Novel Formulation to Destroy Biothreat Agents

The goal of this work was identification of gentle chemistries, and degrative enzyme formulations, that can be formulated to efficiently destroy Bacillus anthracis spores. To achieve this, the effects on spore morphology and viability of a diverse range of chemicals and enzymes were analyzed. It was found that spores are remarkably resistant to even relatively reactive chemistries. As a result, no mild, sporocidal chemistry was identified. These results identify novel chemical resistance properties of the spore. A formulation containing the enzyme papain that readily reduced spore viability by over 5 logs was identified. Importantly, for maximum effect, the formulation required the inclusion of germinants. This did not cause full outgrowth and, therefore, did not result in complete removal of the spores protective shells. However, it did result in a sufficient breach in these shells to permit efficient degradation by papain, which does not take place when the exosporium is intact. These results not only identify an effective sporocidal formulation, but also provide novel information regarding the roles of spore structures in resistance and the mechanism of spore germination.