year program of record. Since then, other U.S. military branches have opted to deploy Centaur to their EOD units as a new or replacement ground robot system. Since early last year, FLIR has announced orders totaling more than $170 million for over 1,300 Centaurs from the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corp.

“The strong demand for this multi-purpose robot shows how well unmanned technology can support EOD teams across our military, enabling them to do their job more safely and effectively,” said Tom Frost, VP in the Unmanned and Integrated Solutions business at FLIR. “We take enormous pride knowing Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines rely on the Centaur UGV to perform hazardous missions around the world every day.

“Given the platform’s versatility and commonality across U.S. defense forces, we see a future where our close allies can leverage this same technology to enable combined operations,” Frost added.

FLIR Centaur is a medium-sized UGV that provides a standoff capability to detect, confirm, identify, and dispose of hazards. Weighing roughly 160 pounds, the IOP-compliant robot features an advanced EO/IR camera suite, a manipulator arm that reaches over six feet, and the ability to climb stairs. Modular payloads can be used for CBRN detection and other missions.

Deliveries are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2021. For more on FLIR Systems’ Unmanned Ground Systems platforms, visit www.flir.com/UIS/UGS.

908 Devices, a pioneer of purpose-built handheld and desktop mass spec devices for chemical and biomolecular analysis, today announced updates to its MX908 handheld mass spec device including a first-of-its-kind aerosol module to detect and identify aerosolized chemical threats; added targets allowing responders to recognize additional priority drug substances; and activation of a Bluetooth capability to export reports and device history to Android devices. These added capabilities address gaps in responders’ workflows and speed chemical detection at the point-of-need for multiple missions.

The Aero: Detect and identify toxic aerosols and vapor threats

The MX908 with Aero enables real-time monitoring for aerosolized threats, including aerosolized chemical warfare agents, fourth-generation agents, pharmaceutical-based agents, opioids and more. Within seconds, the MX908 provides immediate actionable results to guide response protocols for responders, including chemical and hazmat teams, law enforcement, and international customs agents – ensuring that whenever a responder encounters a highly toxic and unknown threat, they are empowered to move forward with fast and intelligent remediation.

“This industry-first capability fills a critical gap by allowing for the simultaneous monitoring, detection and identification of both vapor and aerosol hazards,” said John Kenneweg, Vice President, Government Sales, 908 Devices. “Aerosolized threats have unique physical properties and behavior that make it difficult for legacy detectors to identify them. The MX908 keeps response teams ahead of the latest chemical warfare threats, such as Novichoks, pharmaceutical based agents, opioid analogs and more – meeting a pressing and evolving need that no other device can today.”

Added Targets: Robust library for users identifying trace levels of controlled substances

As part of 908 Devices’ continued investment in expanding MX908’s threat detection capabilities, the handheld device can now detect and identify a broader range of cathinones and cannabinoids as well as select phenylethylamines. In the United States Drug Enforcement Administration’s annual report, National Drug Threat Assessment, the agency reported synthetic cannabinoids and cathinones are amongst the most commonly abused substances in the United States with new variants often introduced and increasing in prevalence. These additions to the MX908 target list are pivotal for responders identifying these substances in local communities and at crime scenes related to drug smuggling, transportation and/or distribution.

New Bluetooth Capability: Quickly and easily disseminate important information to those who need it

The new Bluetooth capability allows responders to facilitate data transfer and accelerate support in the field through a more seamless user experience. By pairing with the Remote application on an Android device, MX908 now provides a more rapid and efficient workflow for sharing results and accessing technical support from 908 Devices. In-app access to user documentation and training videos ensures responders in the field have the reference tools they need, in the palm of their hands.

“This enhancement enables responders to streamline their workflows and function with interoperability at their point-of-need,” said Maura Fitzpatrick, Vice President of Product Management and Marketing, 908 Devices. “Field teams can now download the MX908’s results faster and disseminate information to their teams with an easy data transfer. This allows for improved responder safety and expedited incident responses with reliable, accurate, and speedy chemical detection.”

The MX908 identifies a wide spectrum of substances, including solids, liquids and vapors, and now aerosols at trace level – and is a critical analytical tool for chemical, explosive, priority drug and hazmat operations. These updates come on the heels of the company’s announcement of a $25 million multi-year deal with U.S. Army.

To learn more about 908 Devices, please visit: https://908devices.com/.

Major infectious diseases, like COVID-19, often go undetected until they spread. Spotting the problem in a community isn’t easy, in part because infectious disease detection, which is the foundation for surveillance and contact tracing, can take hours, if not days. Compounding the problem is that traditional detection assays are designed a priori while newer bio detection technologies have been slow to move from the lab into general use. 

Now scientists are developing a portable device that is easily configurable for screening thousands of pathogens in minutes, not hours. The device will incorporate recent advances in biotechnology, imaging analysis and microfluidics. The aim is to improve the speed of treatment and enhance the standard of care for the public and to equip the military with new biosurveillance technology.

Rachel Fezzie, a biochemist and molecular biologist at Draper, says infectious disease detection needs to be faster, lower in cost and field-ready. “The development of a rapid, low-cost diagnostic device that is capable of detecting 1,000 biomarkers in one processing cycle is an important step forward in improving infectious disease detection,” Fezzie explains. “A device with the ability to detect pathogens sooner and in a greater variety would improve public health, add protections for military units and provide critical information to medical decision-makers within minutes.”

Fezzie and her colleagues at Draper are developing just such a technology as part of a team recently selected by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Led by MRIGlobal, the team is developing a massively multiplexed device (MMD) for DARPA’s “Detect It with Gene Editing Technologies” (DIGET) program. The aim, says DARPA, is to incorporate gene editors into detectors for distributed health biosurveillance and rapid, point-of-need diagnostics for endemic, emerging and engineered pathogenic threats.

The foundation for the MMD is DETECTR, a CRISPR-based detection platform developed by Mammoth Biosciences, which is a member of the MRIGlobal team. The platform has been proven as a rapid detection diagnosis technology that uses a gene editing molecular tool to find a specific genetic sequence within a sample.

The MMD will incorporate several innovative technologies developed by Draper. Fluid routing throughout the disposable cartridge will be controlled by Draper’s proprietary electromagnetic pump and valve technology, ideal for applications with low size, weight and power requirements. Draper’s demonstrated experience in functionalizing glass substrates and printing compact, high-density DNA arrays will directly inform the development path to scale Mammoth’s DETECTRTM chemistry to 1,000-plex via a microarray of Cas/gRNA complexes. Each Cas/gRNA complex is designed to detect a unique pathogen.

The MMD will also use a new approach to optical detection through development of a miniaturized, simple, lens-free system that has no moving parts, making it attractive for field deployment. Reconfiguration of the microarray will be enabled by printing array chips with new Cas/gRNA complexes, a process expected to take 24 hours or less.

“The MMD”—according to John Julias, Draper’s program manager for DIGET—“seeks to fundamentally alter the concept of operations for biosurveillance and diagnostic detection by increasing throughput, sensitivity and usability to levels unmatched by existing technologies. A single run of the MMD promises to provide not only species- or strain-level identification but also information on genetically encoded characteristics such as antimicrobial resistance, as well as gene expression data to indicate disease severity in a person.”

The projected sample-to-answer time of 15 minutes with the MMD will enable more assays to be run in a day, allowing appropriate action to be taken in near real-time, Fezzie explains. “Currently, you would need next-generation sequencing to identify such a broad a range of pathogens, and that typically takes days to perform by highly skilled laboratory staff.”

Draper’s DIGET work is supported by the company’s Bioengineering, Microsystems and Advanced Material divisions, and it is managed by its Special Programs Office.

A Federal Railroad Administration inspector in Texas has been charged with lying on official documents related to the transportation of hazardous materials.

Tremelle Sykes, 54, was indicted on eight counts of false statements, according to a Friday announcement from Prerak Shah, the acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Texas. Sykes was employed by the FRA as a hazardous materials safety inspector. He was assigned to inspect northeast Texas railroads and shippers for compliance with regulations pertaining to the transport of hazardous materials such as ethanol, crude oil and other toxic or poisonous substances.

On at least eight occasions, Sykes allegedly falsified inspection reports, claiming to have conducted inspections that never actually occurred, according to court documents. The reports, filed over the course of six months in early 2019, covered railyard companies in Dallas, Fort Worth, Garland, Cleburne, Gunter and Saginaw.

Originally published in AP 

A German company has removed dangerous chemicals stored in dozens of containers from Beirut’s port and is shipping them abroad as part of efforts to secure the facility following last year’s massive blast, the office of Lebanon’s prime minister said Wednesday.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab’s office said 59 containers of “hazardous material were deported” from Beirut’s port on Wednesday.

Germany’s ambassador to Lebanon, Andreas Kindl, tweeted in February that the material has first been treated at the port, and that it is ready to be shipped to Germany. On Wednesday, he said the ship carrying the material has left and will arrive in the German town of Wilhelmshaven in about 10 days.

“It will take weeks to destroy the chemicals that have been in the Port of Beirut for decades,” Kindl tweeted.

The decision to remove the material followed the Aug. 4 blast at Beirut’s port that was one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history.

Nearly 3,000 tons of ammonium nitrate — a highly explosive material used in fertilizers — had been improperly stored in the port for years. The catastrophic blast killed 211 people and injured more than 6,000, devastating nearby neighborhoods.

In November, Lebanon signed a deal with Germany’s Combi Lift to treat and ship abroad the containers consisting of flammable chemicals. The deal is worth $3.6 million, toward which port authorities in Lebanon paid $2 million while the German government is covering the rest.

Since the August blast and a massive fire at the port weeks later, authorities have been concerned about dangerous material still at the facility. A month after the blast, the Lebanese army said military experts were called in for an inspection and found 4.35 tons of ammonium nitrate that were removed and destroyed.

SIGA Technologies, Inc. has announced that it has filed a New Drug Application (NDA) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the intravenous formulation (IV) of TPOXX. The proposed indication, for the treatment of human smallpox disease in adults and pediatric patients weighing 13 kg or more, is the same as what was approved by the FDA in July 2018 for the oral formulation of TPOXX. The IV formulation will enable those patients who are too sick or unable to swallow capsules to be treated with TPOXX, thereby adding a significant new patient population.

“This is our first application for regulatory approval of IV TPOXX, and we are pleased to be achieving this milestone to support maximum access to the product among a broader patient population in case of an emergency or outbreak,” said Dr. Phil Gomez, CEO of SIGA. “The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance for governments to build robust stockpiles of products that will support effective responses to infectious disease outbreaks, including smallpox, which remains a significant bioterror threat and could be an even more devastating disease than COVID-19.”

“SIGA developed IV TPOXX in partnership with the U.S. government, and the combined expertise has helped generate a robust set of data supporting the NDA for the IV product,” said Dr. Dennis Hruby, CSO of SIGA. “As a result of the extensive effort that went into our initial filing with the FDA, we were not required to complete any additional pre-clinical or clinical work for our IV application. We look forward to working with the FDA so that the expanded patient population can benefit from treatment with IV TPOXX.”

On July 13, 2018, the FDA approved oral TPOXX for the treatment of smallpox to mitigate the impact of a potential outbreak or bioterror attack. TPOXX, a small-molecule antiviral treatment for smallpox, is the first therapy specifically approved for this indication, and was developed through funding and collaboration with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as well as early stage development supported by the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Department of Defense.  

On September 10, 2018, the Company entered into a contract with BARDA pursuant to which SIGA agreed to manufacture and deliver to the U.S. government, or store as vendor-managed inventory, the IV formulation of TPOXX. Additionally, the 2018 BARDA contract includes funding for advanced development of IV TPOXX, and post-marketing activities for IV TPOXX, among other activities.

 Bavarian Nordic A/S have announced that the U.S. Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has exercised the final USD 12 million option remaining under the USD 202 million order for JYNNEOS (Smallpox and Monkeypox Vaccine, Live, Non-replicating) awarded in April 2020.

This option covers the supply of additional liquid-frozen JYNNEOS doses which will be manufactured in the Company’s new fill and finish facility during 2021. In addition, the total contract of USD 202 million for procurement includes manufacturing of bulk vaccine, which is revenue recognized in the years 2020-2022. 

Paul Chaplin, President and CEO of Bavarian Nordic said: “Our contracts with BARDA have been foundational for the establishment of a sustainable manufacturing and supply of critical vaccines for protecting the United States of America. This year, we are launching operations in our newly established fill and finish plant, which enables us to bring the final step of commercial manufacturing of JYNNEOS in-house as the first product on the line, marking a significant milestone in our long-standing partnership with the U.S. government.”

The contents of this announcement do not affect the company’s expectations for the financial results for 2021.

This project has been supported in part with federal funds from the Department of Health and Human Services; Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response; Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, under Contract No. HHSO100201700019C.

AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in intelligent, multi-domain robotic systems, today announced it was granted clearance from the German government and completed the previously announced acquisition of Telerob Gesellschaft für Fernhantierungstechnik mbH (Telerob), in a $45.4 million (€37.5 million) cash transaction and the pay-off of approximately $9.4 million (€7.8 million) in Telerob’s debt at closing. Telerob now operates as a wholly-owned subsidiary of AeroVironment.

“Our acquisition of Telerob marks a significant expansion to our portfolio of intelligent, multi-domain robotic systems, from small and medium unmanned aircraft systems, to tactical missile systems and now, unmanned ground vehicles,” said Wahid Nawabi, AeroVironment president and chief executive officer. “We welcome the talented Telerob team and look forward to delivering even more capability to our customers in the United States and more than 50 allied countries around the world.”

“The entire Telerob team is excited to join forces with AeroVironment so we can deliver our expanded offering to current and new customers around the world,” said Norbert Gebbeken, Telerob managing director. “Delivering intelligent, multi-domain robotic solutions, both in the air and on the ground, can help more customers achieve their mission objectives. Working together with the AeroVironment team in the future has the potential to create even more compelling solutions in multiple applications and industries.”

Founded in 1994, Telerob offers one of the industry’s most advanced and comprehensive turn-key unmanned ground robotics solutions, including the telemax and tEODor EVO family of UGVs, fully-equipped transport vehicles and training, repair and support services. Telerob’s cutting-edge solutions safely and effectively perform a variety of dangerous missions, including explosive ordinance disposal (EOD), hazardous materials handling (HAZMAT) and chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) threat assessment. Telerob’s ruggedized UGVs possess all-terrain capabilities and offer some of the most advanced, specialized, precision manipulators, autonomous functionality and intuitive operation to deliver a high degree of mission flexibility. Telerob’s customers span 45 countries and numerous applications, including homeland security, emergency response and defense. Telerob is based near Stuttgart, Germany.
AeroVironment submitted a proposal with Telerob for the United States Air Force 10-year Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) Large Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) robot program, announced in October 2020. The Air Force has not announced the awardee for this program.

To learn more about advanced ground robotic solutions from Telerob, an AeroVironment Company, visit www.avinc.com/ugv.

U.S. Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are working together on a handheld standoff chemical detection (HSCD) pilot program, using Pendar X10 to identify hazardous chemicals and illicit drugs from a safe distance.

Dr. Phillip Wilcox and Dr. Jason Guicheteau, from the CBC’s physical science division, were in particular charged with the task of helping DHS expand their threat target library. They are working with Pendar to incorporate the expanded library into Pendar X10, to provide DHS personnel and first responders in the US the capability to identify all of the most relevant chemical threats.

Noblis, a leading provider of science, technology and strategy services to the federal government, today announced it has received a five-year, $99 million prime contract from the Department of Homeland Security’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD) to enhance the Nation’s abilities to prevent terrorists and other threat actors from using weapons of mass destruction and help operational partners close capability gaps in safeguarding the Nation against chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and health security threats.

Under this newly awarded contract, Noblis will deliver scientific, systems engineering, research analysis, programmatic and administrative services to CWMD’s Information Analysis Directorate and Strategy, Plans, and Policy Directorate, including the National Biosurveillance Information Center, Intelligence and Targeting Support Branches, and Data Integration Project Management team.

“Noblis has more than a decade of experience working alongside DHS’ legacy Domestic Nuclear Detection Office and current CWMD, providing nuclear forensics and other technical expertise,” said Amr ElSawy, Noblis’ president and chief executive officer. “We are honored for the opportunity to combine this experience with Noblis’ leading science and technology expertise to continue helping DHS advance this critical mission.”

“As the prime on this advisory and assistance support contract, Noblis will lead a team of seven subcontractors,  including, Barbaricum, BVTI, DEFTEC,  
SC&A, Snare Consulting, TechINT and TechOp Solutions,” said Dr. Jordin Cohen, vice president of Noblis’ Homeland Security mission area. “Together, we look forward to continuing our partnership with DHS and delivering efficient, data-driven solutions to help protect our nation from weapons of mass destruction.”

Cyberselves, a robotics software company, working with the National Robotarium, based at Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University, and Resolve Robotics, have been awarded funding to develop telexistence technologies for hazardous environments. Telexistence and other immersive technologies find ways to physically remove humans from dangerous situations such as nuclear decommissioning and bomb disposal by using a robot as a surrogate self. The technologies allow humans to experience and operate in remote environments via a robot without risk.

Emergent technologies - such as cloud robotics, VR, AI, and haptics - now allow humans to telepresence remotely into a robot, be immersed in a remote environment or situation and to receive haptic feedback (1) to enhance the level of immersion. The project, named ‘TEL-SUBSEA’ will develop underwater solutions for bomb disposal and nuclear decommissioning. The project is one of eleven in an £800,000 programme managed by DASA, run on behalf of the Ministry of Defence’s Chief Scientific Adviser and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA), and managed by the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl). 

Designed to help save lives and reduce human exposure to risk, the collaborative team will create a robot-agnostic, low-latency communication system that addresses the current challenge areas of telepresence: haptics, robotics, and telecoms. While immediate work will focus on bomb disposal and nuclear decommissioning, wider potential applications include offshore wind production and space exploration.Cyberselves, which will lead the project, spun out of Sheffield Robotics, a collaboration between the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University, in March 2020 with the vision of bringing unity and simplicity to robotics. The company’s mission is to address the barriers inhibiting the widespread adoption of robots within industrial, commercial and domestic settings. The company has already developed a successful telepresence application, which secured them a place in the semi-finals of the ANA Avatar XPrize.