New Technologies Aid Quicker, More Accurate Chemical and Biological Threat Detection
The considerable sums of money and the time spent to ensure security make it imperative to have quicker and more accurate systems for detection of
chemical and biological threats. Precise detection is vital because biological warfare agents can camouflage themselves as the flu. Accuracy is
especially significant when civilians are concerned because false positives can trigger panic reactions. Time- and cost-saving integrated detection
technologies for both chemical and biological hazards are in huge demand. Detection equipment within overlapping management safeguards is another
notable technology. Some technologies even test chemicals within various containers, eliminating the need for direct sampling.
This Technical Insights study examines the advances in chemical and biological detection for security. It provides information about the security
concerns and strategies in various military, commercial, and public sectors and their impact on the development of new technologies. The research
includes a summary of key patents and list of organizations involved in the design and manufacture of security technologies and their contact
information.
Biotechnology and Genomics Methods Facilitate Biological Detection
New biological weapons detectors use biotechnology to tell the difference between pathogens and benign microorganisms based on their genetic
makeup. Light detection and ranging systems identify different chemical compositions by zapping living cells with UV light and watching for
fluorescence from molecules. However, this method is ineffective in distinguishing between biological agents and pollen grains or clouds of smoke.
Analogous chips that detect harmful organisms using antibodies that are sensitive to particular pathogens are under development.
"Several DNA-based detectors rely on the fact that specific sequences of DNA can be amplified through polymerase chain reaction (PCR),"
states the analyst. Rapid thermal cyclers can provide 30 amplifications of very scarce DNA sequences within half an hour. Research on biodetectors
that correlate a human pathogen with the human cell that it is harmful to is also underway.
Environmental and Industrial HAZMAT Research Assist Threat Detection
Chemical warfare agents are not necessarily explosive; they maybe dispersed as vapor within a confined space. Hazardous material responders are
used to determine the permissible level of exposure to toxic substances for workers on eight-hour shifts. "The technology incorporated into
environmental chemical analysis and detection and identification of organisms in the atmosphere, water or food supply has provided several procedures
and instruments," remarks the analyst.
"Current R&D in chemical agent detector technology is focused on increasing the speed and sensitivity of the instruments, while at the
same time, reducing size and cost," notes the analyst. Since the 9/11 attacks, the equipment, skills, and training required to combat biological
attacks have been revised. The U.S. Government has allotted generous funds for R&D in homeland security. Numerous detection equipment of varying
sensitivity and specificity are available and the more advanced ones can detect dangerous concentrations of chemical agents.
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