Kromek Group PLC - Sedgefield, England-based detection technology supplier - Wins USD6 million contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to deliver the second phase of its bio-threat detection system for the US Department of Defense. Says the detection system can sense, analyse and identify airborne pathogens. The system extends the US military's pre-existing Sigma network for detecting biological threats.
New contract takes the overall programme value awarded to around USD13 million for first and second phases of Kromek's bio-threat system project. Notes first phase successfully developed vehicle-mounted and miniaturised mobile biological-threat identifiers. In the second phase, concluding in 28 months, Kromek plans to develop a beta version of a mobile, autonomous and entirely automated wide spectrum airborne pathogen detection system along with a network to store, share and analyse system data.
Chief Executive Arnab Basu said: "In addition to the ever-present danger of bio-terrorism, the outbreak of the pandemic has exposed the world to the severity of biological threats and their potential impact on public health and the global economy, and has demonstrated the need to rapidly evolve bio-security systems and associated technologies. This contract will allow us to continue our work in developing a mobile wide-area bio-surveillance system capable of detecting airborne pathogens in real-time."
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By Scarlett Butler; scarlettbutler@alliancenews.com
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Kromek (KMK)