Rapid scanning stopped flow spectrometer circular dichroism capability tool and gel electrophoresis-transblot system

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A circular dichroism (CD) capability added to an existing rapid scanning stopped flow (RS-SF) spectrophotometer along with a gel electrophoresis-transblot system, will be highly useful and urgently needed for our research group in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta to conduct research on prion inactivation.Prions (i.e., proteinaceous infectious particles) are causative agents of a group of neurodegenerative diseases called transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) such as bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in cattle. Since the first occurrence of BSE in a Canadian-born cow in January 2005, the cattle industry in Canada has been producing large amounts of specific risk materials (SRMs) to minimize the risks that BSE causes to human health, food safety and animal health. Because of potential persistence and unique stability of prion proteins in the environment, there is an urgent need for developing effective decontamination methods for prion protein in simple and complex matrices.Ozonation and advanced oxidation treatments are being tested for the destruction of infectious sheep scrapie prion, as well as prion-model proteins. It is speculated that the primary and secondary structures of prion-like proteins can be successfully disrupted by ozonation and AOPs. This hypothesis can be tested by CD spectroscopy using an existing RS-SF spectrophotometer coupled with a new CD module to be purchased and by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and Western blot analysis using the new gel electrophoresis-transblot system along with an existing liquid chromatography-ion trap tandem mass spectrometer in our laboratory.This prion inactivation research program will eventually lead to a development of very effective and economically feasible ozone and advanced oxidation treatment processes for the wastes from SRMs disposal, and will help protect Canadian wildlife, animal feeding operations, and public health.