Release the Helpful Viruses

Courtesy Photo | Decontamination of Bacillus anthracis Sterne Following BaSTφ Spray Treatment  

FT. BELVOIR, VIRGINIA, UNITED STATES

07.29.2022

Courtesy Story

Defense Threat Reduction Agency's Chemical and Biological Technologies Department

At the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, New York, cadet researchers are working to demonstrate the natural bacteria-killing ability of bacteriophages (“phages”) to create a potential new biothreat decontamination tool for Joint Force equipment. Phages are viruses that infect bacteria and use their host’s internal cellular machinery to replicate, which then leads to the bacteria’s death. Phage therapy has been used to successfully treat drug-resistant bacterial infections where traditional antibiotic therapy had failed.

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s (DTRA) Chemical and Biological Technologies Department in its role as the Joint Science and Technology Office (JSTO) for the Chemical and Biological Defense Program is investing in this Service Academy Engagement project at the USMA to determine if phages can act as an equipment-specific decontamination method for bioweapons. This endeavor is part of DTRA JSTO's role to anticipate emerging threats the Joint Force may face in the future and prepare to counter them.

For this project, the phage’s bacteria-killing effect was assessed for its ability to treat contaminated surfaces. The cadets used a solution containing phage to destroy the anthrax-causing Bacillus anthracis applied to military-relevant surfaces, such as boots, uniform fabric, and stainless steel. It is important to develop a method to decontaminate surfaces coated with B. anthracis because it is a natural bioweapon. It's a human pathogen, its spore stage is highly resistant to heat and most cleaning methods, and it can be become antibiotic resistant.

The phage used in the study was isolated from a sewage plant near the USMA. The cadet researchers chose this phage because of its demonstrated lytic capability (disintegrating a cell by rupturing its cell wall or membrane) and complete kill of B. anthracis Sterne strain bacteria, and the inhibited outgrowth of B. anthracis Sterne from spores by 75% in different tests. The West Point cadets video recorded portions of their project and received a favorable response when they presented the results of their study during the USMA Project Day event.

This phage decontamination study may lead to additional research on using phages as a reliable treatment tool for the Joint Force to combat bio threats where traditional antibiotics can fail.

• Date Taken: 07.29.2022
• Date Posted: 07.29.2022 16:07
• Story ID: 426149
• Location: FT. BELVOIR, VIRGINIA, US