US Army and their Anthrax follies....

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   This is a very good article documenting the ongoing woes of the US Army labs and their attempts to deactivate Anthrax spores:
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/06/17/anthrax-shipments-bruce-ivins-emails/28883603/

Normally, labs would use steam autoclaves to destroy Anthrax spores, it is well-proven and effective.  So why is the US Army so insistent upon using radiation? 

My guess is because they do not want to alter the chemistry of the Anthrax spores.  Spores are being sent to various labs in order to test early warning/detection technologies, which may rely upon antigenic testing of spore coats or other technique. 

However, from this article, it appears that the attempts to use gamma radiation were inadequate.  

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CRS, DrPH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Expert Level Adviser Joined: January 20 2014 Location: Arizona Status: Offline Points: 26660	Post Options Post Reply Quote CRS, DrPH Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: US Army and their Anthrax follies.... Posted: June 20 2015 at 9:13am
	This is a very good article documenting the ongoing woes of the US Army labs and their attempts to deactivate Anthrax spores: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2015/06/17/anthrax-shipments-bruce-ivins-emails/28883603/ Normally, labs would use steam autoclaves to destroy Anthrax spores, it is well-proven and effective. So why is the US Army so insistent upon using radiation? My guess is because they do not want to alter the chemistry of the Anthrax spores. Spores are being sent to various labs in order to test early warning/detection technologies, which may rely upon antigenic testing of spore coats or other technique. However, from this article, it appears that the attempts to use gamma radiation were inadequate.
	CRS, DrPH

CRS, DrPH Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Expert Level Adviser Joined: January 20 2014 Location: Arizona Status: Offline Points: 26660	Post Options Post Reply Quote CRS, DrPH Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: July 28 2015 at 9:35am
	^It turns out that I was correct about why they used gamma irradiation vs. proven autoclave - samples of anthrax spores were sent to labs that were trying to develop Anthrax monitoring and countermeasure technology. http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/news-perspective/2015/07/poor-inactivation-testing-blamed-dod-anthrax-errors DoD sends inactivated BA spores to outside labs for research and development of countermeasures to protect US troops, allies, partners, and the public from biological attack, according to Work. The department has four labs that handle BA: Dugway in Utah and three facilities in Maryland: the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center, the Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, and the Naval Medical Research Center.
	CRS, DrPH

onefluover Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: April 21 2013 Location: Death Valleyish Status: Offline Points: 20151	Post Options Post Reply Quote onefluover Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: July 28 2015 at 10:06am
	You were spot on! That is exactly what I would of figured as well. Autoclaves, through heat AND pressure, "crack" the spore. It would be difficult to accurately guage their test equipment using cracked spores (among other aspects of destruction as well which may include contaminating the spore with minerals assuming the distilled water isn't perfectly distilled). Theoretically, irradiating would destroy the activity of the spore but while leaving it wholely intact.
	"And then there were none."