8:00am – 10:00am Leveraging Technologies To Improve Threat Detection Biological: Identification And Threat Evaluation Systems

The United States has a well established multi-agency process dedicated to nuclear forensics; there is no parallel process for biological forensics underpinned by state-of the-art science. The current standards in biothreat detection cannot detect genetically engineered threats. There is a pressing need for a new system leveraging recent advances in sequencing and other high throughput technologies to improve threat detection. This session will discuss the difficulties of detecting biologically engineered threats, and the new technologies that brings about meaningful solutions.

What will be covered:

• Integration of system biology knowledge repositories with new data collection technologies
• Categorizing biological threat potential
• Detecting components of threat mechanisms rather than threat organisms

How you will benefit:

• Gain an understanding of new technology that enables the creation of better detectors, and provides a broader basis for non-proliferation, mitigation, response, protection and forensics
• Learn how client software is constructed to monitor potential threats

Session Leader:

Dr. Robert Cottingham
Group Leader, Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Biosciences Division
Biological and Environmental Sciences Directorate Oak Ridge National Laboratory CBRN DEFENSE DETECTION

10:15am - 12:15am Responsive Initiatives To Bio-Defense: Multi-Spectrum Force Protection

Protecting our courageous men and women in combat is a primary concern. Threats in a battlefield environment come in many flavors, including groundbased and air-based assaults and natural and deliberate exposures to pathogens. In providing solutions, we must take an interdisciplinary approach. Development of these solutions requires that we explore solutions in technical areas that are unfamiliar to us and forge partnerships with entities that are strong where weare weak. We will present an overview of Force Protection, the needs of our soldiers, and describe a few solutions and entertain discussion.

What will be covered:

• Providing Force Protection within four basic focus areas: contamination avoidance, modeling simulation, chem/bio defense agents, force health protection
• Interagency Biological Restoration Demonstration (IBRD)
• A bio-agents fate in the environment: how long will it stay
• Novel antibiotic delivery vehicles
• Standoff detection technologies in a chemical environment How you will benefit:
• Gain insight to an interdisciplinary approach to providing solutions
• Learn about some of the most advanced technological innovations being developed to protect the force

Session Leader:

Dr. Cathy Cleland
Senior Project Leader for Defense and International Technology Programs
Los Alamos National Laboratory

1:15:pm - 3:15pm Integrating R&D For Innovation In National Security Technologies: Mitigation Of Radioactive And Nuclear Threats: Trends In Research And Development

Emerging capabilities in materials science and engineering, neutron scattering science, and theory and computation open the way to improvements in the detection and mitigation of radioactive and nuclear threats. The application of these capabilities to radiation detector materials, active interrogation, and radiation imaging is leading to the development of innovative systems for detection and identification of radioactive and nuclear materials.

What will be covered:

• Integration of fundamental and applied research and development to address national and global security concerns
• Innovative systems for identification of radioactive and nuclear materials

How you will benefit:

• Learn about recent and potential developments in radiation and nuclear materials
• Gain insight into the development of new materials, processes, and detector technologies with the potential to transform the detection of threat materials

Session Leader:

Major General (R) John Doesburg
Director, Oak Ridge Partnership Office
Oak Ridge National Laboratory