Our tax dollars at work
Too bad Obama and the Democrats won't play up this sort of achievement. Clearly, big business did not find Ebola profitable enough (yet) to begin working on it, so in steps the government. Thanks to our tax payer dollars, it looks like a new test for Ebola is on its way, one that we diagnose the disease in seconds, not days. As taxpayers, we can all be proud of support for this kind of research.
http://www.ibtimes.com/us-has-test-can-detect-ebola-virus-seconds-its-stuck-lab-1707139
Researchers at a government lab have developed a minimally invasive test for Ebola that could cut the time it takes to diagnose cases of the lethal virus from days and hours to minutes or even seconds, International Business Times has learned. The Department of Energy, which invented the procedure at its Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Knoxville, Tennessee, is now scrambling to find a partner to commercialize the technology.
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In a solicitation-for-contractors document, DOE describes its test as a “rapid, portable viral diagnostic for RNA viruses,” including, specifically, Ebola hemorrhagic fever. RNA viruses are made from genetic material comprising ribonucleic acid. In addition to Ebola, the DOE said the test can quickly detect Hanta, Dengue, West Nile and several other exotic viruses.
DOE posted its solicitation late Wednesday to a federal contracting database. A public records search showed that as of Friday one contractor had expressed interest: Healtheon Inc., of New Orleans, which manufacturers a range of diagnostic tools. Healtheon president Jasmeet Walia did not immediately respond to a request for more information.
A DOE spokesperson said the agency has been directed to refer all calls related to Ebola to the National Security Council. NSC officials did not immediately return phone calls.
In its solicitation, the DOE said rapid diagnostics “are critical elements of an effective response to viral outbreaks, but are limited by both available technology and implementation. ORNL researchers have developed a diagnostic for active, acute viral infections using a highly fieldable, and nearly reagentless system.”