Border Protector Michael J. Fisher - KMI Media Group

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Since 1998, Idaho Technology has fielded sensitive and reliable biosurveillance products that span the range of operations from the lab to the field, and from clinical diagnostics to environmental surveillance. Q: Who is Idaho Technology and how do you help with the mission of the Department of Homeland Security? A: Idaho Technology Inc. [ITI] is a privately held molecular diagnostics company that specializes in supplying easy-to-use biological identification systems. Over the past 22 years, we have developed and patented cuttingedge technology for analyzing and detecting genetic material and licensed our technology to notable diagnostic companies such as Roche Diagnostics. We also have an extensive history working with the U.S. government and we supply key components for U.S. biosurveillance initiatives, the most notable being the Joint Biological Agent Identification and Diagnostic System [JBAIDS], which is the biothreat identification and diagnostics standard for the U.S. military. We collaborate with other U.S. agencies such as Health and Human Services and the Department of Homeland Security to provide biosurveillance tools to first responders that allow them to more effectively protect U.S. citizens. Firefighters, hazmat, police, military and public health use our equipment to quickly and reliably identify biological threats. Q: Why should we be concerned about a biological attack? A: A biological attack is the most probable and potentially has the highest impact when compared to other attack scenarios. Sure, a nuclear bomb will cause devastation, but the probability of a nuclear attack is very low since nuclear materials are very difficult to obtain. In contrast, it is relatively easy to carry out a biological attack since many threat agents occur naturally in the environment and only trace amounts of materials are required to cause harm. And the potential impact can be enormous along with the threat to national security, considering that some pathogens can spread quickly 28 | BCD 1.1 INDUSTRY INTERVIEW Border & CBRNE Defense Lou Banks BioSurveillance Marketing Manager Idaho Technology Inc. throughout the population and lead to fear and paranoia fueled by the inability to detect infection until symptoms manifest days later. This is precisely why numerous intelligence agencies have warned of an impending biological attack and the U.S. government through various presidential initiatives has formulated a National Strategy for Countering Biological Threats. Q: How does Idaho Technology support the National Strategy for Countering Biological Threats? A: A key component of the U.S. biosurveillance strategy is to provide accurate and timely information on current and emerging threats. Threats can be identified in a number of operational scenarios from field environmental samples to clinical samples in a lab. Idaho Technology offers a suite of biosurveillance systems to cover all these operational scenarios. For field applications, Razor EX provides a reliable and fast platform for identifying bioterrorism threats. It employs the same real-time PCR technology used in Public Health Labs, but designed for use by non-scientific personnel to identify 10 category A and B biothreats in 30 minutes. JBAIDS resides in a garrison setting and allows sophisticated users to have the system flexibility and throughput needed to test a multitude of samples for many targets. Idaho Technology’s newest instrument, The FilmArray, is designed for fixed or mobile labs to analyze clinical samples for panels of pandemic and public health pathogens of interest. Q: How does your equipment aid the field incident commander? A: Incident commanders are put in a tough situation. Public health can take days to definitively identify a suspected biological agent and meanwhile, they are charged with keeping the public safe while balancing economic concerns—it is very expensive to shut down a building or an airport terminal. Razor EX provides fast, reliable results and this information taken with other information gathered at the scene helps in making better decisions. Suspected biological samples will still be sent to the lab for confirmatory analysis, but presumptive results allow incident commanders to posture a response while they wait for results from the lab and ultimately lead to a faster response, which saves lives. Q: What are some of the challenges associated with biological detection? A: Most agencies have great capability for chemical or radiation testing in the field, but are under-prepared for detecting biological threats. Many mistakenly assume biological identification can be performed like chemical detection, where you obtain a signature and compare it to a library of known signatures. However, biological detection is much more complex. First of all, we are surrounded by biological materials and it is a challenge to distinguish between intentional attacks and what occurs naturally in the environment. One approach is to use antibodies specific for threat agents; these are the hand-held assays [HHAs] that resemble pregnancy tests. HHAs can be useful but lack sensitivity and the false positive rate increases with added sensitivity. PCR-based systems, such as Razor EX, detect unique genetic material, DNA or RNA, specific to threat organisms and are generally more sensitive and reliable. Traditionally, PCR has been relegated to labs since it requires trained lab technicians measuring precise amounts of refrigerated reagents and taking proper precautions not to contaminate tests. We considered theses limitations of PCR when designing a field system for first responders. Our field solution, Razor EX, uses a sealed pouch system pre-loaded with freeze-dried PCR reagents. Users do not need special training; they simply load the sample into the pouch and insert it into the instrument. O www.BCD-kmi.com
nexT ISSuE COVER AND IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW WITH: LEADERSHIP INSIGHT Biometrics: In the Enhanced Border Security and Visa Entry Reform Act of 2002, Congress mandated the use of biometrics in U.S. visas. Traditionally referring to fingerprints, biometrics also include facial or iris scans that are used to identify international travelers traveling to the U.S. Rafael Borras Under Secretary for Management U.S. Department of Homeland Security Leadership Perspective from JPEO-CBD SPECIAL SECTION Supply Chain Security: The Department of Homeland Security’s strategy for supply chain security aims to promote the efficient and secure movement of goods, foster a global supply chain system that can withstand evolving threats and hazards, and is prepared for rapid recovery from disruptions. September 2012 Volume 1, Issue 2 Northern Border Strategy: Through the continued use of technology including thermal camera systems, mobile surveillance systems, remote video surveillance system and approximately 500 percent more Customs and Border Protection since 9/11, DHS’s three goals of this strategy include deter and prevent terrorism, smuggling, trafficking and illegal immigration; safeguard and encourage the efficient flow of lawful trade and travel; and ensure community safety and resiliency before, during and after terrorist attacks. FEATURES Radiation Detection & Protection: In case of a nuclear attack or natural disaster, multiple federal agencies including Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security are trained and equipped to detect, respond and protect those exposed to radiological threats. Insertion Order Deadline: August 20 • Ad Materials Deadline: August 27
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