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A Tucson-based biotech company is teaming up with a Maryland firm to create a system to quickly detect biological threats, the company announced Monday.

Tucson's BioVigilant Systems Inc. will provide Rockville, Md.-based Innovative Biosensors Inc. with its hardware that detects biological agents. Innovative Biosensors, in turn, will provide collection and biological-identification products.

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, the federal government has pushed local authorities to detect the presence of biological weapons, such as anthrax.

BioVigilant, a Northwest Side firm that makes optical devices to instantly detect microbial contamination, is also seeking product approval from federal regulators to detect contamination in the drug-manufacturing process.

Innovative Biosensors has developed a portable biological identifier that can rapidly identify up to 21 biological-threat agents — such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria — in a single test or multiple tests.

BioVigilant has developed a family of environmental monitoring instruments based on its own detection technology.

Scott McGill, BioVigilant vice president of security business, said Innovative Biosensors' technology uniquely integrates sample collection and real-time identification.

While BioVigilant is focused on the pharmaceutical manufacturing market, the firm said that last summer it was eyeing military and domestic-security applications.

BioVigilant employs about 25 people at 2005 W. Ruthrauff Road.