Navy awards local scientist a contract to fight bioterrorism
San Antonio Business Journal
The Naval Research Laboratory awarded the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research a $300,000 contract to help improve the nation's early-warning detection capabilities for a biological attack.
Local scientist Andrew Hayhurst has discovered that the blood from llamas and camels contains an antibody that might be adapted as a sensor for detecting biological and chemical agents at shopping malls, airports and subways.
Hayhurst, a virologist and antibody engineer, received the two-year contract from the U.S. Navy to support the development of portable, reusable biosensors that are able to withstand high temperatures and other extreme field conditions.
Standard, more complex antibodies commonly found in most animals break apart under stress and cannot return to their original shape. Single-domain antibodies, such as the ones used for this study, have the ability to refold back to their original shape.
Hayhurst believes that this antibody will be useful to the military and public health officials because this biosensor won't require refrigeration, will be reusable and stable enough to work in desert conditions.
Ultimately, he envisions using these antibodies in sensors than can detect a wide range of substances including toxic chemicals, dangerous bacteria and viruses.
Hayhurst has a library of about 1 billion antibodies taken from blood samples of llamas.
He will work closely with Ellen Goldman, a scientist at the Naval Research Laboratory, under the antibody-sensor research contract.
Hayhurst previously worked with Goldman on a device that detected the presence of TNT using an antibody specific to that explosive. However, that device had its limitations because it had to be refrigerated.
The Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research in San Antonio works to discover the nature, causes, preventions, treatments and cures for diseases. Its staff of 75 scientists are currently working on close to 180 research projects.
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