FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

The National Biodefense Analysisand Countermeasures Center

The National Biodefense Analysisand Countermeasures Center

Bernard C. Courtney, Ph.D.Scientific Director,National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures CenterScience & Technology Directorate, Department of Homeland Security

Committee on Methodological Improvement to the Department of Homeland Security’s 2006 Bioterrorism Risk Assessment

28 August 2006

Bernard C. Courtney, Ph.D.Scientific Director,National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures CenterScience & Technology Directorate, Department of Homeland Security

Committee on Methodological Improvement to the Department of Homeland Security’s 2006 Bioterrorism Risk Assessment

28 August 2006

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

National Centerfor Foreign Animal

& Zoonotic Disease Defense

Texas A&M,College Station,

Texas

Biodefense Knowledge Center Lawrence Livermore National LaboratoryLivermore, California

National Centerfor Food Protection

& DefenseUniversity of Minnesota,Minneapolis, Minnesota

Plum IslandAnimal

Disease CenterOrient Pt., New York

National Biodefense Analysis and

Countermeasures Center

Frederick, Maryland

DHS/S&THeadquartersWashington, DC

HS Biodefense Complex: Microcosm of the Homeland Security Complex

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Mission

• Provide the nation with the scientific basis for awareness of biological threats and attribution of their use against the American public

Goals• Understand current and future biological threats, assess vulnerabilities,

and determine potential impacts to guide the development of biodefense countermeasures.

• Provide national capability to conduct forensic analysis of evidence from bio-crimes and terrorism, to attain a “biological fingerprint” to identify perpetrators and determine the origin and method of attack.

• Provide national scientific reach-back capability, biodefense knowledge stewardship, and threat awareness products.

National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

NBACC Facility DescriptionBudget

FY04 FY05FY03

PLANNING CONSTRUCTION

ConceptDesign

$5M

Appropriated Appropriated

$88M $35M

NBACC FacilityTimeline

Description / Capabilities

• Dedicated, secure, and responsive biocontainment laboratory capability to conduct bioterror threat characterization and risk assessment

• Dedicated bioforensics operational capability

3rd Q/08

Artist’s Rendition

Estimated size: 160,000 Gross sq. ft.

Net - laboratory: 70,000 sq. ft. - 20% BSL- 4 - 80% BSL- 2 & 3

Estimated staff: approximately 120

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

NBACC: A Center of Centers

Biological Threat Characterization Center (BTCC)Characterizes biothreats, anticipates future threats.

Conducts comprehensive risk assessments and targeted laboratory studies to guide the development of policy and countermeasures

National Bioforensic Analysis Center (NBFAC)Conducts forensic analysis to attain a “biological

fingerprint” to identify perpetrators and determine the origin and method of attack

Biodefense Knowledge Center (BKC) Integrates biological threat data and emerging scientific

research findings to enable expert analysis with knowledge discovery tools and to support 24/7 reachback

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

NBACC: Key AccomplishmentsBiological Threat Characterization Center• Completed first-of-its-kind biennial Bioterrorism Risk Assessment Report

(BTRA)• Published animal model standards reports for 7 high-consequence biothreat

agents

National Bioforensic Analysis Center• Completed processing of 45 bioterror/biocrime cases for the FBI

(thousands of samples and detailed implementation and analysis plans)• 24/7 bioforensic analysis capability

Biodefense Knowledge Center• Completed 5 Material Threat Assessments

(An additional 3 are in Final Production)• 24/7 Reach-back for DHS operational entities• Partnership with Lawrence Livermore

National Lab

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

BTCC results will inform biodefense policy and countermeasures strategies

The Mission of BTCC is to Increase Threat AwarenessBiological Threat Characterization Program

• Produces laboratory-based assessments of biological threats and vulnerabilities that will directly increase threat awareness.

• Executes critical targeted research projects that:• may occur under high containment (BSL-4)• employ various model systems including non-human primates• may be classified

• Provides validation of potential technical capabilities identified by intelligence sources

Risk Assessment Program• Conducts in-depth risk assessments of current and emerging biological threats• Identifies knowledge gaps and vulnerabilities to biological threat agents

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Traditional

Naturally occurring bacteria, viruses and toxins. Simple delivery mechanisms

●Assessing BW-enabling characteristics●Comparing virulence by exposure route●Threats to Food

Emerging

Newly emerging diseases or traditional agents acquired, produced or delivered in a new method

●Establish process to identify & evaluate emerging bio threats ●Assess potential bio hazard posed by highly pathogenic Avian Influenza virus

Enhanced

Agents selected or modified to increase virulence, stability or circumvent counter-measures

● Assessing difficulty of selection for enhanced organisms (Yersinia pestis)

Advanced

Non-naturally occurring, engineered agents. Complex or novel delivery systems

●Establish processto identify & evaluate enabling technical advances ●Craft procedure to identify, evaluate & integrate technical & Intel information

Inform Novel Defensive

Strategies and Architectures

BTCC Assesses the Near-term and the Long-term Threat

hemorrhagic fever viruses orthopoxviruses

plagueinfluenza viruses

ricin

tularemia

anthrax

botulinum toxins

encephalitic viruses

enteric bacteria

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

The BTRA Supports Biodefense Decision-makingA Flexible Risk Analysis Tool

Per HSPD-10: first systematic end-to-end risk assessment of bioterrorism, incorporating subject matter expert and literature input from intelligence, law enforcement, scientific, public health, and classified biodefense research information

Allows decision makers and risk managers to create tailored risk assessments and examine risk mitigation strategies for bioterrorism risk and impact.

Likelihood Consequences RISK

Guides• DHS biodefense research• Next generation BioWatch detectors• Prioritization the Material

Threat Assessments for BioShield

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Closing Critical Risk Knowledge Gaps

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

BTCC Integrates Biothreat Characterization and Risk Assessment

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Both Science and Intelligence Inform the BTCP Process

VULNERABILITIES

Credible, High-impact

threats

AGENT CHARACTERISTICS

ADVERSARIES’Capability

AndIntent

Intelligence reporting and open source information are used to identify credible immediate and future threats

Scientific and technical knowledge are integrated with intelligence to determine which threats are realistic

Threats and vulnerabilities are evaluated in collaboration with federal agencies (NIH, FDA, USDA, Customs and Border Patrol) and industry partners

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Characterization of:Characterization of:•AgentAgent•MatrixMatrix•Support of traditional Support of traditional forensics with bio agent forensics with bio agent contaminated evidencecontaminated evidence

Coordinate “directed” Coordinate “directed” Bioforensic research Bioforensic research to fill capability gapsto fill capability gapsUnique

fingerprint of biological agent

Evidence Collection

NBFAC Integrates Sample Analysis and R&D

National Bioforensic National Bioforensic Analysis ProgramAnalysis Program

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

NBFAC Operates as a “Hub” and “Spoke”

NBFAC provides a national capability to conduct and coordinate forensic analyses of evidence from biocrimes and bioterrorism

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Actionable information

Identified gaps

Unidentified gaps

Youknow

…you know …you don’t know

You don’tknow

Biodefense Knowledge Center

Non-accessed information

• Exploit the existing scientific knowledge base

• ‘Reachback’ support• Collaboration tools• SME access/directories

• Accelerate understanding of the biological threat

• Material threat assessments• Knowledge gap ID/communication• Emerging threat awareness

• Enable these objectives through technology

• Knowledge discovery tools• Threat awareness tools• Dual-use technology awareness

Info

rmat

ion

The Mission of the BKC is to Enable a Better, more Timely Understanding of the Threat from

Bioterrorism

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Operational Support24/7 science and technology (S&T) 'Reachback' service to

operational entities within the Department of Homeland SecurityBiological Threat Awareness

In-depth analysis of biodefense issues, including material threat assessments for Project BioShield and 'Awareness Bulletins', focused on homeland security-relevant biological events and emerging biotechnologyKnowledge Discovery Tool Development

State-of-the-art analysis tools, providing unique data integration, analysis, and visualization capabilitiesBiodefense Knowledge Stewardship

A biodefense knowledge management infrastructure built as an enduring asset to NBACC and the biodefense community

Biodefense Knowledge Stewardship

Knowledge Discovery Tools

Biothreat Awareness

OperationalSupport

Four BKC Functions Facilitate Bioterror Threat Anticipation, Prevention, and Response

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Assessment FY Status

Bacillus anthracis MTA 04 Published

Radiological materials MTA 04 Published

Nuclear detonation effects on target population: Initial evaluation

05 Published

Volatile nerve agents MTA 04 Published

Yersinia pestis MTA 05 Published

Francisella tularensis MTA 05 In final production

Cyanide: initial evaluation 05 In final production

Filoviruses (Marburg/Ebola) MTA 05 In final production

Viral hemorrhagic fever viruses 06 In progress

Bulkholderia spc. 06 Draft in circulation

Rickettsia spc. 06 Draft to be completed August 06

Material Threat Assessments Provide the Foundation for BioShield Procurements

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

BKC Awareness Bulletins: Topical Information for a Policy Audience

• Technology focused:• Cloning kits• Nebulizers• Large porous particle technology• Synthesis of genes/proteins• Viral purification technologies• Formulation• Stabilizing technologies• Aerosol vaccine technology• Agricultural biocontrol devices• Etc.

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Knowledge Center, Bioforensics & Threat Characterization Program Integration

Experimental closure of scientific gaps

Future Threat Anticipation(Emerging

Technology)

Material Threat Assessments(Actionable

S&T)

BT & BW relatedIntelligence

(Capabilities & Intent)

Risk Assessment

Major S&T Gap Identification

IntelligenceCollection & Analysis

Operational & Reachback Support

BiodefenseKnowledgeCenter

BiologicalCharacterizationCenter

BioforensicsAnalysisCenter

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY

Questions?

FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY