Leidos to support US DHS’ science and technology agricultural scientific program

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has awarded a contract to Leidos to support and supplement its Science and Technology (S&T) Agricultural Scientific Program at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) in Orient Point, New York.

Under the single-award time and materials (T&M) contract, Leidos will offer planning, program management support and oversight for the development of vaccines, diagnostics and other countermeasures to lessen the impact of Foreign Animal Diseases.

The value of the contract, which comes with a one-year base period of performance, four one-year options, would be worth $12m if all options are exercised.

Leidos Health president Steve Comber said: "We are pleased to continue our support to the DHS S&T Directorate to protect U.S. livestock from foreign animal diseases that can seriously threaten our livestock industries, economy, and way of life."

Claimed to be the only lab in the nation capable of working on high-consequence foreign animal diseases, PIADC also helps protect the US livestock from the unintentional or deliberate introduction of foreign animal diseases.

PIADC’s DHS S&T Agricultural Defense Scientific Program is mainly aimed at developing Foreign Animal Disease countermeasures for deployment upon an outbreak, including vaccines, diagnostic technology and biotherapeutics.

The PIADC programme goes on with Leidos Health’s work in Life Sciences that supports the incorporation of massive biomedical research and development, logistical and administrative support services for federal scientific, biopharmaceutical and agricultural programmes.