Science and Technology: A Safer Future for Soldiers
DUGWAY PROVING GROUND, Utah – Small steps in the laboratory are moving forward major scientific advancements. The scientists working on Project 24 (P-24) at Dugway Proving Ground (DPG) are laying the groundwork for a future where Soldiers will have real-time warnings about hazardous chemical and biological agents in the air around them.
P-24 is “part of the larger effort by the Army to develop a continuous biological air sampler,” said Program Manager Damon Nicholson. The goal is to develop a portable air sampler that can be triggered to take a sample by variations in the air and deliver a report on possible agents of concern. Right now, Nicholson says, the shelf life and cost of the items needed to do the continuous analysis are a limiting factor for this kind of technology, but the work being done at Dugway’s Biological Test Division are the beginning steps in making that a reality.
During the early stages of P-24, biologists used a process to verify the effectiveness of devices used for virus detection that preserved portions of air samples so the samples could be used in follow-up tests. The team has turned to the Miniature Aerosol Exposure Chamber (MAEC), a device custom designed by Dugway employees, to collect virus samples. A gene sequencer is then used to see if there is a high enough concentration of the virus to get a positive ID. The process is then repeated on a larger scale, in this case using a section of an airliner fuselage, to determine if their findings hold true in a real-world scenario.
The next stage of the project is a similar process but this time they’ll be handling the “real deal” instead of a simulant, which will lead to a better understanding of the concentrations of virus required to create a probability of identification in airborne sampling. Ultimately, the P-24 team will use this sampling technology to create a sensor that can check public areas or battlefields, in real time, for harmful bio-threats of any nature.
The critical work of P-24 today will set the stage for big advancements in the safety of Soldiers and civilians tomorrow.
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