title: Flash detection/identification of pathogens, bacterial spores and bioterrorism agent biomarkers from clinical and environmental matrices.
abstract: We propose to develop an integrated rapid, semiportable, prototype point microbial detection/identification system for clinical specimens that is also capable of differentiating microbial bioterrorism attacks from threats or hoaxes by defining the pathogen. The system utilizes "flash" extraction/analytical system capable of detection/identification of microbes from environmental and clinical matrices. The system couples demonstrated technologies to provide quantitative analysis of lipid biomarkers of microbes including spores in a system with near-single cell (amol/microl) sensitivity. Tandem mass spectrometry increases specificity by providing the molecular structure of neutral lipids, phospholipids, and derivatized spore-specific bacterial biomarker, 2,6-dipicolinic acid (DPA) as well as the lipopolysaccharide-amide-linked hydroxy-fatty acids (LPS-ALHFA) of Gram-negative bacteria. The extraction should take about an hour for each sample but multiple samples can be processed simultaneously.
authors.affiliation: Center for Environmental Biotechnology, University of Tennessee, 10515 Research Drive, Suite 300, Knoxville, TN 37932-2575, USA. MILIPIDS@AOL.COM
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Cory A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Lytle
authors.forename: Ying-Dong M
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Gan
authors.forename: Yvette M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Piceno
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Wimpee
authors.forename: Aaron D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Peacock
authors.forename: Carol A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015415:Biomarkers; D023482:Bioterrorism; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D004075:Diglycerides / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis*; D013171:Spores, Bacterial; D013261:Sterols / Q000032:analysis; D014451:Ubiquinone / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D004075:Diglycerides; D008055:Lipids; D013261:Sterols; D014451:Ubiquinone