SGER: Fluorescent Detection of Bacillus anthracis

University Of California-Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

This Small Grant for Exploratory Research (SGER) provides funds for an examination of fluorescence as a means for identification of bacteria on solid surfaces. A number of constituents common to all organisms, including several amino acids and vitamins, fluoresce in response to ultraviolet or visible light. Because the amount, duration and wavelength of such florescence should vary with the exact composition of each organism, measurement of florescence could provide a means to identify bacteria in the presence of other materials and distinguish one type of bacteria from another. Using a synchrotron light source for irradiation of bacteria at well-defined wavelengths between 170 and 700 nm., the peak wavelength and time-decay of fluorescence by several, non-pathogenic species of Bacillus and other bacteria will be determined and then compared to the fluorescence of other particulate materials including plant pollen and clay. The goal is to investigate the potential utility of fluorescence as the basis for a device to detect bacteria on the surface of envelopes and other objects.