The Homeland Defense (HD) Digest is a curated bi-weekly news summary from worldwide sources, showing headlines of innovative, emerging technologies in HDIAC's eight focus areas.

HDIAC ANNOUNCEMENTS:

HDIAC Webinars – Biostasis - HDIAC.org

Join HDIAC Friday, December 18, from 1200 to 1300 EST for a webinar presentation. Please register in advance for the webinar at: https://www.anymeeting.com/PIID=EF57D786854638 This webinar will provide an overview of the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency's (DARPA) Biostasis program. The Biostasis program aims to extend the time for lifesaving medical treatment, often referred to as "the Golden Hour," following traumatic injury or acute infection, thus increasing survivability for military personnel operating in far-forward conditions with limited access to medical professionals or trauma centers. To do so, Biostasis is developing novel chemical biology approaches that reversibly and controllably slow biological systems without cold-chain to stabilize and protect their functional capacity until medical intervention is possible.

In Case You Missed It: The HDIAC Webinars – DNA as a Molecular Engineering Platform for Defense Applications - HDIAC.org

DNA is more than a blueprint for living organisms. In the right hands, it can be used as a self-assembling, nanoscale building material with exquisite design properties. Over the past 15 years, DNA nanotechnology has emerged as one of the most promising platforms for the rational design of nanoscale devices. By "programming" DNA sequences to take advantage of DNA's inherent complementarity ("A's bind to T's; C's bind to G's"), DNA can be made to precisely fold into complex shapes with rich functionality, giving nanoengineers precise control over many aspects of a design, such as size, shape, surface charge, surface hydrophobicity, choice of functional elements, and their spatial arrangement. Because a wide variety of molecular species can now be attached to DNA via a growing number of oligonucleotide chemistries, it can be used as a self-organizing substrate that enables a wide array of molecular species to be integrated into sophisticated macromolecular devices.

RECENT HEADLINES:

Advanced Persistent Threat Actors Targeting U.S. Think Tanks - CISA.gov

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have observed persistent continued cyber intrusions by advanced persistent threat (APT) actors targeting U.S. think tanks. This malicious activity is often, but not exclusively, directed at individuals and organizations that focus on international affairs or national security policy. The following guidance may assist U.S. think tanks in developing network defense procedures to prevent or rapidly detect these attacks.

U.S. Successfully Conducts SM-3 Block IIA Intercept Test Against an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Target - MDA.mil

The U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA), and U.S. Navy sailors aboard the USS John Finn (DDG-113), an Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) System-equipped destroyer, intercepted and destroyed a threat-representative Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) target with a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block IIA missile during a flight test demonstration in the broad ocean area northeast of Hawaii, Nov. 16.

CBP Enforcement Statistics Fiscal Year 2021 - CBP.gov

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the nation's largest federal law enforcement agency charged with securing the nation's borders and facilitating international travel and trade. Our top priority is to keep terrorists and their weapons from entering the United States.

Wind Power off the Oregon Coast Could Provide More than Electricity - PNNL.gov

Winds blowing off the Oregon Coast are some of the strongest in the nation, offshore or on land. They hold significant energy potential. Wind researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) are now assessing offshore wind's ability to provide value-beyond just the electricity that could be produced-to the power system in Oregon and parts of other western states.

U.S. Departments of the Interior and Energy Launch New Collaboration for Improved Safety and Environmental Stewardship in Offshore Energy Exploration and Production Operations - Energy.gov

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) have issued a funding opportunity announcement (FOA) for up to $40 million, over a 5-year period, for the Operation and Maintenance of the Ocean Energy Safety Institute (OESI 2.0) to support additional improvements in safety and environmental sustainability in offshore energy exploration and production.

Investigations of Foodborne Illness Outbreaks - FDA.gov

The following is a list of outbreaks investigations being managed by FDA's CORE Response Teams. The investigations are in a variety of stages, meaning that some outbreaks have limited information, and others may be near completion.

CDC Expands U.S. Diabetes Surveillance System with New Social Determinants of Health Module - CDC.gov

The Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention (CDC) has expanded the U.S. Diabetes Surveillance System with a new social determinants of health (SDOH) module to help identify under-resourced areas of the United States and assess the potential impact of health disparities on diabetes burden and risk factors.

Voluntary Organizations Play Vital Role in Recovery - FEMA.gov

After Louisiana was hit by Hurricanes Laura and Delta, volunteer and community partners responded to survivors' immediate needs, providing meals and clothing, cleaning up debris and helping residents with their recovery.

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