Biochip for the Detection of Bacillus anthracis Lethal Factor and Therapeutic Agents against Anthrax Toxins

Vitalii Silin; John J Kasianowicz; Ariel Michelman-Ribeiro; Rekha G Panchal; Sina Bavari; Joseph W F Robertson

doi:10.3390/membranes6030036

Biochip for the Detection of Bacillus anthracis Lethal Factor and Therapeutic Agents against Anthrax Toxins

Membranes (Basel). 2016 Jun 24;6(3):36. doi: 10.3390/membranes6030036.

Authors

Vitalii Silin^{1

2

3}, John J Kasianowicz⁴, Ariel Michelman-Ribeiro⁵, Rekha G Panchal⁶, Sina Bavari⁷, Joseph W F Robertson⁸

Affiliations

¹ Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8120, USA. vitalii.silin@nist.gov.
² NIST Center for Neutron Research, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8120, USA. vitalii.silin@nist.gov.
³ Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, University of Maryland, Rockville, MD 20899, USA. vitalii.silin@nist.gov.
⁴ Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8120, USA. john.kasianowicz@nist.gov.
⁵ Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8120, USA. lasirenita54@yahoo.com.
⁶ US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702-5011, USA. rekha.g.panchal.civ@mail.mil.
⁷ US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, MD 21702-5011, USA. sina.bavari.civ@mail.mil.
⁸ Physical Measurement Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8120, USA. joseph.robertson@nist.gov.

Abstract

Tethered lipid bilayer membranes (tBLMs) have been used in many applications, including biosensing and membrane protein structure studies. This report describes a biosensor for anthrax toxins that was fabricated through the self-assembly of a tBLM with B. anthracis protective antigen ion channels that are both the recognition element and electrochemical transducer. We characterize the sensor and its properties with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance. The sensor shows a sensitivity similar to ELISA and can also be used to rapidly screen for molecules that bind to the toxins and potentially inhibit their lethal effects.

Keywords: anthrax; biochip; edema factor; lethal factor; protective antigen; screening; tethered bilayer membrane; therapeutic agents.

Grants and funding

R01 HG007415/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States