Science and Technology Directorate Office of Research Chemical and Biological Division Focus Areas

Surveillance and Detection Focus Areas

Improved Informatics and Design for Biological and Chemical Analysis Focus Area

Focus Area Overview: In particular, (1) bioinformatics research that leads to higher success rates for assay design, and (2) chemical data analysis research toallow information integration with other systems of analysis, e.g., biological detection.

Improved Sampling Focus Area

Focus Area Overview: In particular, (1) research in the areas of biological particle capture and on-the-fly analysis to support future development of technology that distinguishes between putative threat and non-threat agents, (2) research that develops fundamental understandings of sample pre-preparation in the context of sample collection, and (3) research that improves transfer efficiency of agents to detectors or instruments.

Sample Preparation Focus Area

Focus Area Overview: In particular, (1) research that improves the analyte of interest to background contaminant (AoI:BC) ratio for both chemical and biological threats, (2) research that enhances understanding of the factors that contribute to speed of analysis, especially where biological analysis is concerned, and (3) research that helps to improve and define the quality of samples that emerge from sample preparation in ways that are substantive to either instrumental or assay style analysis.

Assays Focus Area

Focus Area Overview: In particular, research to develop fundamental understandings and methodologies (assays) that address the full spectrum of biological agents:  (1) traditional threat agents, (2) agents that have been enhanced with known biological content, (3) agents that have emerged via natural selection, (4) agents that are purely synthetic in nature.  Ultimately this research should allow comparisons against highly flexible databases of information that uniquely identify threat agents.  Research that improves the tolerance of various assay types to common environmental contaminants and defines the input requirements for these assays is also of interest.

Instruments Focus Area

Focus Area Overview: In particular, (1) research on chemical detection technology that improves the number of toxic industrial chemicals and chemical warfare agents that can be detected at relevant concentrations and (2) research that improves the speed, cost and depth of biological analysis, e.g., to the single DNA-base-resolved level, and (3) research for the improved detection and identification of toxins.  Research on methods for the maintenance of viability is also of interest.

Data Analysis, Storage, Interoperability, and Preservation Focus Area

Focus Area Overview: In particular, research to improve the depth and speed of data analysis, and enhance access to (and indexing of) large datasets.

Informatics and Decision Tools Focus Area

Focus Area Overview: In particular, research to enhance automated and flexible tools for decision makers where different levels of detail are needed for different operational circumstances.  This research should support command and control decision makers with convenient and appropriate level information, displayed in an informative way.  Ultimately, these tools should allow decision makers to act with confidence in the treat environment and many different levels of expertise.

Response and Recovery Research Focus Area

Focus Area Overview: In particular, research aimed at enhanced understandings of chemical mechanisms that will allow affordable and effective decontamination of chemical and biological agents over wide areas.

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Bioforensics (Microbial Forensics) Focus Areas

Improved Sample Recovery and Collection Focus Area

Focus Area Overview: Biological samples have a relatively short half-life if not properly stabilized resulting in only trace amounts being recoverable from a crime scene. Methods are needed to recover a wide range of human and agricultural microbial agents from a broad range of common surfaces, matrix types and sample collection devices.

Improved Sample Preparation Focus Area

Focus Area Overview: Since only trace amounts of biological materials are often recovered from a crime scene, improved methods to increase the efficiency of extraction and concentration of analytes from the samples are needed.  Furthermore, the analytes will most likely need to be extracted from complex environmental matrices requiring methods designed to remove inhibitors to downstream analytical processes such as PCR and sequencing.

Physical and Chemical Analysis Focus Area

Focus Area Overview: The sample matrix and trace materials associated with an agent in question can also be characterized to determine media components, growth conditions, production methods and/or delivery matrix composition.  Research needs in this area include elemental and isotopic analysis of both organic and inorganic components, improved imaging technology, and better understanding of signatures of production

Molecular Signature Analysis Focus Area

Focus Area Overview: Development of sensitive microbiological culture, molecular (nucleic acid - based/ protein-based) and immunological detection assays for the identification, characterization and comparison of all identified human and agricultural bio-threat pathogens and toxins. Genotyping methods are required that provide drill down specificity to the sub-strain level for the bacterial agents. Forensic assay development for both DNA- and RNA-based viral select agents are also required.

Bacterial Population Genetics Focus Area

Focus Area Overview: Implementation of a comprehensive research program on population genetics of bacterial select agents. This is critical to development of analytical tools for phylogenetic representation, measuring relatedness and building statistical inference. Focus of research is on the forensics implications of bacterial population dynamics, environmental effects, host-pathogen interactions, genomic stability, mutation rates and other relevant effects.

Viral Genetic Stability Focus Area

Focus Area Overview: Implementation of a comprehensive research program on the forensic implications of viral genetic stability to attribution analysis. There are substantial forensics challenges when addressing the genetic issues related to interpretation of viral population structures. Focus of research is on mutation and recombination rates, fitness constraints on genetic drift, host preferences and effects, and the extent of natural variation within globally circulating strains. A better understanding of the underlying genomic and population dynamics of viruses is critical to the development of analytical tools to measure the statistical significance of relatedness.

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Agricultural Focus Areas

Host-Pathogen Interactions Focus Area

Focus Area Overview: Improved understanding of high priority Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) disease mechanisms and host defense responses.

Bioinformatics Focus Area

Focus Area Overview: The application of bioinformatic approaches, or the derivation of knowledge from computer analysis of biological data, is needed to address knowledge gaps for countermeasures and diagnostic technologies for high consequence foreign animal diseases (FADs).

Biotherapeutics Focus Area

Focus Area Overview: Rapid-acting biological countermeasures (biotherapeutics) to help control a foreign animal disease (FAD) outbreak by closing the “window of susceptibility” gap between vaccination and onset of protective immunity.

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