You will hear about an R&D 100 award winning technology that enables biosecurity instrumentation testing and airborne contaminants tracking. The technology is inherently safe and provides flexibility in aerosol testing.

1. Powdered sugar, its not just for doughnuts anymore
LLNL-PRES-642415
This work was performed under the auspices of the
U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore
National Laboratory under contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.
Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC
George Farquar, PhD
IMAGE

2.  Aerosol: suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in
a gas
 Biosecurity
 Track airborne contaminants
 Environmental effects
 Human health effects
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory LLNL-PRES-642415

3.  DNA barcoded particles for aerosol transport studies and source
attribution
 The simulant is an inert, non-living, non-viable, non-infectious
material.
 It consist of two parts:
1. Non-biological DNA molecules used for identification
2. Sugar (a food-grade carbohydrate
encapsulation material, i.e. Maltodextrin)
 100 DNA base pairs allows for 1.6x1060 possible barcodes
(Unlimited)
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory LLNL-PRES-642415
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FDA approved food based material, found in
sweeteners and other products

4. “…As a result of the support received from DTRA and LLNL as a part of this testing,
PFPA has been able to make marked performance improvements to the Pentagon’s
biological detection system…”
Jonathan Cofer, Deputy Director of PFPA
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory LLNL-PRES-642415

5.  Testing occurred on November 2012 and February 2013
 Primary objective was to determine the suitability of the new simulant as a tool for validation testing of aerosol
systems.
• Four releases occurred. Evaluating initial concept and a simultaneous release.
• PFPA sensors were triggered and all filters collected from DFU’s and swabs were positive for the test material.
• PFPA models were evaluated and compared to experimental data.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory LLNL-PRES-642415
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Data collected with:
Dry Filter Units (DFUs)
Handheld particle counters
(MET one)
Aerodynamic Particle Sizer (APS)
Spectrometer

6.  DNATrax
• Safe—made with sugar!
• Multiple releases can be conducted in a short time
period or simultaneously
• Post-testing cleanup is minimal
• Low burden for approval
• Tunable particle size
• Traditional Spores
• Cleanup required
• Difficulty obtaining approval for
releases
• Single release
• Barcoded Spores
• Difficult to receive approval to release
genetically modified organisms
• Tracer chemicals (gases)
• Single releases
• Vastly different transport properties from
1-10 micron particles
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory LLNL-PRES-642415

7. Catherine Elizondo
elizondo1@llnl.gov
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory LLNL-PRES-642415 7