Gryphon leads effort to develop a new Incident Response Framework for HHS/ASPR

Gryphon Leads Effort to Develop a New Incident Response Framework for HHS/ASPR

Gryphon Leads Effort to Develop a New Incident Response Framework for HHS/ASPR

Gryphon Scientific provided consultant support to lead the development of ASPR’s new Incident Response Framework. This Framework describes the organizational structure, functional roles and responsibilities, and operational concepts that form part of the ASPR organization’s overarching approach to all-hazards incident response and special event preparedness. As such, it forms the basis from which HHS/ASPR personnel, augmentees, and agency representatives internal and external to HHS will execute their assigned missions at the headquarters and field levels across the life-cycle of an incident or special event. This Framework also is intended to inform the development of various standard operating procedures (SOPs), incident reporting templates, position descriptions, position task books (PTBs), qualification and training programs, etc., corresponding to and aligning with the various coordinating structures identified in the document.

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All-Hazards Preparedness, Response, and CBRN Defense

Assessing the Role of U.S. and Other Foreign Engagement in China’s Biotechnology Development

Assessing the Role of U.S. and Other Foreign Engagement in China's Biotechnology Development

Overview

In the past decade, China’s biotechnology industry has grown tremendously, fueled by Chinese government policies promoting the biotechnology sector as a driver of economic growth and increased foreign interaction with the U.S. and other countries. Gryphon Scientific, in partnership with Rhodium Group, performed an extensive investigation of China’s biotechnology industry and the role of U.S. companies in its development to assess the economic and security implications for the U.S. Our report provides a comprehensive look at a growing power in the global biotechnology industry and includes recommendations for specific steps to ensure continued vitality of the U.S. biotechnology industry and the security of our country.

In July 2019, Dr. Mark Kazmierczak provided expert testimony for the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission hearing on exploring U.S. reliance on China's biotechnology and pharmaceutical products. Dr. Kazmierczak briefed the Commission on key findings and recommendations from Gryphon's report and answered questions on how China's advances in biotechnology applications in healthcare and other industries may affect the U.S. economy and national security.

Motivation

In the past decade, Chinese policy has placed an emphasis on the importance of biotechnology to the future economic growth of the country, and its biotechnology industry has seen tremendous growth. Much of this growth has come through increased foreign interaction with the U.S. and other countries, through investment, partnerships, and other business, scientific, and academic relationships. To identify potential economic and security ramifications to the U.S., we sought to identify what strategies Chinese biotechnology companies are using to acquire new technologies and relevant data, including U.S. healthcare-related data, and what increased competition from China could mean for the U.S. biotechnology industry.

Methods

Our approach was multi-faceted and drew on diverse data sources. Open source information was used to assess the current capabilities of China’s biotechnology industry and its likely future direction. We spoke to entrepreneurs and investors in the U.S. biotechnology industry to understand the current relationships between the two countries and the benefits and risks that collaboration and partnership may bring. Through our partner, Rhodium Group, we identified and analyzed China-based investments into U.S. biotechnology companies. Through analysis of these data streams, we assessed the potential risks to U.S. economic and national security and identified avenues through which the U.S. could secure its interests.

Results

China’s biotechnology prowess is growing at a tremendous rate, supported by policies and investments at the national and local levels. Our report describes the technologies and capabilities of Chinese biotechnology companies, their goals for growth and development, and the methods used to achieve them. With these activities in mind, an honest and objective look at the risks and benefits of growing interdependence of the U.S. and China follows, with recommendations for specific steps that could be taken to ensure continued vitality of the U.S. biotechnology industry and the security of our country.

Resources

The public report, “China’s Biotechnology Development: The Role of U.S. and Other Foreign Engagement,” was released on February 14, 2019.

The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission testimony, “Exploring the Growing Reliance on China’s Biotech and Pharmaceutical Products,” was given on July 31, 2019.

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Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Emerging Technologies

Dual Use Risk Analysis Training Materials for Malaysian Life Scientists

Dual Use Risk Analysis Training Materials for Malaysian Life Scientists

Overview

These dual use case study materials were developed for use in dual use risk analysis training activities, and are free to modify and distribute under a Creative Commons License. Gryphon developed the materials in collaboration with Malaysia’s Science and Technology Research Institute for Defence (STRIDE), adapted from materials originally developed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

  • GRYPHON STAFF | Dr. Gautham Venugopalan
  • PROJECT PARTNERS | Nancy Connell, Hopkins Center for Health Security; Malaysian Science and Technology Research Institute for Defence
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International Engagement; Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Emerging Technologies

Review of Cases of Occult Radiation Exposure and an Analysis of Time to Diagnosis

Review of Cases of Occult Radiation Exposure and an Analysis of Time to Diagnosis

Review of Cases of Occult Radiation Exposure and an Analysis of Time to Diagnosis

Does cutaneous radiation injury reduce the time to diagnosis in cases where radiation exposure is not known? This paper reviews eight cases of occult radiation exposures and examines the factors confounding or supporting accurate diagnoses.

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All-Hazards Preparedness, Response, and CBRN Defense

Estimating Risk of Hematopoietic Acute Radiation Syndrome in Children

Estimating Risk of Hematopoietic Acute Radiation Syndrome in Children

Children are known to be more radiation sensitive than adults, but insufficient data are available to quantify this increased sensitivity. This paper develops ED50 for hemapoietic injury in children from radiation, allowing improved pediatric casualty estimates.

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All-Hazards Preparedness, Response, and CBRN Defense

Modeling Cutaneous Radiation Injury from Fallout

Modeling Cutaneous Radiation Injury from Fallout

Modeling Cutaneous Radiation Injury from Fallout

This publication describes efforts to better estimate and understand human health outcomes following a nuclear event. Models were developed for cutaneous radiation injury from nuclear weapon fallout, including both ground-shine and direct skin contamination. These advanced injury models serve as a basis for future cutaneous injury studies.

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All-Hazards Preparedness, Response, and CBRN Defense

Screening Internal Contamination of Inhaled and Ingested Radionuclides with Hand-held Survey Meters

Screening Internal Contamination of Inhaled and Ingested Radionuclides with Hand-held Survey Meters

Screening Internal Contamination of Inhaled and Ingested Radionuclides with Hand-held Survey Meters

Gryphon Scientific examined the detectability of internal contamination with radionuclides using external survey in Monte Carlo N-Particle Transport Code (MCNP) using sophisticated voxelized phantoms of the human body. Detectors were limited to hand-held survey meters to estimate the utility of external detection in mass-casualty incidents.

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All-Hazards Preparedness, Response, and CBRN Defense

Training Materials for Practical Implementation of Laboratory Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Biorisk Management

Training Materials for Practical Implementation of Laboratory Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Biorisk Management

Overview

Experts from Gryphon Scientific, Moroccan Biosafety Association, Batna University I, American University of Beirut, and Royal Scientific Society of Jordan conducted a train-the-trainer event that taught participants active learning concepts and approaches for teaching their colleagues and students about laboratory biosafety and biosecurity. The activities conducted during the training event simultaneously served to train participants to consider practical application of laboratory biosafety and biosecurity concepts, and to illustrate how different types of immersive, interactive activities can be used in training. The focus and materials of the training program built on gaps identified after thorough evaluation of the research landscape, governance on laboratory biosafety and biosecurity, and past and current training and bioengagement activities in Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, Algeria, and Lebanon. The training materials are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) and are posted below.

  • GRYPHON STAFF | Dr. Gautham Venugopalan, Landy Sun
  • FORMER GRYPHON STAFF | Dr. Kavita Berger (Director, Board on Life Sciences at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine)
  • TRAINING TEAM | Nisreen Al-Hmoud, Royal Scientific Society of Jordan, Halima Benbouza, Batna University I, Khalid Temsamani, Moroccan Biological Safety Association, Elias Rahal, American University of Beirut

Mock Review Materials

A scenario-based approach to educate scientists on assessing risks and benefits of research.

Table Top Exercises

A scenario-based simulation exercise to train scientists in identifying gaps and vulnerabilities in their laboratories and biorisk management practices for addressing identified gaps and vulnerabilities.

Training Game

An interactive training game for scientists to learn about risks associated with laboratory biosafety and biosecurity.

Sticky Note Exercise

An interactive exercise to encourage identification of core laboratory biosafety and biosecurity concepts.

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International Engagement; Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Emerging Technologies

Rocco featured in the New York Times

Rocco Casagrande Featured in the New York Times

Rocco Casagrande Featured in the New York Times

Rocco Casagrande Featured in the New York Times

An interview with Dr. Rocco Casagrande, Gryphon Scientific’s Managing Partner, was featured in the New York Times. This article follows the release of the risk and benefit assessment of research on pathogens of pandemic potential.

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Middle East and North Africa Community of Practice for Biological and Chemical Safety and Security

Middle East and North Africa Community of Practice for Biological and Chemical Safety and Security

For more than 10 years, laboratory biosafety and biosecurity workshops and training programs have been conducted in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Despite these efforts, best practices and training materials often are not shared among the MENA scientific and health sectors. To address this issue, Gryphon Scientific and the Royal Scientific Society of Jordan are leading an effort to promote information-sharing about best practices and training materials for laboratory safety, biosecurity, and biorisk management in the region through a MENA Region Community of Practice for Biological and Chemical Safety and Security.

  • GRYPHON STAFF | Dr. Gautham Venugopalan
  • FORMER GRYPHON STAFF | Dr. Kavita Berger (Director, Board on Life Sciences at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine), Dr. Jaleal Sanjak, Casey Basham
  • PARTNER | Royal Scientific Society of Jordan
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Practice Areas

International Engagement; Biosafety, Biosecurity, and Emerging Technologies