Inactivation of West Nile virus in serum with heat, ionic detergent, and reducing agent for proteomic applications.

Research involving biosafety level 3 pathogens such as West Nile virus (WNV) is often limited by the limited space and technical constraints of these environments. To conduct complex analytical studies outside of high containment, robust and reliable inactivation methods are needed that maintain compatibility with downstream assays. Here we report the inactivation of WNV in spiked serum samples using a commercially available SDS-PAGE sample buffer for proteomic studies.

Detection of the Bacillus anthracis gyrA gene by using a minor groove binder probe.

Identification of chromosomal markers for rapid detection of Bacillus anthracis is difficult because significant chromosomal homology exists among B. anthracis, Bacillus cereus, and Bacillus thuringiensis. We evaluated the bacterial gyrA gene as a potential chromosomal marker for B.

Use of denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography to identify Bacillus anthracis by analysis of the 16S-23S rRNA interspacer region and gyrA gene.

Denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) was evaluated as a method for identifying Bacillus anthracis by analyzing two chromosomal targets, the 16S-23S intergenic spacer region (ISR) and the gyrA gene. The 16S-23S ISR was analyzed by this method with 42 strains of B. anthracis, 36 strains of Bacillus cereus, and 12 strains of Bacillus thuringiensis; the gyrA gene was analyzed by this method with 33 strains of B.