Biodesign Institute joins fight against ‘dirty bombs’

The Biodesign Institute at ASU and the Translational Genomics Institute have been awarded key roles in an effort to provide protection in the event of a radiological terrorist attack.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health, is funding the establishment of a network of multiple-institution centers for countermeasures to “dirty bombs” or other attacks involving radioactive materials. As collaborators in the project, the Biodesign Institute will garner $5.9 million and TGen will receive $3 million in funding over the next five years.

The grant represents the first-ever federal award to include a university-led product development core to measure radiation exposure, also known as biodosimetry. Frederic Zenhausern, director of the Biodesign Institute’s Center for Applied NanoBioscience, will lead a team of experts to coordinate all aspects of product development projects and core technologies.

At TGen, Jeffrey Trent and Michael Bittner, who jointly worked on “biosignatures” of radiation response while at the National Institute of Health, will lead a team that will provide informatics and biostatistical support.

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