Biological & Chemical Warfare Agent Detection

 

 

1. Chemical Sensors Research Group (CSRG) is working on various types of chemical sensors. This web site, which is also available in CD version, presents selected areas of our activity. Our intention was to gather some texts, figures and tutorials on ion selective electrodes (ISE), ion sensitive field effect transistors (ISFET) and fiber optic chemical sensors (abbreviated as OPTO, however more common is FOCS). The figures and slides were created in our group using results of experiments or drawings of the sensors. Sometimes pictures (e.g. presenting equipment) were downloaded from the internet.

http://www.ch.pw.edu.pl/~dybko/csrg/index2_new.html

 

2. Sensing chemical or biological warfare agents
The concentration of GM1 ganglioside can determine the number of points of attachment between cholera toxin and the surface. The ability of GM1 to diffuse in this biomimetic membrane maximizes the interaction. Attachment at multiple sites results in slower dissociation kinetics and higher apparent affinity.

http://www.cstl.nist.gov/biotech/biomat/Projects/warfare.html

3. Biological warfare, bioterrorism, biodefence and the biological and toxin weapons convention (
Edgar J. DaSilva)
Tissue-based biosensors provide reliable alerts and assessments of human health risks in counteracting bioterrorism and biowarfare. Comprised of multicellular assemblies, and wide-ranging antibody templates, such sensors detect. and predict physiological consequences arising from biological agents that have not been fingerprinted nor identified at the molecular level. Alerts and assessments are made through the use of reporting molecules that express themselves through the phenomena of luminescence, fluorescence, etc. (Table 4 a, b, c).

Biosensors, using fibre optic or electrochemical devices, have been developed for detecting micro-organisms in clinical, food technology, and military applications (King et al, 1999; Mulchandani et al, 1999). An immunosensor is used for the detection of Candida albicans (Muramatsu et al, 1986). Bacillus anthracis, and bacteria in culture are detected by optical sensors (Swenson, 1992). In addition, several systems have been developed in the USA to detect biological weapons. Generic and polyvalent immunosensors have been devised to detect biological agents that cause metabolic damage and whose antigenic structure has been specifically genetically altered to avoid detection by antibody-based detection systems. Other biodetection systems functioning as early warning/alert systems involve the detection of biological particle densities by laser eyes and electronic noses with incorporated alarms. Emphasis in such systems is less on the identity of the biological agent, and more on the early warning aspect which constitutes an effective arm in counteracting the threat of bioterrorism in daily and routine peace time environments (Schutz et al, 1999).

Such electronic noses result from a combination of neural informational networks with either chemical or biological sensor arrays and miniaturised spectral meters. Compact, automated and portable, electronic noses offer inexpensive on-the-spot real-time analysis of toxic fuel and gas mixtures, and identification of toxic wastes, household gas, air quality, and body odours (Wu, 1999).

The two quotes above taken from a good paper on the subject as a whole at

http://www.ejb.org/content/vol2/issue3/full/2/

Edgar J. DaSilva e.dasilva@unesco.org

4. Large-Scale Production Contracts for Chemical and Biological Warfare Agent Detectors Intensifies Competition Reports Frost & Sullivan

http://www.frost.com/verity/press/aerospace_defense/pr725916.htm

5.  BIOAGENT CHIP A sensor to detect a biological warfare attack in seconds

http://www.sciam.com/2000/0300issue/0300techbus4.html

6.  Catching the bug before it kills

http://www.zdnet.com/enterprise/stories/main/0,10228,2671596,00.html

7.  Advanced Materials and Optical Systems for Chemical and Biological Detection

http://www.spie.org/web/meetings/programs/pe99/confs/3858.html

Companies researching and developing biological and chemical agent detection technologies:

BRUHN NewTech, Inc.

Bruker Daltonics, Inc.

Computing Devices Canada, Ltd. (CDC);

Dräeger Safety;

Dycor Industrial Research, Ltd.

Environics Oy;

·        Electro-Optics Organization (EOO), Inc.

BIOLOGICAL AGENT SENSOR As became clear during and after the Gulf War, chemical and biological (chem/bio) weapons are a great threat to both civilians and armed forces.
info@eooinc.com

·        Environmental Technologies Group, Inc. (ETG);

The BD is an automatic biological agent detector developed for U.S. Army Chemical and Biological Defense
Command. The system is currently in production and is a key component of P3I Biological Integrated Detection
System (BIDS).
Marketing@EnvTech.com

F&S, Inc.

Femtometrics, Inc.

Fibertek, Inc.

Graseby Dynamics, Limited

·        GRASEBY DYNAMICS - DETECTION AND ANALYSIS OF CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL MATERIALS

CAM™ Chemical Agent Monitor - Graseby’s leading Chemical Agent Monitor (CAM™) is a hand held instrument to monitor nerve and blister agents and can be reprogrammed to meet further threats

Graseby Dynamics have extended their expertise into the biological agent detection market. Graseby Dynamics, with Hunting Engineering, EDS and DERA, have won two contracts with the UK MoD for a prototype and integrated biological detection system (PBDS and IBDS).
general@grasebydynamics.com

Hunting Engineering, Ltd.;

IIT Research Institute;

EIC Laboratories;

Lockheed Martin Librascope;

MGP Instruments (MGPI);

Nanomaterials Research Corporation;

Optra, Inc.

Orbital Sciences Corporation

Sawtek Incorporated;

·        Scientific Instrumentation, Ltd.

CADS II is an advanced, field portable, chemical agent
warfare detection system developed for the CF to
remotely detect and identify chemical warfare agents.
s.i.l@sil.sk.ca

·        Syagen Technology;

Syagen has developed the most advanced, easy-to-operate detection systems for counterterrorism (chemical agents and explosives) and other applications requiring real-time, ultrasensitive chemical analysis of complex mixtures. Syagen's flagship detection system employs an autosampler and a photoionization (PI) source that enables reliable detection of targeted compounds in potentially complex mixtures (figure).
info@syagen.com

TSI, Incorporated;

Universal Sensors, Incorporated and Viking Instruments Corporation.