2020 September Edition 48 | Page 69

• www We . AmericanSecurityToday are starting to . com see field- lic and equip September the 2021 - military

Edition 58 able , portable biothreats and those of us in security detection systems . with new biosurveillance technology .

• During the pandemic , retail- ers carried Covid test kits ,

Biochemist and molecular biolwhich are one form of bio- ogist Rachel Fezzie at Draper , threat detection . says infectious disease detec- tion needs to be faster , lower in

• What ’ s different is that the cost and field-ready . Covid tests were designed to measure one thing . The idea

“ The development of a rapid , of detecting many patho- low-cost diagnostic device gens at once is only now that is capable of detecting coming into focus .

1,000 biomarkers in one pro- cessing cycle is an important

• It may take several years bestep forward in improving in- fore we see a portable device fectious disease e detection .” that is easily configurable for screening thousands of

“ A device with the ability to de- pathogens in minutes , not tect pathogens sooner and in hours . a greater variety would im- prove public health , add pro-

• But that day is coming , and tections for military units and it will improve the speed of provide critical information to treatment and enhance the medical decision-makers with- standard of care for the pub- in minutes .”

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