Scientists of the military technopolis Era have completed a set of studies that will allow the development of a portable biological reconnaissance device. This was reported to RT by the head of the laboratory of nanotechnology and nanomaterials Alexander Molodchenko. According to him, the biosensor is designed to detect pathogens of dangerous and especially dangerous infectious diseases and viruses.

“At present, there are no devices in the world that can quickly and reliably establish the presence of one or another pathogen. There are certain technologies and methods, but a portable device that would solve such a problem has not yet been created, ”Molodchenko said.

The creation of a biosensor is carried out in the interests of the troops of radiation, chemical and biological protection (RBBZ). To date, Era specialists have developed a number of methods for identifying marker cells, as well as controlling their growth and separation. According to Molodchenko, the laboratory approached the “final stage of research" on the project.

“Fix outbreaks of disease”

Operators of scientific companies participate in the work on the project, which de facto replace the positions of biotechnologists, bioengineers, synthetic chemists, and programmers in the laboratory. The latter, for example, have developed a program for certification of cell lines. It facilitated the process of counting cells that are stored in a cryobank.

Now programmers are developing 3D models of future sensors. They allow you to conduct simulation tests for the interaction of the device with pathogens, as well as verify the effectiveness of signal generation.

The biosensor is based on the method of surface plasmon resonance (SPR). It allows the device in real time to build a curve of the interaction of the test sample with the sensor chip. After the measurement, the working surface is treated with a regenerating solution.

In the expert community, SPR is considered to be a very flexible tool in the study of intermolecular interactions. The method "can easily adapt to the tasks of an experiment," says the site of the Center for Collective Use of the IBG RAS, one of the leading research institutes in the field of nanotechnology.

“The SPR registration method has advantages over the classical methods for studying intermolecular interaction, since it does not require labeling of the reagents with either radioactive or any other labels and allows you to determine the equilibrium interaction parameters without separation of free and bound forms,” scientists of the Russian Academy of Sciences indicate.

The biosensor prototype resembles a small plastic part. Inside it is a sensitive element that responds to the pathogen. After successful testing of the biological intelligence complex, the Era laboratory plans to begin to create more dimensional multi-sensor systems.

“The methods that we put into our device are of great scientific and practical importance. Firstly, this is a scientific and technical groundwork in the field of creating biological monitoring devices that surpass existing analogues in speed and weight and size characteristics. Secondly, we can instantly detect the outbreak of infectious diseases. And most importantly, such work is in great demand in the framework of the national security strategy of the Russian Federation, ”Molodchenko said.

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In a conversation with RT, Tengiz Borisov, vice president of the Academy of Security, Defense and Law and Order, noted that the Era technopolis product will be widely in demand in the Russian Armed Forces. According to him, biological reconnaissance must be carried out in all regions where Russian troops are located.

“Russia strictly adheres to the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons (entered into force on March 26, 1975. - RT ). However, this agreement does not limit the Russian Federation in the creation of biosensors. They are necessary not only to protect the health of military personnel, but also to identify traces of the use of biological weapons. Unfortunately, this problem is still relevant, ”said Borisov.

"Contactless War"

In a RT commentary, Vadim Kozyulin, a professor at the Academy of Military Sciences, a senior fellow at the Center for Political Studies of Russia, emphasized the particular importance of biological intelligence. He recalled that Moscow is concerned about the research activities of individual foreign institutions, including American centers located near the borders of the Russian Federation.

“Modern laboratories owned by government departments and private pharmaceutical companies may inadvertently create biological weapons. This is the specificity of current biotechnology. It is scary to imagine if biological weapons fall into the hands of terrorists or if a state violates the Convention. However, such scenarios cannot be excluded. Russia needs appropriate reconnaissance and countermeasures, ”said Kozyulin.

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, US closed research institutes are located in Georgia, Ukraine and Azerbaijan. Last October, Major General Igor Kirillov, head of the Russian Chemical Forces Tank Plant, presented at a press briefing a report entitled "Analysis of the US Military and Biological Activities in Georgia."

In preparing the document, he used materials provided by the ex-Minister of State Security of Georgia Igor Giorgadze on the activities of the Center for Public Health named after Richard Lugar. This institute is located in the village of Alekseevka, near Tbilisi.

In Washington, they argue that the mission of the Center "is to protect citizens from biological threats, to strengthen the health of people and animals in the interests of Georgia, Transcaucasia and the international community." However, the Russian Defense Ministry caught the United States trying to circumvent a number of provisions of the Convention on the Prohibition of Biological and Toxin Weapons.

According to the Russian military, the Center employs specialists from the Scientific Research Institute of the Ground Forces named after Walter Reed, US Threat Reduction Agency, US Department of Energy National Nuclear Safety Administration.

The Center’s priority research list includes potential biological weapons agents: causative agents of tularemia, anthrax, brucellosis, dengue, Congo-Crimean hemorrhagic fever and other diseases that indulge in blood-sucking insects.

“Of particular interest in the United States are the atypical forms of plague, moreover, according to the principle of“ the more atypical, the better. ” The search for such pathogens is carried out in foci throughout Georgia, including in close proximity to the Russian border, ”Kirillov said.

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Currently in the United States patented drone (patent No. 8 967 029), designed to spread infected insects in the air. As the creators of the apparatus indicate, it is able to incapacitate enemy troops without the risk of losses for the American army. In addition, ammunition for the delivery of chemical and biological recipes is patented in the United States.

“This is in line with the US concept of 'contactless war.” The possibility of equipping capsules with poisonous, radioactive, narcotic substances, as well as pathogens of infectious diseases was shown, ”Kirillov emphasized.

Vadim Kozyulin believes that the research activities of closed laboratories in the United States threaten Russia's national security. He also drew attention to the inadmissibility of collecting genetic material from residents of the Russian Federation and other post-Soviet countries, which is carried out by a number of states, including the United States.

“I would not argue that the States and other states are deliberately developing biological weapons. Nevertheless, the research carried out by the Pentagon institutes, especially those located near our border, raises many legitimate concerns. We are not aware of the tasks that are set for them. And therefore, it is very difficult to assess the consequences of an emergency, which hypothetically can occur at these facilities, ”said Kozyulin.