Texas A&M to lead effort to help stop cross-border biological threats

>>Here are the strange things people have tried to smuggle across the border ... A Texas A&M AgriLife lab researcher. The university will lead an effort to screen cross-border threats. >>Here are the strange things people have tried to smuggle across the border ... A Texas A&M AgriLife lab researcher. The university will lead an effort to screen cross-border threats. Photo: Courtesy Of Texas A&M AgriLife Research Photo: Courtesy Of Texas A&M AgriLife Research Image 1 of / 29 Caption Close Texas A&M to lead effort to help stop cross-border biological threats 1 / 29 Back to Gallery

Texas A&M University will lead a consortium to screen cross-border threats and defend livestock supply chains with $3.8 million from U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Center of Excellence program.



AgriLife Research, the university's agricultural outreach program's research arm, will be joined by other programs within the Texas A&M University System during a 10-year grant period. The consortium will work with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to counter existing and potential biological threats through research and education resources.

The new center will also train and educate workers to prepare for and respond to biological threats.

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The university "looks forward to bringing together its expertise in many disciplines across the A&M system to deliver new, innovative technologies to reduce the risk of biological threat introduction across U.S. borders," said Texas A&M's Chancellor John Sharp in a statement.



Among other project partners are the University of Texas Medical Branch-Galveston, University of Washington, IBM Research, health care product manufacturer Quidel Corporation and health care technology developer SunQ.



"We are well positioned to lead this effort to deliver solutions to help secure the nation without compromising the pace and operational structures of commercial enterprises," said Texas A&M's vice chancellor for agriculture and life sciences Dr. Patrick Stover.



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The new center "will also train and educate a highly skilled workforce to prepare for and respond to current and emerging biological threats," an AgriLife Research statement read.



The Homeland Security Act of 2002 established the Department of Homeland Security Centers of Excellence. The university-led centers coordinate with the DHS to address pressing issues facing homeland security.



