title: Environmental air sampling to detect biological warfare agents.
abstract: The rapid and unequivocal detection and identification of biological warfare agents is a major goal of military and civilian defense authorities. To identify agents of concern in an environmental sample, a reliable, region-specific characterization of the microorganisms found naturally at the sampling location is required. We have analyzed environmental air samples from Korea, Kuwait, and Bahrain by polymerase chain reaction and temporal temperature gradient electrophoresis and have produced genetic fingerprints of the natural microbial flora in these regions. Results are displayed as specific bar code patterns against which the unique patterns of potential biological warfare agents appearing in a sample can be quickly discriminated. Data are stored on compact disk, along with other laboratory analyses and relevant meteorological data, and are available to appropriate authorities and researchers.
authors.affiliation: Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Francesconi
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Worth
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Moshier
mesh_terms: D000391:Air Microbiology; D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001445:Bahrain; D001694:Biological Warfare / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000032:analysis; D016208:Databases, Factual; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007723:Korea; D007730:Kuwait; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012494:Sampling Studies; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D004269:DNA, Bacterial