Technology information on the go
January 08, 2015 
RICHLAND, Wash. - 1st responders have downloaded in excess of 10,000 copies of a guide to commercially available, hand-portable biodetection technologies created to help them determine what they might be up against in the field. Since many 1st responders do not always have immediate access to a computer, a mobile version of the guide is now accessible for cell phones and tablets.
The D.O.E.'s Pacific Northwest National Lab created the updated Biodetection Technologies for 1st Responders: 2014 product guide for the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate to help response organizations make informed decisions when procuring the right technology for their particular needs and circumstances.
"The new app will provide easier access to the updated report which is a valuable product-buying guide for 1st responders and purchasing specialists," said Cindy Bruckner-Lea, PNNL principal investigator. "With dozens of companies, technologies and sampling products listed, the guide provides a convenient and useful resource to fire fighters, law enforcement and hazardous materials response teams."
1st responders know that white powder scenarios - or suspected biological threats - require quick and decisive action. Having the right field equipment accessible to identify suspicious substances can be complicated, challenging and expensive. The report summarizes and compares an extensive list of commercially available, hand-portable technologies.
The mobile app Biodetection Guide for 1st Responders can be downloaded free of charge from the iTunes store, but is only accessible for Apple mobile devices.
The release of the mobile app is one part of a larger effort at PNNL to assess hand-portable, commercial, off-the-shelf biodetection technology. PNNL is evaluating a wide range of technologies from general protein tests for biological material to agent-specific tests such as immunoassay and polymerase chain reaction assays.
PNNL's "ground-up approach" involves 1st responders and stakeholders early in the process and culminates in the transition of information and knowledge in an effort to enhance in-field detection of biological agents and toxins in suspicious powders.
Tags: National Security, Threat Detection/Prevention, Biodetection
Interdisciplinary teams at Pacific Northwest National Lab address many of America's most pressing issues in energy, the environment and national security through advances in basic and applied science. Founded in 1965, PNNL employs 4,300 staff and has an yearly budget of in excess of $1 billion. It is managed by Battelle for the D.O.E.'s Office of Science. As the single biggest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, the Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information on PNNL, visit the PNNL News Center, or follow PNNL on Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter.
