The non-profit Southern Research Institute has received a potential five-year, $37 million subcontract from Black & Veatch to support the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA) Biological Threat Reduction Program in the Ukraine. Black & Veatch, who is one of five prime contractors selected by DTRA for work on the bio-threat reduction effort, will design, engineer and deploy systems, processes and technologies to further strengthen reporting, detection and response capabilities. Southern Research will provide a wide range of scientific consulting in the design and implantation of modern diagnostic laboratories throughout the Ukraine. Southern Research will also facilitate collaborative research projects conducted by the U.S.-Ukraine interdisciplinary teams. Black & Veatch was awarded a five-year, $175.3 million task order by DTRA for the work in the Ukraine (TR2, Nov. 12). The five firms selected for the Biological Threat Reduction Integrating Contracts will compete for task orders worth up to $4 billion over 10 years. Southern Research says the current task order includes enhancing the Ukraine’s existing network of human and veterinary diagnostic laboratories that handle especially dangerous pathogens. It also involves strengthening bio-safety and bio-security measures to combat terrorism and prevent the proliferation of biological weapons related technology, pathogens and expertise while enhancing the government’s existing disease surveillance systems to detect and report bio-terror attacks, epidemics and potential pandemics.