Just to finish off-
None of the resent Covid detectors I mentioned would be considered for the new Biowatch/BD21 as they don't meet any of the laid down requirements.
With Kromek's £10k/ dollar unit cost fig. from Paul Hills last Equity article
and fully automatic/real time and low running costs it would be a very attractive choice in many locations I think.
With Biowatch the story is a long saga of failed expectations and serious cost overrun's there's even been books written about it
https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Biosurveillance--BioWatch-Generation-3-Acquisition-by-Wyatt-E-Fletcher-editor-United-States-Government-Accountability-Office/9781624172199
The last serious attempt at a BioWatch Gen 3 US replacement system being Northrop Grummans. NG-ADS with unit costs i
believe near 100k. This was postponed after a 4 or 5 year development programme costing many 10s of million dollars as it was found to be not sensitive enough to detect half of the pathos it was spec'ed to and prone to many false alarms and breaking down after a few days operation. (Dept Homeland security- req'g 2 weeks)?
https://www.wmddetectorselector.army.mil/detectorPages/209.aspx
From a 2014 Defence news site-
'The last GAO report on the program released in September 2012 said BioWatch 3’s schedule was slipping from deployment in 2016 to 2022, and lifecycle costs were ballooning from the 2009 estimates of $2.1 billion to $5.8 billion in 2011.
The lab-in-a-box goal will continue, said the official and an industry insider.
“Experts from the office of health affairs and the Science and Technology Directorate are exploring potential technologies for future development and deployment to enhance our biodefense capabilities,” the official said.'
So DNA sequencing tech has moved on exponentially since then along with costs becoming very attractive.
Kromeks confident statements are good to here with any initial testing issues likely to be software or alograthism tweeks as the core DNA / RNA tech is well proven and already sold globally with rave reviews
4th
Thermo Fisher. 'AerosolSense' Sampler
'The toaster oven-sized machine collects aerosol samples and traps any pathogens on a removable cartridge—with the ability to completely filter the air of a 1,000-square-foot room in under 20 hours—which is then analyzed in a laboratory using Thermo Fisher’s established TaqPath COVID-19 molecular test kit'
So same same..nothing revolutionary there
Kromek's design being far superior and rated as Gold standard in accuracy, by the RNA Nanopore company compared to all other latest generation sequencing platforms.
https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/thermo-fisher-deploys-sensors-for-detecting-airborne-covid-19
3rd most recent I believe.
BioFlyte
'Sentinel solution includes BioFlyte’s BioCapture™ z720 handheld air sampler and the BioFire Defense, Inc. FilmArray® PCR sample analysis system.'
Samples collected are PCR tested at lab or using Multiplex PCR kit on site? So time/labour/cost + consumables.
Hand held collection device. will nodoubt be useful in some situations. Claimed 1 hour results.
But niether autonomous / networked./ real time.
https://bioflyte.com/2021/05/26/bioflyte-launches-first-field-deployable-airborne-covid-19-detection-system-to-improve-school-and-workplace-safety
Well the other companies that have produced Patho Airborne detection units that have recently released products aimed at Covid 19 detection using consumables and requiring lab testing or confirmation at lab by PCR.
None being Fully autonomous/networked/real time etc.
First 2
Smiths Industries 'Bio Flash'
- using thier Canary tech. which has been around for 1O years+. Since anthrax in US mail room use.
From Smiths info page-
"BioDisk consumables that contain genetically engineered biosensors, expressing both the agent-specific antibodies and the calcium-sensitive bioluminescent molecules that are needed to produce light emission. Each BioDisk contains sixteen cuvettes with different agent-specific biosensors in specific cuvettes. This allows more than one agent of interest to be detected and identified."
The biodisk being periodically collected and sent to a Smith's lab for analysis.
New one inserted and reset
So time and labour and limited varient functionality.
https://www.smithsdetection.com/
Bertin Tech. Coriolis µ (Micro), developed and provided by Bertin Technologies
"Biological particles such as toxins, viruses, bacteria, molds, pollens and spores are collected and concentrated in a liquid ready to be analysed with microbiological, cellular and molecular biology methods."
Cyclone liquid wall? tech that then is has PCR analysis at lab.
-So a collection device.
https://bertin-technologies.com/medias/air-sampler-coriolis-m-micro-used-asia-and-europe-collect-coronavirus-and-help-combat-its
'$100-a-barrel target in new oil price surge'
https://www.arabnews.com/node/1873641/business-economy
"DUBAI: Global oil prices continued their surge on Wednesday as traders and analysts eyed the prospect of crude spiking above $100 per barrel this year for the first time since 2014.
Brent traded above the $70 mark for the third consecutive day, hitting a two-year high, while US standard West Texas International — in negative territory a little over a year ago — also rose above that level.
Traders are increasingly betting that crude can go all the way to $100 per barrel by the end of the year, with large amounts of speculative money in New York and other trading hubs buying contracts at that price.
Christian Malek, the analyst at giant US bank JP Morgan who first suggested an imminent “supercycle” in crude prices, told Arab News that $100 a barrel by year end was a distinct possibility"
Cheers Misterh. I
agree food security and mass intensive farming practices are a ticking time bomb I recon.
I watched a vid resently about a coughing pig swine desease that was rampant in Malaysia I think 100's of herds had to be culled, resulting in China buying up pig farms around the world to supply thier domestic market. I don't think China has been able to grow or farm its own use in food for some time.
I'm still digging out some notes about the other airborne companies In the frame...but my thoughts anyhow...for what they're..
Kromeks Patho design consortium with Earlham and Natural museums bio department. + "Undesclosed" RNA Sequencing company.
Started a long before China hit the world with Covid 19.
To put things in perspective the reason detection companies have been attempting to design airborne patho tech for years is the shear size of the replacement £££ market of the very out of date US Biowatch network that has been in place for 15 years+ costing 70-80 mil dollars pa. to operate in less than half the city's / states intended.
''Homeland Security officials earlier had told companies interested in supplying the technology that it would spend $3.1 billion for it during the first five years of operation.''
This above quote from an LA Times article years ago.....and....
"WASHINGTON — Amid concerns about its effectiveness and multibillion-dollar cost, the Department of Homeland Security has canceled plans to install an automated technology that was meant to speed the 24-hour operations of BioWatch, the national system for detecting a biological attack."
The last unit designed by Northrop Grumman over many years was plagued by multiple false negatives. and couldn't detect anthrax.
With initial units deployed breaking down after a few days, and switched off after New Yorks subway mang . had lost confidence in it.
Other articles in the US press have stated Homeland security quoting an initial requirements for 9000+ units nationwide.
At present the programme seems to be on hold as the requirements/tech hasn't lived up to expectations. with Northrop's units costing some 10x? the fig mentioned by Kmks per unit cost.
Kromeks units look to tick all the boxes,
But has to be put thro its paces by the US military and others.
The present and urgently required Covid 19 detection for Civilian, Commercial, Transportation and Military markets have just added to the already very large market opportunities for this new tech.
The Earlham Institute ( kmks partners) were 3 years ago successfully using the very same 3rd generation RNA/DNA sequencing tech. (Now employed by Kmk) with thier own software and alograthisms for an airborne crop desease detection project.
Live stock desease, swine and bird flu + many others being another market Kromek might well be able to sell into as the regular reoccurring outbreaks seem to get ever worse.
I think the full list of potential markets for this tech aren't widely appreciated at the moment, I'm sure that will change with coming press and science articles that emerge with the trails news and product launches.
There are about 3 or 4 other 'airborne patho ' detection product s Launched recently and all bar one requires filters/cassettes/cartridge es etc to be removed and replaced and sent to lab for PCR analysis. None being autoamus able to give results In 30 mins or less as Kromek state.
I'll post a list of them with thier limitations later if youre interested.
Hi misterh, yes you are broadly correct I've followed with interest the completion units as they have been launched.
Kromek s core DNA/RNA 3 generation is unique to them the reluctance to exactly mention them by name. Which is understandable.
When Arnab has said previously that the tech is fully developed his us taking about this 3rd gen tech....it is and very superior in the fact that it reads minute electrical current across a membrane. This is interpreted tho clever software and alograthisms. Which is what Erlwood? Thier partner were working on previously.
As each new variant is discovered it's added to a data base, and I believe I will flag even unknown 'new' ones ..but it early days yet.
https://www.kromek.com/biological-threat-detection-system/
This is always worth watching again....
There was a lot of new info in that presentation.
I've watched it twice now and will again latter
Market for D3 hand held units put at £500 million now I believe.
New product development , assume breast cancer screening? nearing launch...
Description of BIO Detector labeled as Nucelic acid based tech...so that's def Nanopore then
Plus a nice pic of a sturdy ruggedized airport prototype. And ..the best bit ALL performing as expected, which in my option is a very strong endorsement indeed as it is a prototype after all
Hard to see any negatives, a company that looks like coming good after a long period of R&D investment.
"UK Snubs IEA Suggestion To Stop Oil Exploration
By Charles Kennedy - May 26, 2021, 12:00 PM CDT
Trade Oil Futures And Energy Stocks"
https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/UK-Snubs-IEA-Suggestion-To-Stop-Oil-Exploration.htm
"The UK has no plans to stop new oil exploration, Reuters has reported, citing the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. That’s despite the recent IEA roadmap to net zero, in which the authority said all new oil exploration must cease now if the world is to become net zero by 2050."
As I guess you haven't bothered to look yourself low Roller....
From Smith's web site-
I didn't impress the Dept of Homeland Security, as they already have a cassette/ cartridge/filter collect' and post to lab for analysis old 15 year old network that needs urgently replacing with a standalone networked 'lab in a box' system.
Exactly what Kromek have been working on for over 2 years, art est price per unit of 10k each.
They have intamated 9000 reqd.
.The BioFlash® Biological Identifier is a bio-aerosol collection and identification system. It uses CANARY™ technology along with proprietary aerosol collection techniques to provide a low-risk, cost-effective biological sampling and identification solution for environmental monitoring.
"The portable, compact and easy to use BioFlash Biological Identifier offers breakthrough capabilities in sampling performance. The BioFlash operates using BioDisk consumables that contain genetically engineered biosensors, expressing both the agent-specific antibodies and the calcium-sensitive bioluminescent molecules that are needed to produce light emission. Each BioDisk contains sixteen cuvettes with different agent-specific biosensors in specific"
Rockhopper has provided an update on its international arbitration against the Republic of Italy in relation to the Ombrina Mare field. Further to the Company’s announcement of 31 March 2021, the Tribunal has today provided the following update:
“The Tribunal anticipates that it should be in a position to render its award* in the course of July. The Tribunal will revert to the Parties towards the end of June to confirm this timeframe.”
Rockhopper continues to believe it has strong prospects of recovering very significant monetary damages – on the basis of lost profits – as a result of the Republic of Italy’s breaches of the Energy Charter Treaty. All costs associated with the arbitration are funded on a non-recourse (“no win – no fee”) basis from a specialist arbitration funder.
Life has been very quiet for Rockhopper lately as the restructuring of Premier takes place and the Tribunal ruminates. Today’s news obviously says nothing solid but it must be good to be closing in on an answer to the question after such a long time. Whatever the outcome RKH still has an enviable position at Sea Lion which at todays oil price must have very positive economics.
Oh and all the growing number of Indian variant cases we now have been transmitted from people flying in from India.
All PCR ? tested before they left, well had bits of paper saying they were clear. They all walked thro' Heathrow? I guess and were sat adjacent to at least 10 others s on the flight over.
Some probably not having a vaccine even if offered it thro' vaccine heccsitaincey that seems common in some countries more than others.
Well there isn't any competion I'm aware of that's why Kromek say it's a world's first.
There are other 'say they can' companies working on products but all are filter/ cartridge/ cassette based systems, which from my understanding don't detect Mutant/Variant strains of Covids such as the ones causing unparalleled misery in India.
Don't want to be to pessimistic but I think many Govs' and scientists think covid and it's variants will be with us for some years to come and it will be a constant battle to keep ahead of it with new Vaccines.
Australia has threatened anyone, even their own citizens with prison if they return from India because they're so concerned about this Indian mutation.
Just waiting to here back from ii
Cheers
It is so easy to do guys, just copy Glens post, add your holding number and name, postcode and date at the bottom, and send to to Keith.Lough@RockhopperExploration.co.uk
If you want so positive change, this is very little to ask!!
Emailed Jan Davies & Keith Lough ? , Attached Shareholding Confirmation?
Confirm below please.
Orient: 2million 2,000,000
Spacehoppa: 585k 585000 Yes Yes
Surfit: 456k 456,000 (adjusted fig) YES/YES
Bootledoger: 125k 125,000
Steve0 500k 500,000
Pre2rcd: 2.6million 2,600,000
Flipper: 135k 135,000
hewaits: 1.1m 1,100,000
markednmbr1: 455k 455,000
Daikihaku2: 200k 200,000
LaticsRule : 75k 75,000
LSEtown 750k ish 750,000 Yes, Yes
Ovets 800k 800,000
Onyfor1 342,000
Glen 3,500,000 yes, yes
LTT 501,734 YES,YES
mike33 180k 180,000 YES, awaiting
kr2009 250k 250,000
Blinker 240k 240,000
Ephemeral 100K 100,000
CroftOriginal 167k 167,005
Neilius 354k 354,000
Oilfred 500k 500,000 YES YES
Sammen 250,000
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CharlesW 591,000
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dididicer 76k 76,000
OceanGuardian 26K 26,000
The-Bear 259k 113,000
oilfieldhand 113K 113,000
Arfur_Uggins 106k 105,929
Billbadger 500k 500,000
Deshire: 300k
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DickHerzberg 200k
Comertose 200k
Steph F 20K
sh1603 180k
Taurus8 265546
Rossannan 250k
JEBR 180k
EbonyOwler 67k
Friend of Spacehoppa 108k 108,433 YES, NO
Another LA Times article talking about suspension of flawed BR 21 role out. from 2 years ago
https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2019-12-11/congressional-chairwoman-calls-for-halt-to-deployment-of-controversial-bio-detection-system
"BioWatch, the program launched more than fifteen years ago to detect bioterrorism attacks in major American cities, has been routinely criticized for not living up to its early promise. Many have suggested doing away with the system all together."
The Trump administration though is planning to replace BioWatch with BioDetection 21, which will see more than 9,000 bio-detection sensors deployed across the United States by 2025
9000 x10000 per Kromek detector (est cost Edison). = 90 million dollars. Wlth a maintenance and installation contract on top.
This role out of BR21 has been suspended now so Kromek will have the chance to showcase Thier new Patho detector. Could be good timing.
http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/dr20190226-experts-question-biowatch-s-replacement
Big Oil could see proven reserves run out in less than 15 years as output is not replaced by discoveriesMay 5, 2021
The proven oil and gas reserves of the group of major companies called “Big Oil” are falling at an alarming rate, as produced volumes are not being fully replaced with new discoveries. A Rystad Energy analysis shows that Big Oil lost 15% of its stock levels in the ground last year. https://www.rystadenergy.com/newsevents/news/press-releases/big-oil-could-see-proven-reserves-run-out-in-less-than-15-years-as-output-is-not-replaced-by-discoveries/"Big Oil saw its proven reserves drop by 13 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) in 2020 as the companies took large impairment charges, and this year’s exploration has not come off to a great start either. The industry’s global first-quarter discovered volumes totaled 1.2 billion boe, the lowest in seven years, as high-ranked prospects failed to deliver and successful wildcats only yielded modest-sized finds."