Considerations in detecting CDC select agents under field conditions

Charles Spinelli; Scott Soelberg; Nathaneal Swanson; Clement Furlong; Paul Baker

doi:10.1117/12.782204

15 April 2008 Considerations in detecting CDC select agents under field conditions

Charles Spinelli, Scott Soelberg, Nathaneal Swanson, Clement Furlong, Paul Baker

Proceedings Volume 6945, Optics and Photonics in Global Homeland Security IV; 69450N (2008) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.782204
Event: SPIE Defense and Security Symposium, 2008, Orlando, Florida, United States

Abstract

Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) has become a widely accepted technique for real-time detection of interactions between receptor molecules and ligands. Antibody may serve as receptor and can be attached to the gold surface of the SPR device, while candidate analyte fluids contact the detecting antibody. Minute, but detectable, changes in refractive indices (RI) indicate that analyte has bound to the antibody. A decade ago, an inexpensive, robust, miniature and fully integrated SPR chip, called SPREETA, was developed. University of Washington (UW) researchers subsequently developed a portable, temperature-regulated instrument, called SPIRIT, to simultaneously use eight of these three-channel SPREETA chips. A SPIRIT prototype instrument was tested in the field, coupled to a remote reporting system on a surrogate unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). Two target protein analytes were released sequentially as aerosols with low analyte concentration during each of three flights and were successfully detected and verified. Laboratory experimentation with a more advanced SPIRIT instrument demonstrated detection of very low levels of several select biological agents that might be employed by bioterrorists. Agent detection under field-like conditions is more challenging, especially as analyte concentrations are reduced and complex matricies are introduced. Two different sample preconditioning protocols have been developed for select agents in complex matrices. Use of these preconditioning techniques has allowed laboratory detection in spiked heavy mud of Francisella tularensis at 10³ CFU/ml, Bacillus anthracis spores at 10³ CFU/ml, Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) at 1 ng/ml, and Vaccinia virus (a smallpox simulant) at 10⁵ PFU/ml. Ongoing experiments are aimed at simultaneous detection of multiple agents in spiked heavy mud, using a multiplex preconditioning protocol.

Citation Download Citation

Charles Spinelli, Scott Soelberg, Nathaneal Swanson, Clement Furlong, and Paul Baker "Considerations in detecting CDC select agents under field conditions", Proc. SPIE 6945, Optics and Photonics in Global Homeland Security IV, 69450N (15 April 2008); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.782204

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