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Navy Team On The Prowl for Chem/Bio Agents

Navy NewStand

Story Number: NNS030410-18
Release Date: 4/10/2003 5:35:00 PM

By Doris Ryan, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery Public Affairs

NORTHERN KUWAIT (NNS) -- In the desert of northern Kuwait, south of the Iraqi border in a small, unobtrusive mobile field laboratory are three Navy people; a microbiologist and two advanced laboratory technicians. They are screening environmental samples for biological warfare agents, and they may be the first to find evidence that an attack has occurred.

The laboratory is equipped with advanced technology to quickly detect biological agents such as anthrax, plague, smallpox, ricin and many others.

"Our team in Kuwait has very sophisticated detection capabilities, and they will be looking for the molecular signatures of specific biologic agents," said Capt. Al Mateczun, director of the Biological Defense Research Directorate (BDRD) at the Naval Medical Research Center (NMRC), Silver Spring, Md. "Once they receive a sample, they will have an initial report in 15 minutes; if positive, they will have confirmation in 35 minutes."

Mateczun went on to explain that the team is able to detect extremely small quantities of biological agents using the tests available in the laboratory. The team can routinely analyze more than 100 samples per day.

The samples are first screened using hand-held tests developed by NMRC researchers. These are simple and sensitive tests, where the sample is mixed in a salt solution and a few drops are placed on test strips, much like a home pregnancy test. If the initial test shows a positive reading, the team uses polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based DNA analysis technology to capture the DNA signature and identify the specific agent. Most agents have a unique signature that can be used to accurately identify them.

Mateczun's staff at the BDRD supports the field laboratory. The 44 military and civilian microbiologists, biochemists and technicians in Silver Spring have worked and trained together for years. There is a seamless line of communication that allows for real time consultation and problem solving 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Mateczun pointed out that BDRD represents a very tight, integrated program that includes everything from basic bench research to work in the field. "We are a very unique group," he said. "For example, if the field site has a problem with a test not working right, the person who designed the test is on staff at NMRC and can immediately review and resolve the problem."

The field laboratory is part of the Defense Intelligence Agency group called the Chemical Biological Intelligence Support Team. Besides staffing the field laboratory, Navy Medicine's research and development community designed the laboratory, developed the tests and produced the chemicals and reagents necessary to do the work. The laboratory was built to be highly mobile. It weighs 1,000 pounds and can be set up and operating in two hours.

"Navy Medicine has been in the lead developing rapid detection technology for biological agents," said Mateczun. "We have been doing this for years, long before it made the headlines. It may take the team in the desert less than an hour to detect a biological agent, but it took Navy Medicine R&D (research and development) over a decade to get them to that point."