Rocco Casagrande Chosen to Serve on the National Academies Standing Committee on Biotechnology and National Security Needs

Rocco Casagrande Chosen to Serve on the National Academies Standing Committee on Biotechnology and National Security Needs

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently accepted Dr. Casagrande as a member of their new standing committee on biotechnology and national security needs. This committee will enable the national security community to identify advanced biotechnology capabilities, discuss potential barriers or challenges to adoption, and build partnerships between the national security stakeholders and biotechnology experts. The standing committee will explore multiple topics including the applicability of biotechnologies for addressing current or anticipated needs of U.S. national security agencies and the factors, such as workforce, infrastructure, policy, and security, needed to enable technology transition to the national security community. Additionally, the committee will examine the early-stage biotechnology and life science research that demonstrates promising scientific or technical capabilities for addressing national security needs and the innovation ecosystem needed to translate early-stage research into practical application.

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Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Emerging Technologies

Gryphon Scientific Supports COVID-19 Outbreak Response

Gryphon Scientific Supports COVID-19 Outbreak Response

Gryphon Scientific has been called on by clients from state and local governments and across the federal interagency, including the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Homeland Security, and National Institutes of Health, to support the government’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. This work has included:

    • Helping coordinate components of the federal government response: 
      • Helping coordinate federal government efforts to expand community-based testing for COVID-19. 
    • Performing research and providing expert guidance to support the development of preparedness and response policies: 
      • Supporting the development of federal agency policies and plans for multiple aspects of the COVID-19 response, such as the HHS/ASPR Strategic Plan and the federal interagency COVID-19 Data Collection, Fusion, and Analysis Concept of Operations. As part of these efforts, working with federal stakeholders to capture lessons learned from the response and incorporate them into planning documents to inform future pandemic-focused programming and resource allocation.  
      • Conducting a nationwide survey of clinical laboratories to identify challenges they faced in performing COVID-19 testing, to inform strategies for improving surge diagnostic testing in future public health emergencies. 
      • Advising local governments on social distancing policies.  
    • Facilitating the use of COVID-19 data in research and government decision-making: 
      • Critically evaluating and synthesizing published research and media reports on COVID-19 to inform government decision-making and policy development.  
      • Coordinating the deposition of SARS-CoV-2 surveillance and research data into public databases and scientific communications to increase the accessibility of the data and research findings.  
    • Performing risk assessment and infectious disease modeling: 
      • Contributing to the development of SARS-CoV-2 transmission models by developing evidence-based parameters related to infectivity and health effects.  
      • Developing risk assessment tools to predict country-to-country spread of the virus internationally. 
    • Developing training: 
      • Developing training materials for first responders on how to recognize and mitigate occupational risks from COVID-19, including appropriate usage of personal protective equipment (PPE) and safe work practices.  

We bring our hallmark deep scientific expertise and rigorous, evidence-based approach to understanding and communicating risk to this work. If you are interested to learn more about Gryphon Scientific support for the COVID-19 response, please contact us at [email protected].

Selected Examples of Our COVID-19 Response Support

Helping NIOSH understand occupational hazards related to the COVID-19 pandemic

Gryphon Scientific is supporting the CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) by performing ongoing rapid review of the COVID-19 literature related to occupational health and safety. Gryphon staff screen on average more than 3,000 titles a week to identify publications that address worker safety in the context of COVID-19, encompassing topic areas such as epidemiology, occupational exposure, worker mental health, engineering controls, long-term complications from infection, and efficacy of PPE, among others. In addition, we conduct ongoing surveillance of news reports of workplace violence related to COVID-19. From the resulting literature and news reports, Gryphon staff develop summaries of the most relevant and impactful publications (approximately 40 publications a week) for NIOSH. These summaries enable NIOSH to use the latest COVID-related scientific literature to help them develop technical guidance for worker safety and to inform their research plans to address knowledge gaps.

Developing Training for Essential Workers on Occupational Risks From COVID-19

Gryphon Scientific has developed training materials for essential workers and disaster response volunteers on managing occupational risks from COVID-19 in a variety of formats. We developed a training video series focused on COVID-19 and other respiratory disease risks that first responders routinely face while performing their duties, which includes information on the characteristics of COVID-19, appropriate use of PPE, and safe work practices. Gryphon staff also created the CERT Hero: COVID 101 mobile app, which contains informative videos, knowledge checks, and mock scenarios designed to challenge users to recall and apply pathogen protection measures such as social distancing and handwashing in work-relevant scenarios. The content for our training curricula is based on guidelines published by CDC.

These resources are designed to be accessible training tools to supplement in-person training received by essential workers and disaster response volunteers, helping them protect themselves and their communities. The training videos can be accessed through Gryphon Scientific’s YouTube channel.

Supporting the Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance

Since its inception in 2014, Gryphon Scientific served on a team that managed the Data Processing and Coordinating Center (DPCC) for the Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS), a program run by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The CEIRS program was a multidisciplinary network of academic Centers whose investigators performed research on host immune response, viral pathogenesis, and transmission of influenza and coronaviruses. After SARS-CoV-2 emerged, the CEIRS Network pivoted rapidly to support the pandemic response through genomic surveillance and research. Gryphon worked with DPCC team members to increase the accessibility and usefulness of data generated by CEIRS researchers through scientific communication and data collection and management.

The DPCC team quickly designed and developed a novel resources webpage on the CEIRS public website to share research communications from CEIRS investigators, including publications, social media posts, and information on CEIRS-generated virus isolates and other reagents. The DPCC also facilitated deposition of SARS-CoV-2 sequence and research data into public databases through the development of standardized data submission templates (including data standards) and processes used by CEIRS researchers.

Link to the CEIRS public website | www.niaidceirs.org/covid-19/

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CDC Survey of Clinical Laboratories on Surge Testing

CDC Survey of Clinical Laboratories on Surge Testing

On behalf of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Division of Laboratory Systems, Gryphon Scientific and Abt Associates conducted a national survey of clinical laboratories to understand whether and how laboratories would choose to participate in surge testing during a public health emergency.

Between January and September 2021, laboratories that are certified to perform moderate and/or high-complexity testing under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) were randomly selected for participation in the survey, to ensure that a nationally representative sample of clinical laboratories was surveyed. The survey asked about factors that influence a laboratory’s capability, capacity, and willingness to perform surge testing following a chemical, biological (intentional or natural), or radiological incident.

Survey data analysis is in progress. CDC and its public health partners will use the survey data to expand partnerships with the clinical laboratory sector and improve surge testing during the COVID-19 pandemic and future public health emergencies. The survey findings also will be shared with the laboratory community via peer-reviewed publications.

Gryphon Scientific is also collaborating with Healthcare Ready, the Association of Public Health Laboratories, the Association of American Medical Colleges, and the National Marrow Donor Program on this survey project. If you have questions about this survey or want to learn about additional opportunities to become involved in the project, please contact [email protected].

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All-Hazards Preparedness, Response, and CBRN Defense

Contributions to the Community

Contributions to the Community

Introduction

We’re small, but we believe everyone can contribute to the community. The efforts described below demonstrate our interest in environmental conservation as well as our commitment to social and environmental justice, which we believe are inextricably linked. We support initiatives which seek to ensure freedom from injustice and equal access to a healthy environment that includes access to educational and economic opportunity.

Environmental Stewardship

Gryphon Scientific has been a Montgomery County Green Certified Business since 2016. This certification demonstrates Gryphon’s commitment to environmental stewardship through the adoption of sustainable business practices such as recycling, environmentally preferable purchasing, using energy-efficient equipment and appliances, and practices to reduce paper use. Gryphon also promotes sustainability outside the office by encouraging alternative modes of transportation for employees, donating or recycling used IT equipment, and participating in local sustainability initiatives and environmental events. Through these efforts, we hope to be an example of sustainable and responsible practices for our employees, business partners, and the community.

Left Gryphon Scientific staff participated in the Friends of Sligo Creek Sweep the Creek Event, which involved clearing trash from Sligo Creek waterway and the surrounding Becca Lilly Neighborhood Park.

Learn more | Montgomery County Green Business Certification

Gryphon Green Team | Gautham Venugopalan, Casey Basham, Andrew Taylor, Ana Ruess

Equity and Inclusion

Gryphon Scientific values equity and inclusion and has taken concrete steps to advance these values in our local and global communities.

    • Matching donations. We match staff donations to any charitable organization that works to promote the right of global people to equality and freedom from discrimination, violence, or degrading treatment regardless of race or ethnicity, religion, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, or socioeconomic circumstances.
    • Research on systemic injustice. Recognizing that our research skills can be an important asset in the fight to change hate and address inequality, we are committed to pursuing work related to equity and have allocated internal funding for noteworthy ideas on these topics that may not have an available or receptive funder.
    • Supporting the next generation of scientists. We provide financial support to “Letters to a Pre-Scientist,” a science engagement program that focuses on both literacy and science education in low-income schools by connecting STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) professionals as pen pals with middle school students.
    • Filling technology needs of underserved communities. Gryphon donates surplus IT equipment we decommission to non-profit organizations to help address inequities in technology access while reducing electronic waste. We were pleased to refurbish and ship a server and routers to a rural college in Bolivia to improve students’ access to wifi, aiding the College’s mission of making higher education and job training available to young Bolivians with access to educational opportunity. Gryphon also regularly donates used computer equipment to local non-profits.
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Gryphon Scientific Receives a Major Grant to Address Critical Knowledge Gaps in Biosafety

Gryphon Scientific Receives a Major Grant to Address Critical Knowledge Gaps in Biosafety

Gryphon Scientific was awarded a major, three-year grant by Open Philanthropy to conduct critical research in biosafety. The massive growth in the power of biology to understand and manipulate life will continue to benefit mankind but has not been matched by a growth in scholarship to understand how to ensure that such work is done safely – major funding for biosafety research has been scarce for decades. This first-in-kind grant will be used to address critical knowledge gaps and foster the establishment of a community of researchers focused on transforming biosafety into an evidence-based practice, through several seminal studies across disciplines in biosafety:

    • Failure analysis: Replicating accidents with modern plastic labware to determine how likely these vessels are to release potentially infectious material, and how much or the material is released in droplets or aerosols. Existing data in this field uses laboratory glassware, which is no longer widely used.
    • Safety best practices: Ensuring that innovative systems already deployed to improve safety are widely disseminated so that the entire biomedical enterprise can become safer.
    • Human reliability: Investigating how, why, and how often laboratory workers make mistakes, through controlled experiments in academic and clinical laboratories and via observation in teaching and training laboratories. This research will engage academics in the United States and clinical labs throughout low and middle income countries.

Through these studies, we will foster a worldwide community conducting applied biosafety research. To that end, the studies will be multidisciplinary, spanning traditional engineering, political science, and life science research in academe and in clinical settings, demonstrating that researchers from many backgrounds can contribute.

Data from this research will transform how we think about biosafety, ensuring that our investments in the life sciences continue to be of overwhelming benefit to mankind and not be completely undone by one careless minute.

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Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Emerging Technologies

Gryphon Scientific Participates in the Global Health Security Agenda Consortium

Gryphon Scientific Participates in the Global Health Security Agenda Consortium

The Global Health Security Agenda Consortium (GHSAC) is a collective of academic, private sector, and non-governmental organizations that support implementation of the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) and related international frameworks to strengthen national capabilities for preventing, detecting, and responding to infectious disease threats. The GHSAC is a permanent member of the GHSA Steering Group, contributes to GHSA Action Packages and Task Forces, and leads the Advocacy and Communications Task Force. From 2019 – 2020, Dr. Margaret Rush, a Partner and Principal Scientist at Gryphon, is serving as the GHSAC representative to the Stakeholder Engagement Package. In this role, Dr. Rush is working closely with members of the GHSAC leadership group and a Steering Committee of approximately 30 member organizations to advance the GHSAC’s mission of promoting collaboration, excellence, innovation, and commitment in implementing the GHSA. Gryphon also is helping to maintain the GHSAC website.

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Data Management and Communications; International Engagement

Gryphon Scientific Joins Academic and Industry Experts in Calling for Professionalization of Biosecurity Competencies

Gryphon Scientific Joins Academic and Industry Experts in Calling for Professionalization of Biosecurity Competencies

Advances in life sciences research and biotechnology fields, including synthetic biology, genomics, and neuroscience, are transforming the agriculture, healthcare, energy, and other sectors that rely on use of biologically derived materials. However, some of these materials, technologies, and associated information and expertise potentially could be exploited to cause harm to humans, animals, plants, the environment, public safety, or national security. Biosecurity is a multidisciplinary effort to identify and mitigate biological risks by implementing risk- and threat-based control measures to prevent the unauthorized access, misuse, loss, theft, diversion, and intentional release of such “dual use” materials, technologies, information, and expertise.

Historically, biosecurity policies and practices have focused on risks posed by pathogens and toxins, and therefore, may not address adequately the security concerns posed by emerging life sciences research and technologies. In this Policy Forum, the authors propose the establishment of a professional biosecurity credential to support the creation of a well-trained, responsible workforce with a core set of skills necessary to secure the life sciences of the future.

  • FULL-TEXT HTML | Read more here
  • FULL-TEXT PDF | Read more here
  • FORMER GRYPHON STAFF | Dr. Kavita Berger (Director, Board on Life Sciences at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine)
  • PARTNERS | Rebecca L. Moritz, University of Wisconsin, Barbara R. Owen, Merck and Co., and David R. Gillum, Arizona State University
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Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Emerging Technologies

Gryphon Scientists Analyze the Accelerating Pace of Biotechnology Democratization in Nature Biotechnology

Gryphon Scientists Analyze the Accelerating Pace of Biotechnology Democratization in Nature Biotechnology

Gryphon Scientists Analyze the Accelerating Pace of Biotechnology Democratization in Nature Biotechnology

As biotechnologies mature from activities requiring substantial educational and financial investments into those requiring far less resources, the technologies can more readily be misused to cause harm. Understanding the speed at which new biotechnologies become “democratized” is important for developing regulatory and security policies and practices that safeguard against accidental or intentional misuse without unduly hampering cutting-edge research. In this publication from Nature Biotechnology, Gryphon researchers use a novel analytical method to analyze the pace of advancement of biotechnologies. Gryphon’s analysis suggests that novel biotechnologies can become democratized – that is, accessible to many individuals with relatively low levels of technical skill and financial resources – in less than 4.5 years from their discovery and may do so in less than 3.5 years by the end of the next decade. These results suggest that ongoing review of the security risks associated with biotechnologies is needed to enable proactive development of mitigation policies and oversight systems.

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Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Emerging Technologies

Antibiotic Resistance and Breastfeeding: A neglected area of study

Antibiotic Resistance and Breastfeeding: A Neglected Area of Study

Research has shown that nursing mothers being treated with antibiotics expose their babies to sub-therapeutic doses of antibiotics. Through an analysis of published literature, this paper explores whether this exposure may promote the development of antimicrobial resistance in babies. We conclude that research examining the potential effect of antibiotic use by nursing mothers on antimicrobial resistance in their babies is needed to improve efforts to reduce antibiotic resistance by reducing unnecessary or inappropriate antibiotic prescribing.

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All-Hazards Preparedness, Response, and CBRN Defense

Gryphon’s Managing Director Publishes White Paper on the Need for Empirical Research in Biosafety as Part of the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security

Gryphon’s Managing Director Publishes White Paper on the Need for Empirical Research in Biosafety as Part of the CSIS Commission on Strengthening America's Health Security

Dr. Rocco Casagrande, Gryphon’s managing director and an advisor to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Commission on Strengthening America’s Health Security, recently published a white paper with CSIS on the need for empirical research to support laboratory biosafety. In this paper, Dr. Casagrande argues that the life sciences have advanced much faster than our knowledge of biosafety, the practice and knowledge needed to prevent accidents in life science laboratories. Research is needed into how accidents occur and the effectiveness of training and equipment to prevent or mitigate accidents. Dr. Casagrande suggests that seminal research could be funded for merely $10M a year and that this research is best housed at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

The Commission, co-chaired by former Senator Kelly Ayotte and Dr. Julie Geberding, former Director of CDC, aims to “chart a bold vision for the future of U.S. leadership in global health security at home and abroad.” Dr. Casagrande was appointed as an expert and advisor to the Commission in 2017.

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Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Emerging Technologies