Life Science Studies
The advance of science and technology can provide powerful new tools to the homeland security, law enforcement and public health communities. A deep understanding of the science behind these tools is required in order to choose systems best suited to the needs and constraints of a given jurisdiction. Our staff have the background (with advanced degrees in the life sciences and years of experience in high-tech fields such as bioengineering, nanotechnology, biological detection systems, and bioinformatics) and are committed to using their science capabilities to address critical problems of public policy.
We apply our life science skills to support government decision-making in several areas:
Strengthening the Nation's Defenses Against Biological Attack
Examining Medical Microbiology for Biodefense
For MIT's Lincoln Laboratory, Rocco Casagrande and his staff at Abt Associates reviewed the field of medical microbiology to support the development of next-generation diagnostic devices. We used bioinformatics to understand how the microbes that reside in healthy people are molecularly similar to pathogens that may be used in a biological attack. Based on this analysis, we identified molecular targets that could be used to discriminate these microbes from pathogens.
Addressing the Consequences of Environmental Threats
Assessing the Environmental Impact of Nanotechnology
For a federal client working with Abt Associates, we researched the potential impact of nanofabricated materials on human health and the environment. For many nanofabricated materials, there exists very little data on their potential environmental impact. In these cases, we extrapolated from data on more familiar materials that are similar in physical and/or chemical properties to nanomaterials.
Understanding the Spread and Progression of Disease
Modeling Medical Needs in the Aftermath of Terrorist Attacks
In this project, for AHRQ, the team consisting of Abt Associates, Cornell Medical School, and Gryphon Scientific, is to build a software-based tool that enables local emergency planners to estimate the medical resources needed to respond to terrorist attacks involving various weapons of mass destruction. The tool will be able to calculate the medical needs required by any urban area in the U.S. struggling to respond to attacks with chemical weapons, toxic industrial chemicals, contagious and non-contagious biological agents, radiological dispersion devices, improvised nuclear devices, and high-energy radioactive point sources.
On this team, Gryphon Scientific provides one of the two co-principal investigators who is leading all efforts that require subject matter expertise related to weapons of mass destruction. As co-principal investigator, Gryphon Scientific is providing leadership regarding the overall architecture of the tool and is charged with ensuring that the tool remains useful to end-users. Furthermore, the Gryphon team is taking the lead in providing casualty estimates (including the time-dependent appearance of casualties) that would result from these attacks through the use of sophisticated dispersion, epidemiology and pathogenicity/toxicity models.
Evaluating Strategies to Distribute Vaccines and Therapeutics
For the Department of Homeland Security through a contract to Abt Associates from MIT's Lincoln Laboratory, Rocco Casagrande, then an employee of Abt Associates, modeled the cost of efficacy of several strategies to distribute medication and vaccines to millions of people. To estimate the efficacy of each system, we modeled the casualties that would occur in the aftermath of attacks with contagious and non-contagious pathogens in the presence or absence of various medical response systems.
Identifying criminal events
Applications of Biotechnology for the Control of Illegal Logging
For a National Institute of Justice contract with Abt Associates, we reviewed technological means to identify, prevent or assess the impact of illegal logging. In this study, we highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of currently available technology and pointed to promising research opportunities that could lead to improved capabilities in the future.
Supporting research policy
Science Policy Studies
In addition to our capabilities for providing technical support in the life sciences, we are interested in related issues of science and technology policy. Advances in computing, nanotechnology, and the life sciences have forced society to address fundamental questions about the human condition. In turn, policymakers must respond to the concerns of the electorate with legislation that maintains a reverence for natural life without constraining scientific progress. Our staff have the background (with advanced degrees and years of experience in high-tech fields such as bioengineering, nanotechnology, biological detection systems, and bioinformatics) to assist policy makers in addressing the challenges of formulating science policy. Prior to working as a government contractor, our managing director, Rocco Casagrande, worked for over a decade in academe and industry in fields such as molecular biology, immunology, genetic engineering, genomics, drug discovery and biological detection. As the chief of the United Nations Biological Analysis Laboratory in Iraq, Rocco had the opportunity to use several cutting-edge technologies in the field for testing pathogens and potential biological agents. An important application of our science policy interests lies in R&D portfolio analysis. Intense competition for available R&D funds drives the need for clear investment criteria to guide funding decisions. Gryphon is highly qualified to assist in evaluating an existing research portfolio or formulating directions for future research. In a recent project for DHS, for example, after analyzing the weaknesses of current biodetection systems, we concluded with the formation of a research agenda to improve the nation's current biodefense capabilities.