New methods and technology are needed to quickly and accurately detect potential biological warfare agents, such as Bacillus anthracis, causal agent of anthrax in humans and animals. Here, we report the detection of a simulant of B. anthracis (B. globigii) alone and in a mixture with a different species of Bacillus to test non-specific interference using a portable surface plasmon resonance (SP...

Fast, effective, antimicrobial and antisporicidal methods against biological warfare agents, which include the spores from Bacillus anthracis, are urgently required in the biological warfare agent neutralization arena. Metal nanoparticles, which have been previously shown to have antimicrobial effects against vegetative microbes, show great promise in having likewise efficacy against the more r...

Lactoferrin (LF) is an important immune protein in neutrophils and secretory fluids of mammals. Bovine LF (bLF) harbours two antimicrobial stretches, lactoferricin and lactoferampin, situated in close proximity in the N1 domain. To mimic these antimicrobial domain parts a chimeric peptide (LFchimera) has been constructed comprising parts of both stretches (LFcin17-30 and LFampin265-284). To inv...

The heightened concerns about bioterrorism and the use of biowarfare agents have prompted substantial increased efforts towards the development of vaccines against a wide range of organisms, toxins, and viruses. An increasing variety of platforms and strategies have been analyzed for their potential as vaccines against these agents. DNA vectors, live-attenuated viruses and bacteria, recombinant...

Botulinum Neurotoxins are the most poisonous of all toxins with lethal dose in nanogram quantities. They are potential biological warfare and bioterrorism agents due to their high toxicity and ease of preparation. On the other hand BoNTs are also being increasingly used for therapeutic and cosmetic purposes, and with that the chances of accidental overdose are increasing. And despite the potent...

The nation faces a growing concern that terrorists or state actors will resort to the use of chemical or biological warfare agents against military or civilian targets. The primary defensive action available for this threat is to detect the deadly agents before they contact their intended victims. Given advance warning, people can evacuate a contaminated area, administer prophylactic medication...