Homeland Security and Rochester

The Rochester scientists involved in Genencor International's enzyme technology for neutralizing chemical and biological agents are working with an arm of the military with some real heft. The U.S. Army's Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, located in Maryland, has been working to protect the country and its soldiers since 1917, according to the center's web site. The center's mission is to protect U.S. personnel and interests through the application of science, technology and engineering in chemical and biological defense.

Genencor is just one of several local organizations with technology relevant to homeland security and the new world of defense. For instance, teams at the University of Rochester are working on methods for the instant detection and early treatment of harmful organisms. Ultralife Batteries Inc. of Newark is developing portable power sources for devices used for surveillance, detection and access control. Icuiti Corp. of Henrietta is creating low power wearable displays useful on the battlefield.

And in the area of basic research, check out this alliance between the Infotonics Technology Center and the Brookhaven National Laboratory. The collaborative research targets homeland security as one large focus.