Current tactical biological surveillance systems are effective in identifying select Biological Warfare Agents (BWAs) but cannot identify unknown, emerging, or engineered biothreats. As such, their utility in field forward environments is limited, leaving operators at risk of exposure to potential biothreats.

To address this capability gap, Signature Science offers a far-forward sequencing capability for broad spectrum biothreat identification. The tool provides operators with the ability to collect, prepare, sequence, and report the presence of bacterial and viral biothreats in the field, including in austere operational environments. We have developed simple, streamlined DNA and RNA sample preparation workflows for use in conjunction with a portable genomic sequencer, and are actively working to optimize these workflows to enable automated sample preparation. For sequence analysis and threat reporting, Signature Science’s suite of bioinformatics tools is incorporated, empowering operators to conduct mission-critical taxonomic identification and functional threat assessment for known threats and identify emerging pathogens or engineered biothreats in real-time. Contained within a ruggedized field kit, this system provides all the tools necessary to perform on-target sample preparation and on-the-move sequencing.  

Danielle Dickinson, PhD
Director, Operational Solutions and Threat Reduction

For more information about Far Forward Biothreat Identification: