Rapid Turn-around Testing for Bioterrorism Agents

描述（由申请人提供）：该项目的目标，在第一阶段和第二阶段，是开发和验证一个新的生物战检测诊断平台，提供超快速的设计和实施。今天，科学界和安全界都认为，生物技术的进步增加了人们对滥用生物武器计划的担忧。去年年底，随着美国各地关于炭疽热袭击的报道成倍增加，人们越来越担心，基因组发生改变的新菌株可能会出现。因此，需要新的诊断技术，为以前未知的生物战菌株提供快速周转分析。为此，我们开发了一个新的平台，GENE-CODE 2.0，它提供了一个超快速的实时PCR基因检测。GENE-CODE 2.0采用了一个扩展的遗传信息系统（AEGIS），允许在PCR过程中位点特异性酶结合报告分子。该平台已用于超灵敏炭疽定量检测的商业市场。在第一阶段，我们将设计和演示CDC A类生物恐怖制剂平台。在第二阶段，我们将开发多路复用系统，以分析给定生物战剂中的多个遗传位点，并具有内部分析能力，这将允许制造商以超快的方式改变序列特异性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this project, over Phase I and Phase II, is to develop and validate a new diagnostic platform for biowarfare detection that provides ultrafast design and implementation. Today, both the scientific and security communities believe that advances in biotechnology have increased the concern for misuse in biological weapon programs. As reports of anthrax attacks across the United States multiplied late last year, an increasing concern grew that new strains with altered genomes may appear. Therefore, new diagnostic technologies that provide quick turnaround assays to previously unknown biowarfare strains are needed. To this end, we developed a novel platform, GENE-CODE 2.0, that provides an ultraquick turn-around to real-time PCR genetic testing. GENE-CODE 2.0 employs an expanded genetic information system (AEGIS) that allows for site-specific enzymatic incorporation of reporter molecules during PCR. The platform has already been demonstrated to the commercial market for ultrasensitive quantitative anthrax detection. In Phase I we will design and demonstrate the platform on CDC Category A biological terror agents. In Phase II we will develop multiplexed systems to analyze multiple genetic sites within a given biowarfare agent with internal assay capabilities that will allow the manufacturer to change sequence specificity in an ultrafast manner.