NOVEL APPARATUS FOR DETECTING BIOLOGICAL AGENTS

THE US MARINE CORPS HAS A DIRECT NEED TO MAINTAIN THE HEALTH AND FUNCTIONAL EFFECTIVENESS OF ITS PERSONNEL AGAINST A VARIETY OF DANGEROUS BIOLOGICAL AGENTS. METHODS TO DETECT THESE AGENTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL OR FIELD SAMPLES MUST BE DEVELOPED FOR USE IN THE NBC LABORATORY PROGRAM. THE PROPOSED NOVEL RAPID DETECTION SYSTEM CAN BE USED TO MONITOR BIOLOGICAL AGENTS IN FIELD ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES. THE INNOVATIVE SYSTEM UTILIZES AN ENCLOSED APPARATUS AND DRY CHEMISTRY ALLOWING FOR PROTECTION OF THE USER AND LONG-TERM STORAGE. THE NOVEL FORMAT ELIMINATES THE NEED FOR MICROBIAL GROWTH OR LIQUID SUBSTRATE REAGENTS; PROVIDES A READOUT IN TEN MINUTES; IS SENSITIVE; UTILIZES SPECIFIC REAGENTS FOR DETECTING BIOLOGICAL AGENTS WHILE REQUIRING SMALL SAMPLE SIZES. THE READILY DISCERNABLE "YES/NO" ANSWER AND UNAMBIGUOUS INTERPRETATION ARE ADVANTAGES OVER CURRENT PROCEDURES. THE APPARATUS WILL ELIMINATE SAMPLE HANDLING PROBLEMS AND BIOHAZARDS FROM SAMPLE PROCESSING. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES FOR THIS RESEARCH EFFORT ARE TO: 1) PROCURE SPECIFIC ANTIGENS AND ANTIBODIES, 2) CONJUGATE ANTIGENS AND ANTIBODIES, 3) PREPARE AND OPTIMIZE ASSAY COMPONENTS AND 4) ASSEMBLE AND USE-TEST THE FORMAT USING TWO MODEL MICROORGANISMS. REAGENTS WILL BE STABILIZED AND ACTIVE FOR ONE YEAR.