Anti-Bio-Terror Tools Line of Research

In the 1^st category, there are pathogens that are rarely seen in developed areas like United States and EU countries and that pose a risk to national security for several reasons. They can be easily disseminated or transmitted from person to person; their misuse can result in high mortality rates and might cause public panic and disruption of social structures. Microorganisms of the 1^st category are as follows: Bacillus anthracis (causing anthrax), Yersinia pestis (causing plague), variola major (causing smallpox), Francisella tularensis (causing tularemia), and agents causing viral hemorrhagic fevers – filoviruses (Ebola, Marburg) and arenaviruses (Lassa, Machupo). Another non-microbiological agent of 1^st category is botulotoxin, however coming from bacteria Clostridium botulinum.

In the 2^nd category, there are pathogens that are moderately easy to disseminate and result in moderate morbidity rates and low mortality rates: Brucella species (causing brucellosis), Burkholderia mallei (causing glanders), Burkholderia pseudomallei (causing melioidosis), Chlamydia psittaci (causing psittacosis), Coxiella burnetii (causing Q fever), Rickettsia prowazekii (causing typhus fever), water safety threats (e.g., Vibrio cholerae, Cryptosporidium parvum), food safety threats (e.g., Salmonella species, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Shigella), agents causing viral encephalitis (alphaviruses causing Venezuelan equine encephalitis, eastern equine encephalitis or western equine encephalitis). 2 bacterial toxins are other non-microbiological agents of 2^nd category (epsilon toxin of Clostridium perfringens and staphylococcal enterotoxin B) and non-bacterial Ricin toxin from Ricinus communis (castor beans).

The 3^rd category of potential bioterrorism agents lists "emerging” pathogens that could be engineered for mass dissemination in the future because of ease of their production and dissemination. Their misuse would result in high morbidity and mortality rates and major health impact. Nipah virus and Hantavirus are members of the 3^rd category.

GB´s research is focused on techniques of detection of selected microorganisms of the 1^st and 2^nd categories. Major project performed for Ministry of Defense of Czech Republic deals with development of a detection system based on real-time PCR.

GB continually seeks for a future FP6 and/or FP7 EU research projects in the field of anti-bio-terror tools. For this type of international projects, we offer all methods and techniques available in GB and a staff who had mastered them.