Researchers to Develop Antibiotics Against Potential Bioterrorism Agents
Michael Johnson, professor and director of the UIC Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology.
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have received a $4 million federal grant to develop new antibiotics to treat anthrax, tularemia and plague.
Anthrax, tularemia and plague are caused by naturally occurring bacteria classified as “category-A” agents that could be used in bioterrorism and biowarfare.
These microorganisms pose a risk to national security because they can be easily transmitted and disseminated, result in high mortality, have potential major public health impact and could cause panic, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
These infections can be treated with current antibiotics, but none is ideal, says Michael Johnson, professor and director of the UIC Center for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and lead researcher on the two-year grant. Only one antibiotic, doxycycline, can be used to treat more than one of the three diseases, he said.
Worse, it may be possible for terrorists to develop multi-drug resistant strains for all three diseases, Johnson said. (more…)
Possibly Related Posts:
- Princeton Scientists Say Einstein’s Theory Applies Beyond the Solar System
- New Asteroid Threat Reports Highlight Legal and Institutional Issues
- Wikipedia Quality Depends on How Authors Collaborate
- Can We Detect Quantum Behavior in Viruses?
- Scavenging Energy Waste to Turn Water Into Hydrogen Fuel
Electronic Nose Sniffs Out Toxins
Kenneth S. Suslick, Ph.D. (above) and his colleagues have created an artificial nose for the detection of toxic industrial chemicals that is simple, fast, inexpensive, and works by visualizing colors. (University of Illinois)
Imagine a polka-dotted postage stamp-sized sensor that can sniff out some known poisonous gases and toxins and show the results simply by changing colors.
Support for the development and application of this electronic nose comes from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health. The new technology is discussed in this month’s issue of Nature Chemistry and exemplifies the types of sensors that are being developed as part of the NIH Genes, Environment and Health Initiative (GEI) (http://www.gei.nih.gov/index.asp).
Once fully developed, the sensor could be useful in detecting high exposures to toxic industrial chemicals that pose serious health risks in the workplace or through accidental exposure. While physicists have radiation badges to protect them in the workplace, chemists and workers who handle chemicals do not have equivalent devices to monitor their exposure to potentially toxic chemicals. The investigators hope to be able to market the wearable sensor within a few years. (more…)
Possibly Related Posts:
- Princeton Scientists Say Einstein’s Theory Applies Beyond the Solar System
- New Asteroid Threat Reports Highlight Legal and Institutional Issues
- Wikipedia Quality Depends on How Authors Collaborate
- Can We Detect Quantum Behavior in Viruses?
- Scavenging Energy Waste to Turn Water Into Hydrogen Fuel
Scientists Move Closer to a Safer Anthrax Vaccine
Electron microscope image of Bacillus anthracis spores at a magnification of 54,000.
Researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University have identified two small protein fragments that could be developed into an anthrax vaccine that may cause fewer side effects than the current vaccine.
The research is significant because anthrax is considered a major bioterrorism threat. The current anthrax vaccine is intended mainly for members of the armed forces serving in areas considered high risk and for individuals involved in homeland biosecurity.
“Our research was motivated by the fact that the current anthrax vaccine has significant limitations and there is great need for a better one,” says lead author Nareen Abboud, Ph.D., an Einstein postdoctoral fellow and lead author of the study, which appears in the current issue of The Journal of Biological Chemistry. The study’s senior author is Arturo Casadevall, M.D., Ph.D., Leo and Julia Forchheimer Professor and chairman of microbiology & immunology.
Anthrax, a disease caused by the bacterial species Bacillus anthracis, occurs when anthrax spores (the microbe’s dormant stage) are inhaled, ingested or enter the body through an open wound. Anthrax is a common disease among grazing animals such as cows, goats, and sheep but can also result from bioterrorism. (more…)
Possibly Related Posts:
- Princeton Scientists Say Einstein’s Theory Applies Beyond the Solar System
- New Asteroid Threat Reports Highlight Legal and Institutional Issues
- Wikipedia Quality Depends on How Authors Collaborate
- Can We Detect Quantum Behavior in Viruses?
- Scavenging Energy Waste to Turn Water Into Hydrogen Fuel
Tiny “Lab-on-a-Chip” Can Detect Pollutants, Disease and Biological Weapons
A team led by Prof. Yosi Shacham-Diamand, vice-dean of TAU’s Faculty of Engineering, has developed a nano-sized laboratory.
For centuries, animals have been our first line of defense against toxins. A canary in a coalmine served as a living monitor for poisonous gases. Scientists used fish to test for contaminants in our water. Even with modern advances, though, it can take days to detect a fatal chemical or organism.
Until now. Working in the miniaturized world of nanotechnology, Tel Aviv University researchers have made an enormous — and humane — leap forward in the detection of pollutants.
A team led by Prof. Yosi Shacham-Diamand, vice-dean of TAU’s Faculty of Engineering, has developed a nano-sized laboratory, complete with a microscopic workbench, to measure water quality in real time. Their “lab on a chip” is a breakthrough in the effort to keep water safe from pollution and bioterrorist threats, pairing biology with the cutting-edge capabilities of nanotechnology. (more…)
Possibly Related Posts:
- Princeton Scientists Say Einstein’s Theory Applies Beyond the Solar System
- New Asteroid Threat Reports Highlight Legal and Institutional Issues
- Wikipedia Quality Depends on How Authors Collaborate
- Can We Detect Quantum Behavior in Viruses?
- Scavenging Energy Waste to Turn Water Into Hydrogen Fuel
Tom Clancy: Military Literati on Terrorism
by Blake Harris
Originally published in Visions magazine several years ago.
Tom Clancy, author of such best-selling fiction as The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and Clear and Present Danger, built his literary career on fictionalizing the role of the military in the modern world. His latest book, Shadow Warriors, takes a fresh look at the challenges presented by terrorism.
BH: How do you see war and security changing?Clancy: Oh, I don’t really know that war is changing at all. War is using force to effect political change. In that sense, it is as it has always been. (more…)
Possibly Related Posts:
- World Crude Oil Production May Peak a Decade Earlier Than Some Predict
- Life and Death of Online Communities
- Social Networks: ‘Pay It Forward’ Pays Off
- Violent Video Game Play Makes More Aggressive Kids
- Terrorism’s New Target: Econo-Jihad
Loading... 
