The University of Texas Countermeasures to Biological and Chemical Threats Program

Developments in the continental U.S. (Anthrax letters disseminated October 2001 CONUS) and the international scene (Congo Crimean Fever emergence in Afghanistan-Pakistan border region OCONUS) have alerted the defense community to the threat of biological and chemical agents on civilian and military populations. The objective of the program will lead to the protection of U.S. and allied forces from biological/chemical threats. The following focus areas are being developed and integrated in our Program: (1) scientific validation; (2) medical countermeasures; and (3) communication and integrated conversion of data to knowledge. We are developing binder elements (high affinity antibodies, polynucleotide probes, and aptamers) for the sensors and platforms (MEMS, electronic tongue, hand held redox systems) for these sensor systems. To rapidly determine whether individuals have been exposed to threat agents, archival data sets have been established through a partnership with the Texas Department of Health. Large scale, real-time symptomatic diagnoses of patients from emergency medical facilities are being electronically collected and sent to an archival data facility for identification of emergent disease. The ability to diagnose emergent disease can be reduced to twenty-four hours from the week to several weeks currently required.