 |
|
New "biosensor" screens Air Force personnel and equipment for contamination - within minutes
June 17, 2005RICHLAND, Wash - Air Force personnel will soon know within minutes if they or their equipment are contaminated with a biological agent, thanks to a new technology developed by the Air Force and a national laboratory.
Personnel will use the biosensor system to collect and isolate samples, detect and identify agents, and assess the seriousness of the threat.
"The system will provide an increased capability for Air Force Special Operations personnel to rapidly determine the presence of biological warfare agents in a combat environment," said Dr. Richard Stotts, counterproliferation branch chief within the Air Force Research Laboratory's Human Effectiveness Directorate. The device is compact, quickly identifies agents, can be used repeatedly and requires very little maintenance to keep it running in the field."
The system consists of a spray, developed at the directorate's Brooks City-Base, Texas, facilities, and a hand-held "green box," which determines if agents are present. The green box, or DNA Capture Element instrument, was developed by researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The box uses an Air Force-developed biochemical assay based on aptamers, or single chain DNA fragments.
"We've used our lab's expertise to develop an instrument that's complementary to the Air Force's technology and that simultaneously satisfies the speed, specificity, sensitivity, portability, durability, health and safety needs," said Mike Lind, a senior advisor at PNNL. "The rapid detection capability of this instrument will be useful in a variety of applications, even outside of the armed forces."
With the prototype system, the user sprays the suspected contaminated area, creating a sample that can be picked up by a swab. The sample material on the swab is suspended in liquid by rinsing it in a container. Once in a liquid form, the sample is injected into a special flow cell, the place where the assay occurs.
The flow cell is currently designed for one-time use. Since the cell is sealed, it can be decontaminated by immersion in a bleach solution and then safely transported to a forensic laboratory for further analysis where it can be opened to retrieve the sample material.
A liquid crystal display, or LCD, provides a quantitative readout of the concentration of targeted material present, and a set of red, yellow, and green light emitting diodes provides an easily interpreted reading of the threat level. For instance, "no threat\\\\\\\
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
The system consists of a spray, developed at the directorate's Brooks City-Base, Texas, facilities, and a hand-held "green box," which determines if agents are present. The green box, or DNA Capture Element instrument, was developed by researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. The box uses an Air Force-developed biochemical assay based on aptamers, or single chain DNA fragments.
"We've used our lab's expertise to develop an instrument that's complementary to the Air Force's technology and that simultaneously satisfies the speed, specificity, sensitivity, portability, durability, health and safety needs," said Mike Lind, a senior advisor at PNNL. "The rapid detection capability of this instrument will be useful in a variety of applications, even outside of the armed forces."
With the prototype system, the user sprays the suspected contaminated area, creating a sample that can be picked up by a swab. The sample material on the swab is suspended in liquid by rinsing it in a container. Once in a liquid form, the sample is injected into a special flow cell, the place where the assay occurs.
The flow cell is currently designed for one-time use. Since the cell is sealed, it can be decontaminated by immersion in a bleach solution and then safely transported to a forensic laboratory for further analysis where it can be opened to retrieve the sample material.
A liquid crystal display, or LCD, provides a quantitative readout of the concentration of targeted material present, and a set of red, yellow, and green light emitting diodes provides an easily interpreted reading of the threat level. For instance, "no threat\\\\\\\
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Contamination Current Events and Contamination News RSSNovel bioreactor enhances interleukin-12 production in genetically-modified tobacco plants
Interleukin-12 is a naturally occurring protein essential for the proper functioning of the human immune system.
Scientists developing food allergy treatment
A team of scientists from across Europe are embarking on new research to develop a treatment for food allergy.
Pollution at home lurks unrecognized, instead attributed to large-scale environmental disasters
Although Americans are becoming increasingly aware of toxic chemical exposure from everyday household products like bisphenol A in some baby bottles and lead in some toys, women do not readily connect typical household products with personal chemical exposure and related adverse health effects, according to research from the December issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.
Household Exposure to Toxic Chemicals Lurks Unrecognized, Researchers Find
Although Americans are becoming increasingly aware of toxic chemical exposure from everyday household products like bisphenol A in some baby bottles and lead in some toys, women do not readily connect typical household products with personal chemical exposure and related adverse health effects.
Researchers shed new light on catalyzed reactions
Rice University scientists on the hunt for a better way to clean up the stubborn pollutant TCE have created a method that lets them watch molecules break down on the surface of a catalyst as individual chemical bonds are formed and broken.
Glowing Results-Pitt Researchers Use Fluorescence to Develop Fast, Simple Method for Detecting Mercury in Fish and Dental Fillings
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed a simple and quick method for detecting mercury in fish and dental samples, two substances at the center of public concern about mercury contamination.
Pitt Research Finds That Low Concentrations of Pesticides Can Become Toxic Mixture
Ten of the world's most popular pesticides can decimate amphibian populations when mixed together even if the concentration of the individual chemicals are within limits considered safe.
Rhode Island Hospital study finds local retail meat safe from antibiotic-resistant organisms
Rhode Island Hospital researchers report that findings from a new study of retail meat in the Providence, RI area indicate little to no presence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Pesticide Concentrations Decreasing
The widespread use of pesticides across the United States has been in practice for decades, with little knowledge of the long-term effects on the nation's groundwater.
Sandia aids cleanup of Iraqi nuclear facilities, rad waste
Sandia scientists are helping train Iraqi scientists and technicians to clean up radioactively contaminated sites and safely dispose of the radioactive wastes as part of the Iraqi Nuclear Facility Dismantlement and Disposal Program.
More Contamination Current Events and Contamination News Articles
 | Statistical Methods for Detection and Quantification of Environmental Contamination by Robert D. Gibbons, David D. Coleman Amstat News asked three review editors to rate their top five favorite books in the September 2003 issue. Statistical Methods for Detection and Quantification of Environmental Contamination was among those chosen. This groundbreaking volume describes the statistical theory that underlies the detection and quantification of environmental pollution both in the laboratory and in the field. It... |
 | Environmental Contamination in Antarctica This thought-provoking and ambitious volume surveys the causes and extent of environmental contamination in Antarctica, and looks critically at future prospects. It highlights the key role that modern techniques of analytical chemistry play in achieving reliable empirical data in this field and their impact on shaping legal provisions. Written by prominent scientists and experts in Antarctic... |
 | The Fear of Contamination: Assessment and Treatment (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: Science and Practice) by Stanley Rachman From a leader in the field of psychotherapy, this new book is the first dedicated to the topic of the fear of contamination. The fear of contamination is the driving force behind compulsive washing, the most common manifestation of obsessive compulsive disorder. This is one of the most extraordinary of all human fears. It is complex, powerful, probably universal, easily provoked, intense, and... |
 | Control of Particulate Matter Contamination in Healthcare Manufacturing by Thomas A. Barber This book offers practical applications addressing the specifics of contamination, including particle origination, characterization, identification, and elimination, with a special focus on quality considerations. Written by an industry expert, this material offers a clear and concise understanding of particle populations and their control in stability, efficacy, and predictability in the... |
| Star Trek the Next Generation: Contamination (Star Trek: the Next Generation) by John Vornholt The U.S.S. Enterprise™. is stunned when famed scientist Lynn Costa is murdered in one of the ship's science labs. She and her husband Emil were known as science's greatest ongoing collaboration and, together had received the Federation's highest honors for their achievements in scientific research. Determined to see the culprit brought to justice, Captain Picard assigns Lt. Worf and Counselor... | |
 | Metal Contamination in Aquatic Environments: Science and Lateral Management by Samuel N. Luoma, Philip S. Rainbow Metal contamination is one of the most ubiquitous, persistent and complex environmental issues, encompassing legacies of the past (e.g. abandoned mines) as well as impending, but poorly studied, threats (e.g. metallo-nanomaterials). Writing for graduate students, risk assessors and environmental managers, Drs Luoma and Rainbow explain why controversies exist in managing metal contamination and... |
 | Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater: Mechanism, Analysis, and Remediation by Satinder Ahuja Provides a viable reference, describing the state-of-knowledge on sources of arsenic contamination in ground water, which affects about 100 million people worldwide. With contributions from world-renowned experts in the field, this book explores developments in the transport kinetics, detection, measurement, seasonal cycling, accumulation, geochemistry, removal, and toxicology of arsenic. ... |
 | Introduction to Contamination Control and Cleanroom Technology by Matts Ramstorp Contamination control is being used by more and more industries where the highest level of cleanliness and hygiene is of vital importance. This book covers the basic principles of contamination control and cleanroom technology from a holistic point of view. It deals with cleanliness and hygiene and their effects on the outcome of a process, reflecting the latest results from both scientific... |
 | Ground Water Contamination: Transport and Remediation (2nd Edition) by Philip B. Bedient, Hanadi S. Rifai, Charles J. Newell Focuses on the critical new challenges facing professionals seeking to prevent, mitigate, or remediate groundwater problems, especially today's highly complex transport problems. DLC:... |
 | Microbiological Contamination Control in Pharmaceutical Clean Rooms This book neatly clarifies some of the perceived problems surrounding contamination control in pharmaceutical industry clean rooms. It helps manufacturers satisfy both domestic and international regulations and prevents their companies from suffering the consequences of non-compliance. It includes up-to-date information on microbiological contamination in sterile manufacturing, microbiological... |
| © 2008 BrightSurf.com |