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Overview

MRIGlobal has a long and successful history providing CBRNE and other test and evaluation (T&E) services to both government and industrial customers. Over the years, MRIGlobal has tested and assessed hundreds of  chemical detection, biological detection, explosives detection, and related technologies against chemical threat agents, toxic industrial chemicals (TICs), toxic industrial materials (TIMs), explosives, biological threat agents, and nontraditional chemical agents (NTAs). Our involvement in these contracts ranges from testing the earliest breadboard versions of a product to helping engineer, design, package, and validate a final commercially available product.

MRIGlobal is known for solving client challenges and performing our work in the most efficient manner possible without sacrificing quality. The expertise and experience of our laboratory staff allow for projects to go from proposal to kickoff meeting in a matter of days. No waiting for facilities or staff to become available. Our goal is to start programs within a week of contract award, and even our Agent facilities can typically be reserved within 4-6 weeks notice. MRIGlobal is the best choice for the rapid initiation and execution required to out pace your competition.

Specifically, MRIGlobal’s CBRNE T&E experience includes sampling, real-time detection, CBRNE decontamination, and bench-top analytical method development. A few examples of benchtop, handheld, and mobile detection systems evaluated by MRIGlobal include the following:

  • MINICAMS near-real-time agent monitor
  • Biotek ELx808 Plate Reader
  • Biotek ELx50 Microplate and Strip Washer
  • Hapsite Portable GC-MS
  • Griffin G510 Portable GC-MS
  • Guardion GC-MS
  • 908 Devices High Pressure Mass Spectrometers
  • ORTEC MicroDetective-HX
  • BNC SAM940-2LH
  • FLIR radHUNTER-LGH
  • Numerous ion mobility spectrometry systems including ChemPro, Sabre 4000, MultiRAE and JUNO
  • Optical spectroscopy devices including the FirstDefender, TruDefender, StreetLab, HazMatID and TravelIR II
  • Luminex MAGPIX
  • BioFire Diagnostics FilmArray
  • DetectaChem SEEKER
  • Colorimetric, surface acoustic wave and X-ray flourescence detectors including the Cyranose 320 by Smiths Detection (SAW), the Niton XL3t, XL5 by Thermo-Scientific (XRF) and the Agentase CAD-Kit by ICX technologies (colorimetric)

Custom chemical libraries, biological assays, and analytical methods have been developed for nearly all the detection technologies listed above. MRIGlobal also has performed numerous decontamination efficacy studies on CBRNE materials including chemical agents, TICs, and TIMs, including the following recent programs:

  • Dahlgren Decontamination fluids
  • DF200 Decontamination fluids
  • The “JK” line of decontamination fluids
  • The entire line of NanoActive® decontamination materials by Nanoscale, Inc.
  • The CDS line of decontamination fluids
  • Plasma-based decontamination systems
  • Chemical decontamination using ferrate (Fe+6) based reagents

In addition, MRIGlobal set up and organized full-scale field tests at Dugway Proving Ground and the Nevada Test Site. These field programs involved large-scale disseminations of CBRNE surrogates for evaluating sampling devices, real-time detectors, plume mapping, and plume tracking devices. MRIGlobal performed all tasks related to these test demonstrations, including renting the site; setting up all dissemination, ground-truth, and devices; and finally, cleaning up the site.

 

Unique/Available Facilities and Resources Capabilities
Chemical Agent (CA) Facility: The CA Facility has 1,800 ft2 of laboratory space including two laboratories (one 20 x 30 ft and one 10 x 20 ft) and two other laboratories (20 x 20 ft and 10 x 20 ft). Capable of handling neat CA, nontraditional agents (NTAs) and dilute RDTE; analyzing sample matrices for CA and degradation products; toxicology; developing, testing, and evaluating individual/collective protection equipment; conducting fate/transport and other threat agent science projects.
Biological Containment Facilities: More than 64,000 ft2 of BSL-2, -3, and a BSL-2 bioaerosol chamber, including three BSL-3 labs contiguous with ABSL-3. Instrument development, testing and evaluation; decontaminant technology development, testing; and evaluation; fate and transport studies, and other threat agent science projects.
Bioaerosol Chambers: Includes airtight chamber 10 x 15 x 8 ft tall featuring HEPA and carbon filters on inlet and outlet air. Instrument development, testing, and evaluation; individual protection and collective protection equipment development, testing and evaluation.
Chemical Vapor Chambers: Multiple chambers for different chemical concentration airstreams. Instrument development, testing, and evaluation; individual protection and collective protection equipment development, testing and evaluation.
High Hazard Containment Laboratory: A physically isolated facility (2,400 ft2) and includes a barrier area (1,400 ft2) where toxic materials are handled. TICs, TIMs, bulk materials. Toxicology support. Handling of liquid, solid, or mixed phase chemicals up to drum-sized quantities.
Prototype/Engineering Laboratory Suite: Totals 3,425 ft2, includes a Prototype Lab (with test parts designed using CAD Modeling), Electronics Lab, Biosensor Lab, Wet Lab, Clean Room, and Machine Shop. Contamination avoidance instrument development, testing and evaluation; individual and collective protection equipment development, testing, and evaluation.
Field Sites: 78 acres  Hazardous operations or projects requiring extensive outdoor space. Mesocosm Study Facility, background sampling.
Mobile Laboratory Fabrication Facility (10,000 ft2) Mobile laboratory construction, instrument installation, and check prior to deployment.
General Instrumentation: Mass spectrometers, gas chromatographs, liquid chromatographs, UV visible spectrometers, IR spectrometers, NMR, ICP/MS, scintillation counters, oxidizers, thermocyclers, genetic sequencers, plate readers, Individually ventilated animal caging, Class II A1 and A2 biological safety cabinets, liquid nitrogen cryovial storage, phase-contrast microscope, plate washer, fluorescent phase-contrast microscope, electrophoresis equipment (this can include items such as Caliper or Agilent systems), end point thermal cyclers (or one that does both end point and real time to combine), biochemical analyzers (e.g. Biology).




Highlights

CALS

MRIGlobal was contracted by the U.S. Army to test and evaluate equipment for identification of chemical, biological, and radiological hazards in the field. The contract was part of the Common Analytical Laboratory System (CALS) program.

The program seeks a variety of improvements in joint interoperability, linking abilities with external systems, and a “plug-n-play” component module flexibility that allow the suite of systems to be adaptable and expandable for future mission needs.

MRIGlobal assesses the abilities of detection technologies in relation to specific program goals which include rapid identification of toxins, bacteria and viruses; transportability and ruggedization for mobile and field applications; ability to analyze environmental matrices; and maintainability of technology in austere environments.

MRIGlobal’s analysis assists the Army in determining which equipment is best suited for the mission of the users. Improvements to the capabilities of these mobile response teams benefit not only the warfighter abroad but also the general population; units such as the Civil Support Teams work routinely with civilian first responders across the United States to respond to suspected CBRN threats.

Dugway Test Grid Upgrade Program

  • Provide tests with standard/reproducible aerosols and vapor threats
  • Highly efficient systems aerosolize/vaporize 99%+ of dissemination material
  • Threat clouds can be varied in size and concentration on demand
  • Real time secure data acquisition monitors cloud dynamics behavior

Individual Protection Ensemble (IPE) Mannequin System (IPEMS)

    A mannequin robot and high-containment chamber have been produced to test protective clothing under a range of realistic conditions. Prior to this project, protective gear was tested using human subjects performing defined activities in an environment with non-toxic chemical simulants that mimic behavior of chemical warfare agents. The mannequin, capable of simulating human movement, allows for the testing of soldier’s Individual Protective Ensembles (IPE) while being exposed to various chemical warfare agents. The tests occur in a variety of environmental conditions, are fully reproducible, and produce a near real-time alarm of chemical intrusion into the IPE.

NTA Defense Test System

  • Clients served can plan for tests with standard/reproducible aerosols and vapors of NTA (and all other CWA’s) for all identified test items of interest
  • Test aerosols can be varied in concentration on demand
  • Real time referee systems can be monitored for test operations efficiency

NTA Direct & Related Experience

  • More than 15 years experience working with NTA compounds
  • Experience includes laboratory investigations, technical evaluations and compound synthesis:
    • Ultra-trace analytical method development mainly employing high end bench top systems
    • Stability studies
    • Degradation pathway investigations
    • Analytes, analogs, precursors, degradation products
    • Extraction efficiency studies from multiple matrices
    • Synthesis of multiple compounds
    • Demonstrated safety procedures
  • NTA Technical Evaluations and Write-ups conducted using classified reports
  • 20+ years of design/construction/operating experience for High Containment Facilities
  • Development/modification of chemical detection devices/equipment