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This CDC-developed technology describes an automated system for monitoring worker hazard exposures by recording data about where and when hazards occur in a workplace or other environment. This allows the hazards to be avoided and harmful exposures and risks reduced. This field-tested technology consists of an integrated, hand-held electronics instrument and software system that will precisely correlate multiple exposure levels with position coordinates of the user and features real-time data acquisition.

This CDC-developed technology is an aerosol preconcentration unit (APU) designed for use with spectroscopic detection techniques, including emission, Raman, or infrared spectroscopies. Most existing pulsed microplasma techniques, such as laser-induced breakdown, for aerosols rely mainly on filter-based collection and suffer from poor accuracy, precision, and detection limits and require long sample collection times.

CDC researchers have developed a novel acoustic whole body plethysmograph (AWBP) that allows measurement of tidal volume in lab animals, independent of gas compression in the lung. This system provides particular advantages over the traditional whole body plethysmograph (WBP) when measuring model animals with increased gas compression due to increased airway resistance or increased acceleration in the breathing pattern.

CDC researchers have developed the Portable Exposure Assessment System (PEAS), a field-based, remotely deployed tool to monitor and provide early warning of working conditions that have a high likelihood of musculoskeletal injury. PEAS is a noninvasive, real-time, instrument-based system. Sensor technology simultaneously measures and collects data regarding the body loads and awkward postures imposed by package handling as well as driving-related, low-frequency vibrations.

Anti-neoplastic drugs, also known as anti-cancer drugs or chemotherapy, are used in the treatment of many types of cancer. However, these drugs are harmful to healthy cells as well as the cancerous cells. Exposure of healthcare workers to anti-neoplastic drugs from contaminated surfaces and drug vials in hospitals and pharmacies is a continuing problem as the drugs can cause both acute and long-term effects. Although there are sensitive techniques to evaluate contamination, results from these tests take time and must be performed in a laboratory.

CDC researchers have developed technology that consists of a simple and inexpensive technique for creating fluorescent labeled primers for nucleic acid amplification. Fluorescent chemical-labeled probes and primers are extensively used in clinical and research laboratories for rapid, real-time detection and identification of microbes and genetic sequences. During nucleic acid amplification, the "UniFluor" primer is incorporated into newly synthesized double stranded DNA.

CDC scientists have developed a rapid and cost-efficient method for generating fluorescently labeled primers for PCR and real-time PCR. At present, fluorescent primers are useful for detecting and identifying microbes and specific nucleic acid sequences, amplifying nucleic acids for pyro-sequencing, determining the levels of gene expression, and many other uses. However, problems exist with current techniques used to create fluorescent primers. For one, labeling is not one hundred percent efficient, leading to inaccurate results.

The simultaneous concentration and recovery of microbes in drinking water is important for responding to potential water-related events such as pathogen contamination or bioterrorism and could be a cost-effective technique for routine monitoring of drinking water quality. Scientists at the CDC have combined two techniques, ultrafiltration (UF) and insulator-based dielectrophoresis (iDEP) in series, to achieve significant concentration of microbes and pathogens for analysis.

CDC researchers have engineered West Nile/dengue virus (WN/DENV) chimeras utilizing the replicative ability of the West Nile (WN) virus but presenting the immunogenic pre-membrane and envelope surface proteins of each of the four dengue virus serotypes (DENV 1-4). When coupled with a fluorescent reporter gene, each chimera is able to generate live chimeric reporter WN/DENV (R-WN/DENV) expressing the fluorescent protein in infected cells. These chimeric reporter viruses (CRVs) are used to develop faster and less hands-on high throughput neutralization assays for DENV.

Zika virus (ZIKV) is a flavivirus primarily transmitted by infected Aedes mosquitoes. Infection with ZIKV during pregnancy can affect the fetus causing microcephaly, neurological complications, and other birth defects. Adults are also at risk of developing Guillain-Barre syndrome and other neurological disorders from ZIKV infection. In response to the 2015-2016 Zika outbreak, CDC researchers developed new Zika virus chimeras that can be used for inactivated Zika vaccine candidates and faster Zika antibody (Ab) neutralization assay testing.