Mesur .io to Help DHS Monitor Biological Threats Under SVIP

Mesur. io, an environmental data company, will provide analysis and reporting of outbreak-related data to the Department of Homeland Security.

The Science and Technology Directorate awarded the North Carolina-based company $199,648 in funding under the Silicon Valley Innovation Program‘s Emerging Needs: COVID-19 Response & Future Mitigation solicitation, DHS said Monday.

Mesur .io’s work will support the National Biosurveillance Integration Center, which operates under the DHS Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office.

DHS said the company is proposing to adapt its Earthstream Platform to provide NBIC with outbreak data that can be used to predict various risks of biological threat.

Earthstream Platform was designed to automatically identify, extract and link geospatial data with other relevant data to make analysis and reporting easier.

The tool is currently being used to identify and predict the activity of emerging agricultural pathogens and invasive species, DHS said.

Under the new Phase 1 deal, Mesur .io would expand Earthstream Platform’s scope and develop capabilities for discovering quantitative data to meet the department’s needs related to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and other possible future biological events.

Mesur .io has previously used the platform for Zika and Ebola, as well as for analyzing the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on agriculture, economics and health.

SVIP Managing Director Melissa Oh said the company’s previous work demonstrates Earthstream Platform’s adaptability and its capability to meet the department’s mission to prepare for future public health crises.

SVIP was created to help S&T leverage the United States’ innovation communities to draw out technologies with applications in national security.