Growth medium for the rapid isolation and identification of anthrax

Johnathan L. Kiel; Jill E. Parker; Teri R. Grubbs; John L. Alls

doi:10.1117/12.394054

28 July 2000 Growth medium for the rapid isolation and identification of anthrax

Johnathan L. Kiel, Jill E. Parker, Teri R. Grubbs, John L. Alls

Proceedings Volume 4036, Chemical and Biological Sensing; (2000) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.394054
Event: AeroSense 2000, 2000, Orlando, FL, United States

Abstract

Anthrax has been recognized as a highly likely biological warfare or terrorist agent. The purpose of this work was to design a culture technique to rapidly isolate and identify `live' anthrax. In liquid or solid media form, 3AT medium (3-amino-L-tyrosine, the main ingredient) accelerated germination and growth of anthrax spores in 5 to 6 hours to a point expected at 18 to 24 hours with ordinary medium. During accelerated growth, standard definitive diagnostic tests such as sensitivity to lysis by penicillin or bacteriophage can be run. During this time, the bacteria synthesized a fluorescent and thermochemiluminescent polymer. Bacteria captured by specific antibody are, therefore, already labeled. Because living bacteria are required to generate the polymer, the test converts immunoassays for anthrax into viability assays. Furthermore, the polymer formation leads to the death of the vegetative form and non-viability of the spores produced in the medium. By altering the formulation of the medium, other microbes and even animal and human cells can be grown in it and labeled (including viruses grown in the animal or human cells).

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Johnathan L. Kiel, Jill E. Parker, Teri R. Grubbs, and John L. Alls "Growth medium for the rapid isolation and identification of anthrax", Proc. SPIE 4036, Chemical and Biological Sensing, (28 July 2000); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.394054

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