Scientists are trying to find ways to quickly identify chemical and biological weapons, and Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) researchers are the first group in Estonia to take part in a European Defence Fund project that is focusing on just that. Injuries similar to what happened to Sergei and Yulia Skripal, for example, could be quickly analyzed on the spot.
Currently, there is no existing technology to speed up the process of recognizing such contamination. Samples must be taken to the lab for testing, sometimes meaning the results could take days. Olli-Pekka Smolander, Professor of Bioinformatics at Tallinn University of Technology, is leading this project which aims to produce a system that is compact but still efficient.
However, there are certain fourth-generation toxins that the existing systems are not designed to detect, such as those in the Novichok class. Additionally, while it is easier to identify simpler compounds, it may be more difficult to figure out whether or not different variations of these proven to be toxic.
Smolander believes that the solution for detecting harmful chemicals on site will eventually make use of AI and cloud computing as well as drones. The analyzer on the drone will provide the data for the algorithms to recognise the compound. It may seem like a project of this nature could be completed quickly but Smolander mentioned that it takes a lot of effort.
Aside from studying how to analyse these poisonous substances, there are other responsibilities for the next three years that TalTech is part of the surveillance and reconnaissance project group. It will also be trying to develop effective deep learning and AI technologies as well as generating data to test the accuracy of the prototype they will build.
The team involved in this project cannot hope to put this in place in their countries in three years, as the end date of the project is scheduled in November 2025. There will still be a lot of development involved before the prototype can be put into full use and the process will take many additional years due to the amount of work required to refine the solution.
The professor is encouraging other universities and research organisations in Estonia to look into EDF funding so that they can also contribute in fields like IT and automation or the natural sciences. He also believes that it would be beneficial for smaller and medium-sized businesses as well.
Tallinn University of Technology’s main contributions to the project are analytic in nature. They will come up with necessary protocols for collecting and analysing samples, among other responsibilities.
Tallinn University of Technology, or TalTech, is a public university located in Tallinn, Estonia. It is the largest University in Estonia and one of the largest in Europe. TalTech was founded in 1918 and offers bachelor’s and master’s courses in various fields such as mathematics, engineering, life sciences, healthcare, and IT.
Olli-Pekka smolander is professor of bioinformatics at Tallinn University of Technology. He holds a PhD in bioinformatics from the University of Bergen, Norway and has a wide range of research experience in data analysis, machine learning, and molecular biology. His research is focused on applying the latest technologies in AI, data science and machine learning to life sciences. He has also been involved in activities to promote the usage of data science in academia.
