Pathogen Science & Detection
In every human body, individual cells stand guard against threats, ready to mount a life-saving immune response at a moment’s notice. But nefarious actors, emerging diseases, and world events challenge the human immune system to keep pace as they threaten new, more virulent pathogens than ever before. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL’s) expertise in pathogen science and detection provides critical biological research capabilities to protect human health and national security in the face of evolving biological threats. In partnership with the Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and other federal agencies, our research elucidates biological signatures and deciphers immune system responses to guard against current diseases and prepare for future ills.
Contraband Detection
From streets to airports, mailrooms and transportation hubs, the ability to quickly detect and identify unknown—and potentially deadly—substances can be the difference between order and chaos. And with a huge volume of goods and people crossing these waystations, detection needs to be both dependable and unobtrusive. To help address this need, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) plays a key role in developing tools and standards that make detecting contraband faster, safer, and more reliable.
Artificial Intelligence
From situational awareness to threat analysis and detection, online signals to system assurance, PNNL is advancing the frontiers of scientific research and national security by applying artificial intelligence to scientific problems.
Explosives Detection
While there is no single solution to counter the wide range and continual evolution of explosive threats to our society, our scientists and engineers are developing methods to enable interdiction of these threats across a variety of deployment scenarios.
National Security
Protecting U.S. residents is among our nation’s highest priorities. As adversaries gain access to sophisticated technologies and materials, the threats grow more dynamic and complex—from cyber and nuclear to chemical and biological weapons of mass effect and other forms of terrorism. Faced with these realities and their impact on national security, PNNL develops science-based solutions that keep America safe. We drive innovation and critical capabilities in nuclear materials, threat analysis, and other areas of expertise to secure our nation’s critical infrastructure, combat global terrorism, and detect concealed threats and explosives.
Radiation Measurement
Radiation measurement and irradiation science research and services at PNNL focus on the effects of dosage on humans, equipment, and nuclear power reactors. Both the 318 Building—also known as the Radiological Exposure & Metrology (REM) Laboratory—and the Radiochemical Processing Laboratory (RPL) have lab space dedicated to researching and applying these technologies, some of which are not available or licensed anywhere else in the United States.
Environmental Remediation
The Manhattan Project, followed by the Cold War, left a complex assortment of soil and groundwater remediation challenges at the Hanford site. PNNL supports the DOE Richland Operations Office (RL), DOE Office of River Protection (ORP), and the team of contractors that are responsible for cleaning up this arid desert area—particularly the Columbia River Corridor and the Central Plateau.