Texas Biomedical Research Institute is partnering with the U.S. Department of Defense to protect soldiers and citizens from biothreats, including natural infectious diseases and the emerging threat of lab-engineered bioweapons.
Local Impact
The San Antonio-based nonprofit research institute announced the new collaboration on Tuesday. Under the agreement, Texas Biomed will work with the arm of the DOD that manages the nation’s chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear defense assets.
Experts and governments around the world have become increasingly concerned about the risk of bioterrorism — the deliberate release of viruses, bacteria or toxins against humans, animals or food supplies — worrying that advances in artificial intelligence are exacerbating the threat.
Medical Countermeasures
Under the agreement, Texas Biomed will develop and validate new “medical countermeasures” against naturally emerging diseases and “engineered risks.” Examples of medical countermeasures typically include vaccines, antivirals, diagnostic tools and personal protective equipment.
Original reporting: San Antonio Report — read the source article.
