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| Metrology to Support Biodefense Activities |
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| Objective: |
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To support the Nation's homeland security as it relates to biological threats.
- To improve the sensitivity and reliability of spectroscopic and other methods used to detect biological threats.
- To characterize biological samples and surrogates for the testing of methods for the collection, detection, and remediation of biothreat agents.
- To understand the molecular basis of pathogenesis of selected biothreat agents (e.g. Yersinia pestis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis ).
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| Description: |
| CSTL is working with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other federal agencies to determine how we can best provide standards, data, and measurements to improve homeland security. This effort utilizes our expertise in molecular biology, microbiology, and biospectroscopy to detect and remediate biothreat agents. |
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| Area(s) of Application: |
- Health and Medical Products and Services
- Other: Homeland Security
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| Accomplishments: |
- We are developing reference materials for Bacillus anthracis spores and ricin, two major biological threats. These reference materials are needed to ensure that detection devices are working properly and are being operated in a correct manner. In addition, these materials will be used to test collection and remediation devices and technologies.
- We are also working, in collaboration with BFRL, to improve the safety of building water systems by studying the fate and disinfection of biological threats in building water systems. During the course of our investigations, we use the following molecular biology and biotechnology related techniques: cloning, nucleic acid (DNA and RNA) isolation, characterization by gel electrophoresis, DNA sequencing, hybridization, and gene expression measurements; protein expression, purification, and characterization by measurements in the catalytic function of enzymes; site-directed mutagenesis of proteins/enzymes to elucidate structure/function relationship.
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| Future Plans: |
- Evaluate the changing needs in Homeland Security and develop new standards, data, and materials.
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| Recent publications: |
- A. K. Gaigalas, L. Wang, E. Humphries, K. D. Cole “Photodegradation of Fluorescein in Solutions Containing n-Propyl Gallate” J . Phys. Chem. A 2004, 108, 4378-4384.
- L. Wang, K. D. Cole, A. K. Gaigalas, Y. Z. Zhang “Fluorescent Nanometer Microspheres as a Reporter of Sensitive Detection of Simulants of Biological Threats using Multiplexed Suspension Arrays” Bioconj. Chem. 2005, 6, 194-199.
- S. K. Kim, S. K. Reddy, G. Vasquez, B. Nelson, A. Davis, S. Patterson, P. T. Reddy, “Extracellular and Intracellular Chorismate Mutases from Mycobacterium tuberculosis H 37 R v : Characterization of the Hypothetical Gene Products Rv1885c and Rv0948c,” in review.
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| Other related project work: |
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| Principal Investigator:
Kenneth Cole |
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