Genetic confirmation of DRDC Suffield biological field simulants for the New Substances Notification Program

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Authors
  1. Bader, D.E.
  2. Fisher, G.R.
  3. Rowsell, S.
Corporate Authors
Defence R&D Canada - Suffield, Ralston ALTA (CAN)
Abstract
In order to continue to be able to use non-pathogenic organisms as biological warfare agent simulants for open air release, DRDC Suffield recently had to confirm the identities of the simulants it employs — Pantoea agglomerans (a Gram-negative bacterial simulant formerly named Erwinia herbicola), Bacillus atrophaeus (a Gram-positive bacterial spore simulant formerly named Bacillus globigii) and Male Specific Coliphage 2 (MS2, a viral simulant) including its Escherichia coli host. To comply with the New Substances Notification Regulations through Environment Canada, submission of detailed information packages on each of the organisms was required. In support of these submissions, published polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays for each of the organisms were reviewed, selected, modified as required and put into practice. In silico analysis was conducted to address Environment Canada’s concern regarding the specificity of the aroQ assay to detect the P. agglomerans simulant strain and not related Pantoea strains, including plant pathogens. Analysis indicated that the aroQ assay should detect the simulant strain but not the biocontrol strain P. vagans C9-1 or plant pathogen strains such as P. ananatis LMG 20103. To address residual prevalence of the simulants prior to new releases, attempts were made to isolate them from DRDC Suffield field study sites where they were previously used. The identification method for B. atrophaeus was used to confirm the identity of spore isola

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Report Number
DRDC-SUFFIELD-TR-2012-066 — Technical Report
Date of publication
01 Nov 2012
Number of Pages
52
DSTKIM No
CA037935
CANDIS No
537824
Format(s):
Electronic Document(PDF)

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