Chemical and Biological Terrorism Defense

Gordon Research Conference

Integrating Biodefense, Homeland Security and Basic Science

January 14 - 19, 2007
Chair
Vice Chair
Four Points Sheraton / Holiday Inn Express
1050 Schooner Drive
Ventura, California, United States
 Venue and Travel Information

Conference Description

An optimal response to the threat of chemical and biological terrorism requires a well-coordinated combination of proactive preparedness, real-time surveillance, and a robust response system. The problem is multifaceted and this Gordon Research Conference will bring together a multidisciplinary group with a broad range of expertise from both the public and private sectors to examine the issues in depth and move the science forward.

Earlier conferences have focused on detection with an emphasis on military experiences. With the advent of the Department of Homeland Security and the growth of NIH's biodefense portfolio, this year's conference will include more basic science and very specifically strive to build bridges between these three often unconnected research communities.

Conference Program

SUNDAY
4:00 pm - 9:00 pmArrival and Check-in
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 7:40 pmWelcome / Introductory Comments by GRC Site Staff
7:40 pm - 9:30 pmINTEGRATING BIODEFENSE WITH BASIC SCIENCE
Discussion Leader: Michael S. Ascher (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)
7:40 pm - 8:25 pm Michael Kurilla (NIAID, NIH)
"Addressing Infectious Disease Product Development for BioDefense and Public Health"
8:25 pm - 8:35 pm Discussion
8:35 pm - 9:20 pm C.J. Peters (University of Texas Medical Branch)
"Biodefense Today and Tomorrow: Rift Valley Fever Exemplifies the Challenges"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm Discussion
MONDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
8:30 amGroup Photo
9:00 am - 12:30 pmFrontiers of viral pathogenesis
Discussion Leader: Michael Buchmeier (Scripps Research Institute)
9:00 am - 9:50 am Benhur Lee (UCLA)
"Pathobiology of Nipah and Hendra Virus Entry"
9:50 am - 10:00 am Discussion
10:00 am Coffee Break
10:30 am - 11:20 am Grant McFadden (University of Florida)
"Poxvirus pathogenesis and tropism: The role of immune evasion strategies"
11:20 am - 11:30 am Discussion
11:30 am - 12:20 pm Connie Schmaljohn (USAMRIID)
"Directed molecular evolution for vaccines and therapeutics against biodefense pathogens"
12:20 pm - 12:30 pm Discussion
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pmPoster Session
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pmCountermeasures for Viral Biothreat Agents Inspired by Studies of Pathogenesis in Animal Models
Discussion Leader: Peter B. Jahrling (NIAID, NIH)
7:30 pm - 8:00 pm Robert Kadlec (PRTM)
"Pandemic Influenza Preparedness: Observations on the Federal Response"
8:00 pm - 8:10 pm Discussion
8:10 pm - 8:40 pm Dennis Hruby (SIGA Technologies)
"Development of a Smallpox Antiviral Drug: Trials and Tribulations"
8:40 pm - 8:50 pm Discussion
8:50 pm - 9:20 pm Lisa Hensley (USAMRIID)
"The Role of the Anticoagulant Protein C System in Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever: An Intervention Study in Nonhuman Primates"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm Discussion
TUESDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pmNanotechnology-inspired chemical and biological sensing devices
Discussion Leader: Jeff Tok (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)
9:00 am - 9:35 am Nicholas Fischer (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)
"Next Generation Nanobiosensors for Biosecurity Applications"
9:35 am - 9:45 am Discussion
9:45 am - 10:20 am Hedi Mattoussi (Naval Research Laboratory)
"Quantum dot-bioreceptor conjugates as substrates for sensing small and large molecule targets"
10:20 am - 10:30 am Discussion
10:30 am Coffee Break
11:00 am - 11:35 am Chad Mirkin (Northwestern University)
"The Bio-Barcode Assay: Towards PCR-like Sensitivity for Proteins, Nucleic Acids, Small Molecules, and Metal Ions"
11:35 am - 11:45 am Discussion
11:45 am - 12:20 pm Joseph Wang (Arizona State University)
"Nanoparticle-Based Electronic Monitoring of Biomolecular Interactions"
12:20 pm - 12:30 pm Discussion
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pmPoster Session
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pmDNA MICROARRAYS - PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
Discussion Leader: Paul Hoeprich, Jr. (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)
7:30 pm - 7:40 pm Paul Hoeprich, Jr. (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)
"A brief history of microarray technology"
7:40 pm - 8:00 pm Tom Albert (NimbleGen)
"Advances in maskless microarray technology"
8:00 pm - 8:20 pm Leo Brizuela (Agilent)
"Translating pathogen's genome information into microarray tools for discovery and diagnostic in biodefense"
8:20 pm - 8:40 pm Giulia Kennedy (Affymatrix)
"Multi-pathogen detection using high-density oligonucleotide arrays"
8:40 pm - 9:00 pm Hui (Robin) Liu (Combimatrix)
"Approaches to field-based pan pathogen detection with array technologies and electrochemical detection"
9:00 pm - 9:30 pm Discussion
WEDNESDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pmBACTERIAL PATHOGENESIS
Discussion Leader: Emilio Garcia (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)
9:00 am - 9:50 am Patrick Chain
"Yersinia pestis: Diversity and evolution of a recently emerged clone"
9:50 am - 10:00 am Discussion
10:00 am Coffee Break
10:30 am - 11:20 am Renee Tsolis (University of California, Davis)
"Immune evasion by Brucella"
11:20 am - 11:30 am Discussion
11:30 am - 12:20 pm Thomas Kozel (University of Nevada, Reno)
"Targeting the Bacillus anthracis capsule for immunodiagnosis and immunoprotection"
12:20 pm - 12:30 pm Discussion
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pmPoster Session
6:00 pmDinner
7:00 pm - 7:30 pmBusiness Meeting
(Nominations for the next Vice Chair; Fill out Conference Evaluation Forms; Discuss future Site & Scheduling preferences; Election of the next Vice Chair)
7:30 pm - 9:30 pmCLOSTRIDIAL NEUROTOXINS: FROM GENOME TO THERAPY
Discussion Leader: Paul Jackson (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory)
7:30 pm - 8:00 pm Karen Hill (Los Alamos National Laboratory)
"Genetic diversity among botulism neurotoxin producing clostridial strains"
8:00 pm - 8:10 pm Discussion
8:10 pm - 8:40 pm John Barr (CDC)
"Detection of botulism toxin"
8:40 pm - 8:50 pm Discussion
8:50 pm - 9:20 pm James Marks (UCSF)
"Engineering a recombinant antitoxin for botulinum neurotoxins A, B, and E"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm Discussion
THURSDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 am - 12:30 pm21st Century FMD Biosurveillance, Modeling and Molecular Phylogeny
Discussion Leader: James Kvach (CBRTA)
9:00 am - 9:50 am Mark Thurmond (UC Davis)
"Global surveillance for foot-and-mouth disease"
9:50 am - 10:00 am Discussion
10:00 am Coffee Break
10:30 am - 11:20 am Hsinchun Chen (University of Arizona)
"The BioPortal informatics infrastructure"
11:20 am - 11:30 am Discussion
11:30 am - 12:20 pm Nick Knowles (Institute for Animal Health)
"FMD phylogenetics"
12:20 pm - 12:30 pm Discussion
12:30 pmLunch
1:30 pm - 4:00 pmFree Time
4:00 pm - 6:00 pmPoster Session
6:00 pmDinner
7:30 pm - 9:30 pmISSUES AND ADVANCES IN ENVIRONMENTAL DETECTION
Discussion Leader: Cheryl Kuske (Los Alamos National Laboratory)
7:30 pm - 8:00 pm Cheryl Kuske (Los Alamos National Laboratory)
"Detection of bacterial pathogens and their close relatives in urban environments"
8:00 pm - 8:10 pm Discussion
8:10 pm - 8:40 pm Charles Haas (Drexel University)
"Connecting a detect/nondetect to a risk: What we think we know and what we know we don't know"
8:40 pm - 8:50 pm Discussion
8:50 pm - 9:20 pm Allen Northrup (Microfludics Systems)
"Microfluidics-based Airborne Pathogen Detection Systems"
9:20 pm - 9:30 pm Discussion
FRIDAY
7:30 am - 8:30 amBreakfast
9:00 amDepart

Contributors

Conference Links

Conference History
Find a Conference

California Wildfire Update (as of 1/13/2025 at 5PM EST) - We are currently operating safely at all California venues and all conferences are scheduled to proceed as planned. click here for more details