Title: Compositions and methods for pathogen transport

Abstract

This disclosure provides a method for transporting a pathogen under ambient conditions, by culturing the pathogen with an amoeba under conditions that favor the incorporation of the pathogen into a trophozoite, starving the amoeba until it encysts, then culturing under conditions that favor conversion of the amoeba back to a trophozoite. In one aspect, the conditions that favor incorporation of the pathogen into the cyst of the amoeba comprises contacting the pathogen with the amoeba in an iron rich environment. Virus and/or bacteria are pathogens that can be transported by the disclosed method. Amoeba that are useful in the disclosed methods include, without limitation Acanthamoeba castellanii, Hartmannella vermiformis and Naegleria gruberi. The disclosed methods have utility in: transporting pathogens from military field hospitals and clinics to the laboratory; transporting pathogens from global satellite laboratories to clinical laboratories; long term storage of pathogens; enriching contaminated patient samples for pathogens of interest; biosurveillance and detection efforts.

Inventors:

El-Etr, Sahar; Farquar, George R.

Issue Date:

Tue Jan 26 00:00:00 EST 2016

Research Org.:

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE

OSTI Identifier:

1236565

Patent Number(s):

9243222

Application Number:

14/148,484

Assignee:

Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC

Patent Classifications (CPCs):

B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01L - CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE

C - CHEMISTRY C12 - BIOCHEMISTRY C12M - APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY

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B - PERFORMING OPERATIONS B01 - PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL B01L - CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL LABORATORY APPARATUS FOR GENERAL USE

B01L2300/042 - Caps
B01L2300/044 - pierceable, e.g. films, membranes
B01L2300/0832 - cylindrical, tube shaped
B01L3/50825 - {Closing or opening means, corks, bungs

C - CHEMISTRY C12 - BIOCHEMISTRY C12M - APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY

C12M23/34 - {Internal compartments or partitions}
C12M33/02 - {by impregnation, e.g. using swabs or loops

C - CHEMISTRY C12 - BIOCHEMISTRY C12N - MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES

C12N1/04 - Preserving or maintaining viable microorganisms
C12N1/10 - Protozoa
C12N1/20 - Bacteria {

C - CHEMISTRY C12 - BIOCHEMISTRY C12Q - MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS

C12Q1/24 - Methods of sampling, or inoculating or spreading a sample

G - PHYSICS G01 - MEASURING G01N - INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

G01N1/02 - Devices for withdrawing samples
G01N2001/028 - {Sampling from a surface, swabbing, vaporising}

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DOE Contract Number:  

AC52-07NA27344

Resource Type:

Patent

Resource Relation:

Patent File Date: 2014 Jan 06

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES; 60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES