WP 7: Contribution of modern bio-technology

WP Leader: Dr Leif Stenke (KI). WP interaction
Contact

Objectives
To suggest biotechnologies that will improve the overall effectiveness of the health system in handling C and R emergencies.

Work description
WP 7 will focus on methods and tools made available from recent advancements in biotechnology to triage in a mass emergency situation following exposure to toxic chemicals and/or dangerous radioactive material. Current methods for early diagnostics and exposure assessment will be summarized, paying special attention to those methods’s ability to indicate probable health consequences, latent effects and/or need for medical treatment. Advancements in measurement platforms which are potentially mobile and those making fast and/or high thru-put analysis possible will also receive special attention. A horizon scan into the fields of molecular diagnostics, proteomics and genomics will also be made, highlighting particularly promising developments that should be of critical value to the mass emergency situation. The use of electronic, standardized medical algorithms to support the medical personnel in the triage situation will be reviewed in cooperation with WP 8. The work of WP 7 will also be carried out in close cooperation with WPs 4, 5 and 6.

Tasks
Analyse outcome of WPs 4, 5 and 6
Literature search
Review presently available and used tools and methods
Review the development of platforms and their recent advancements
Review ongoing biotechnology research critical to the subject
Interact with WP 8 and review areas important to ICT and biotechnology
Production of report

Milestones
WPs 5 and 6 provide the background information needed for biotechnology based tools and integration in this area.  A report will be generated summarizing the findings of this group (D6) which will be further used by WP 9 for describing how integration could lead to improvements. Part of this work will be reviewed and discussed at the seminar (D8).