Rapid Forensics Evaluation of Microbes in Biodefense
Project funded by Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA)
The goal of Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s “Rapid Forensics Evaluation of Microbes in Biodefense” project is to establish essential basic research and model system development to facilitate the development of a rapid screening platform for the detection of multiple biological threats (presented in known and unknown forms) to benefit the military, first responders, and members of the National Guard Bureau’s WMD Combating Division (i.e. CST, CERFP, HRF). The rapid screening and detection system research provides a universal platform to simplify and streamline complex procedures currently required to detect biological threats under pure (laboratory) and mixed (field) conditions. IUP has received directed funds over the past two years to support the development of this research.
Rapid Forensic Evaluation of Microbes in Biodefense capitalizes upon existing relationships and CBRN expertise that exist at IUP, including Weapons of Mass Destruction—Response Element Advanced Laboratory Integrated Training and Indoctrination (WMD-REALITI) and commercial deployment of Civil Support Team Incident Management System (CIMS) to NGB CSTs and first responders.
The principal investigators for this project, Dr. N. Bharathan and Dr. Seema Bharathan, faculty members from the Biology Department have more than twenty-five years of laboratory research and training experience and are actively involved in developing protocols for bio-detection. There are three graduate students and five undergraduate students actively involved in this research project.
Since the project’s initiation in February 2009, significant progress has been made on developing the plant-fungal-viral model system. Specifically:
- A rapid manufacturing protocol was developed.
- Thirteen different bio-threat agents were characterized by nucleic acid and targetable proteins.
- Collaborations with NC State Raleigh, North Carolina, and J. Craig Venter Institute were established.
- Whole genome sequencing of two homokaryotic strains of the soil fungus Rhizoctonia solani was initiated and continues.
Learn more about the project at the J. Craig Venter Institute.
