Detection of Biological Agents for the Prevention of Bioterrorism

Preface.- Broadband analysis of bioagents by mass spectrometry.- Hollow-fiber flow field-flow fractionation for mass spectrometry: from proteins to whole bacteria.- Mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry for protein biomarker discovery and bacterial speciation.- Intact cell/spore mass spectrometry of fusarium macro conidia for fast isolate and species differentiation.- Bacteriophage amplification-coupled detection and identification of bacterial pathogens.- Matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometric analysis of bacillus anthracis: from fingerprint analysis of the bacterium to quantification of its toxins in clinical samples.- Microorganism identification based on MALDI-TOF MS fingerprints.- Mass spectrometric detection of botulinum neurotoxin by measuring its activity in serum and milk.- Functional assays for ricin detection.- Challenges of detecting bioterrorism agents in complex matrices.- DESI-MS/MS of chemical warfare agents and related compounds.- Massspectrometry applications for the identification and quantitation of biomarkers resulting from human exposure to chemical warfare agents.- Applications of mass spectrometry in investigations of alleged use of chemical warfare agents.- Mass spectrometry for the analysis of low explosives.- Identification of the bacterial cellular lipid fraction by using fast GC × GC-MS and innovative MS libraries.- Endotoxins in environmental and clinical samples assessed by GC-tandem MS.- Imaging mass spectrometry.- 2 and 3d TOF-SIMS imaging for biological analysis.- Application of mass spectrometry for the analysis of vitellogenin, a unique biomarker for xenobiotic compounds.- Mass spectrometry as a powerful analytical technique for the structural characterization of synthesized and natural products.