The impact of skin decontamination on the time window for effective treatment of percutaneous VX exposure

The main goal of the present study was to obtain insight into depot formation and penetration following percutaneous VX poisoning, in order to identify an appropriate decontamination window that can enhance or support medical countermeasures. The study was executed in two phases, using the hairless guinea pig as an animal model. In the first...

Rapid and generic identification of influenza A and other respiratory viruses with mass spectrometry

The rapid identification of existing and emerging respiratory viruses is crucial in combating outbreaks and epidemics. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a rapid and reliable identification method in bacterial diagnostics, but has not been used in virological diagnostics. Mass...

Rapid and reliable discrimination between Shigella species and Escherichia coli using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

E. coli-. Shigella species are a cryptic group of bacteria in which the Shigella species are distributed within the phylogenetic tree of E. coli. The nomenclature is historically based and the discrimination of these genera developed as a result of the epidemiological need to identify the cause of shigellosis, a severe disease caused by Shigella...

Mass spectrometry as a successful technique for identification of respiratory viruses such as influenza A

Rapid and generic identification of respiratory viruses with mass spectrometry - Poster

Tested respiratory viruses: influenza A virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV), were successfully identified directly from crude cell cultures using liquid chromatography-tandem MS (LC-MS/MS). The identification was preceded with the simple, generic and fast sample preparation method. The determined...

OmpU as a biomarker for rapid discrimination between toxigenic and epidemic Vibrio cholerae O1/O139 and non-epidemic Vibrio cholerae in a modified MALDI-TOF MS assay

Background Cholera is an acute diarrheal disease caused by Vibrio cholerae. Outbreaks are caused by a genetically homogenous group of strains from serogroup O1 or O139 that are able to produce the cholera toxin. Rapid detection and identification of these epidemic strains is essential for an effective response to cholera outbreaks. Results The...

Identification of a new biomarker for fast discrimination between epidemic and non-epidemic Vibrio cholerae in a modified MALDI-TOF MS assay

Peptide fingerprinting as a successful method for identification of influenza A viruses

Rapid identification of respiratory viruses using liquid chromatography-tandem MS

Mass spectrometry as a successful technique for identification of respiratory viruses such as influenza A

Reliable identification at the species level of Brucella isolates with MALDI-TOF-MS

Background: The genus Brucella contains highly infectious species that are classified as biological threat agents. The timely detection and identification of the microorganism involved is essential for an effective response not only to biological warfare attacks but also to natural outbreaks. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time...

Identification of outer membrane proteins of Yersinia pestis through biotinylation

The outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria contains proteins that might be good targets for vaccines, antimicrobials or detection systems. The identification of surface located proteins using traditional methods is often difficult. Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, was labelled with biotin. Tagged proteins were visualised through...

Chemostat-based proteomic analysis of toluene-affected Pseudomonas putida S12

The aim of this study was to assess the cellular response of the solvent-tolerant Pseudomonas putida S12 to toluene as the single effector. Proteomic analysis (two-dimensional difference-in-gel-electrophoresis) was used to assess the response of P. putida S12 cultured in chemostats. This approach ensures constant growth conditions, both in the...

Characterisation of botulinum toxins type C, D, E, and F by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation and electrospray mass spectrometry

In a follow-up of the earlier characterisation of botulinum toxins type A and B (BTxA and BTxB) by mass spectrometry (MS), types C, D, E, and F (BTxC, BTxD, BTxE, BTxF) were now investigated. Botulinum toxins are extremely neurotoxic bacterial toxins, likely to be used as biological warfare agent. Biologically active BTxC, BTxD, BTxE, and BTxF...

Sulfur mustard causes caspase-mediated cleavage of cytoskeletal keratins

In order to study the toxic mechanism of action of sulfur mustard (HD), we examined protein expression in control and HD-treated cultured human epidermal keratinocytes (HEK) at 24 h after exposure to 100 μM HD. Protein patterns of cell lysates were prepared using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis with an immobilized pH gradient in the first...

Characterisation of botulinum toxins type A and B, by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionisation and electrospray mass spectrometry

A method earlier developed for the mass spectrometric (MS) identification of tetanus toxin (TTx) was applied to botulinum toxins type A and B (BTxA and BTxB). Botulinum toxins are extremely neurotoxic bacterial toxins, likely to be used as biological warfare agent. Biologically active BTxA and BTxB are comprised of a protein complex of the...

Identification of chemicals related to the chemical weapons convention during an interlaboratory proficiency test

In order to test the ability of laboratories to detect and identify chemicals related to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which prohibits the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons, and to designate laboratories for this task, the Technical Secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons...

Mass spectrometric identification of toxins