Scientists seek breakthoughs in biodetection.

• Author: Pappalardo, Joe

The Department of Homeland Security is seeking to upgrade its biological sensor network with more encompassing and less costly systems. The current program, called Biowatch, has been established in more than 30 U.S. cities, but limits on existing technology makes the process slow, dependent on human analysis and costly to implement on a wide scale.

"Biowatch did what it was intended to do," said Jane Alexander, head of chemical and biological programs at DHS' science and technology directorate. "We went from a very slow way of knowing something happened to knowing the very day it happens. It was a big leap forward in capabilities. But I'd like to free up that money for the next important thing."

In April, the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) selected 14 contractors for an 18-month $48 million research and development project. They were asked to create a low cost, reliable system that can identify scores of pathogens in real time.

Half the contractors will work on "bio-agent autonomous networked detectors," expected to replace the Biowatch equipment for use in outdoor urban areas. The other half is responsible to develop an indoor monitor called "rapid automated biological identification system."

Detector designers will try to lower costs by minimizing the size of the test samples. Air samples currently tested at micro-liter sizes must be condensed into nano-liters. Potential agents must be separated from background clutter.

DHS asked for a 2 cubic-foot detector that can operate without user intervention for 30 days, testing the air eight times a day. The threshold for false alarms is low, officials said.

"What is wanted is beyond the state-of-the-art," Alexander said. "The (contractor) community is very creative. If you don't challenge them, they won't stretch ... People surprised us on how far they could go."

Acquisition costs would run about $25,000 per unit, ordered in quantities of 1,000. Operation costs, including maintenance, spare parts and any consumables, would be no more than $10,000 per system annually. The target price sought, contractors told National Defense, would be an average of about 17 cents per test, to check for as many pathogens as possible.

In comparison, current Biowatch systems cost $25,000, and roughly $2 to $3 per test, with each test only able to identify a single pathogen. If a detector is to scan for a wide variety of threats every three hours, the cost quickly soars. The Bush...