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`Biochips' may lessen germ war threat

The research team at Argonne will attempt to use technology developed to decode the human genome as the basis for fast, reliable detection of biological warfare agents. No live biological toxins or warfare agents will be brought to Argonne for the project.

The new biological warfare detection program is funded by the Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Proliferation of biological weapons is a growing international concern as several countries and extremist groups are believed to possess or to be developing biological weapons including bacteria, viruses, and toxins designed to incapacitate soldiers in the field or terrorize civilian populations.

Among such biological agents are anthrax, Botulinum toxin, Yersinia pestis (which causes plague), Clostridium perfringens (which causes gangrene), several encephalitis viruses and ricin. All can incapacitate or kill.

According to the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, Iraq conducted field trials of biological weapons in 1988 using aerial bombs filled with anthrax simulant and botulinum toxin. Preceding the Gulf War in 1992, the agency said, Iraq possessed more than 150 bombs and 25 missile warheads filled with botulinum toxin, anthrax, or aflatoxin and conducted field trials of aircraft-mounted spray tanks able to spray up to 2,000 liters of anthrax over a target.

"One reason these biological agents pose such a great threat today," said Andrei Mirzabekov (CMB), head of Argonne's research team, "is because they are difficult to detect and identify quickly and reliably. The biological microchips we are producing to decode the human genome could also be the solution to that problem."

The biological microchips developed by Mirzabekov's research team are glass or silicon wafers on which different substances are chemically immobilized. The Human Genome Project seeks to sequence and "map" the huge volume of instructions that control the physiological makeup of humans and other organisms. The process of mapping the genes and the traits they control is advancing much more quickly than the process of determining the entire sequence of individual letters. The biochip promises to break through the sequencing bottleneck.

In the genome program, the substances immobilized on the biochips are short strands of DNA called oligonucleotides which bind, or hybridize, to any complementary DNA strands in the sample being tested. Then a specially-designed microscope detects where the DNA hybridized. A computer attached to the microscope analyzes the data and in a few seconds can piece the word puzzle together into the correct sequence.

In the biological agent detection program, the substances immobilized on the biochips would be oligonucleotides and antibodies.

"By immobilizing oligonucleotides and antibodies for biological warfare agents on the chips," Mirzabekov said, "it should be possible to detect quickly the presence in the air of a biological warfare agent, to identify what that agent is, and to determine whether the bacteria or virus is alive or dead."

The Argonne scientist said his team's long-term goal is to provide simple field instruments for rapid detection, and to also design more complex field-laboratory equipment for detailed analysis.

"In addition to improving our ability to detect biological agents quickly and reliably, we also expect that the technology we develop under this project ultimately will prove helpful in environmental assessments, such as testing water quality, testing the air in hospitals, and performing microanalysis of soils," Mirzabekov said.

The interdisciplinary team is made up of Project Manager Maryka Bhattacharyya (CMB); Research Leader Andrei Mirzabekov (CMB), who also directs Argonne's human genome research efforts; Microbiologist David Stahl of Northwestern University and aerosol scientists Vince Novick (TD) and Rajesh Ahluwalia (TD).

Eastman to reveal `State of the Lab'
at May 20 report to employees

The presentation will be simultaneously broadcast to Argonne-East's Building 203 Auditorium and Building 223, Room B002.

Director's Award winners will be announced at the report (see related story).

Continuous shuttle service will be provided from the east area, Building 900, the 300 area and Buildings 200, 201, 202, 203, 205, 208, 212, 222 and 223.

All employees whose work schedules permit are invited to attend.

State of the Laboratory addresses for 1995 and 1996 are available online.

Winning Rube Goldberg machine
to be demonstrated at ANL-E

Marist defeated eight other Chicago-area high schools in the contest to build the most complicated machine to insert and play a compact disk in 20 or more steps.

Rube Goldberg machine contests are inspired by the late Reuben Lucius Goldberg, whose cartoons combined simple household items into complex devices to perform trivial tasks.

Members of the Marist team and their faculty advisors won Argonne 50th anniversary commemorative silver coins, Argonne T-shirts, a tour of the laboratory and lunch with Argonne scientists.

The contest, held Feb. 28 at the Chicago Children's Museum on Navy Pier, was sponsored by the Division of Educational Programs and the Office of Public Affairs.

Kazakstan's science minister,
power specialist tour ANL-W

The Shkolniks are in the United States to visit the U.S. Department of Defense and the departments of State and Energy to discuss areas of mutual interest. Kazakstan was the second-largest republic of the former Soviet Union and was home to much of the empire's space and nuclear program. The Soviet Union conducted much of its weapons testing in northeastern part of the country. It is home to research and nuclear fuel fabrication facilities and uranium mining enterprises.

Kazakstan is preparing to deal with spent fuel from its BN-350 fast reactor on the shores of the Caspian Sea. The Argonne-West tour will focus on fast reactor spent fuel preparation and dry storage.

They were accompanied on their tour of Argonne-West by Terry Lash, director the Department of Energy's office of nuclear energy, science and technology.

Before touring Experimental Breeder Reactor-II, the Hot Fuel Examination Facility and the RSWF, Tatyana Shkolnik presented a talk on "The Atomic and Industrial Complex of the Republic of Kazakstan."

Low accident, injury rates
rated outstanding by DOE

In 1996, there were 79 recordable injury/illness cases reported for both Argonne sites. The incident rate is based on 200,000 employee-hours worked, lowering the incident rate to 1.60 versus 1995's recordable rate of 1.96. The DOE recordable incident rate for all research contractors was 3.0 in 1995.

Of Argonne's 79 cases, 35 resulted in days away from work, or days during which an employee could not fully perform his or her duties (lost workdays), resulting in a lost-workday incident rate of 0.71. This rate is slightly higher than the 1995 rate of 0.65. However, the overall DOE research contractor lost-workday case rate was 1.2 in 1995. The lost workday cases resulted in 263 lost workdays.

"We should take pride in our achievements, but we should not drop our vigilance," said ESH Director Robert Wynveen. "Although Argonne is steadily improving its safety record, many injuries could have been prevented."

For example, injuries to the hand accounted for the highest percentage of recordable injuries (more than 40 percent). Strains to the back and shoulders were the next most frequent type of accident, accounting for more than 27 percent of the injuries.

Also during 1996, a number of electrical incidents were recorded at both Argonne sites. Although none of the incidents caused injuries or property losses, several could have resulted in injury. Currently, Argonne is reassessing guidelines for work assignments, worker qualification and supervisor responsibility.

"Investigations of injuries have shown that many could have been prevented by better pre-planning and the use of correct tools," said Wynveen. "Each of us should encourage our fellow team members to stay safe and free from harm on and off the job every day of the year."

Changes in store for
long-term disability

Currently, the plan provides for a contribution of 14 percent to the retirement plan for an individual receiving long term disability benefits. For individuals who become disabled on or after July 1, 1997, the retirement plan contribution will be 11.5 percent.

For more information, contact Human Resources at ext. 2-2991 at Argonne-East, or ext. 3-7227 at Argonne-West.

Committees manual
moves to Web site

The manual can be also be found by following links on the Argonne home page for "information resources," "Argonne Information Management System," and "Argonne manuals."

All standing laboratory committees, including committees of the University of Chicago Board of Governors for Argonne, are listed in the online version.

The manual can be searched by keyword or names of current committee members.

The electronic version replaces the printed Laboratory Committees Manual. Those on the distribution list for the printed manual will be notified via e-mail whenever changes are made to the database; current changes can be displayed by using the "What's New" button on the laboratory committees main display page.

Amateur ornithologists
invited to bird walks

Each walk will begin at 8 a.m. in a different area at the Illinois site. Participants should bring binoculars, good hiking shoes, long pants, mosquito repellent and a favorite field guide to birds.

* Tuesday, May 20 -- 207 wetland- Meet at the Building 207 parking lot.

* Thursday, May 22 -- Filling station east- Meet at the Argonne Service station and walk east.

More information is available on the World Wide Web.

Service awards for April include:

50 Years

Dieter M. Gruen (CHM).

35 Years

Sidney G. Holder Sr. (ESH-HP), Philip H. Kier (DIS) and Roland F. Maharry (OD).

30 Years

Sylvia M. Hagamann (ET), Sue E. Smith (TD) and Richard H. Wesel (RE).

25 Years

Marquis A. Kirk Jr. (MSD) and G. Schwartzenberger (ED).

20 Years

Darlene L. Bradford (RPS-PRO), David R. Cook (ER), Elwyn H. Dolecek (ESH), Kenny C. Gross (RA), John M. Kolenko (CHM), Paul E. Rausch (ECT-CTT), Barbara H. Richardson (ESH-HP) and Margaret M. Zielke (OTD-ERA).

15 Years

Stuart J. Freedman (PHY), Roy P. Grant (RPS-ESH), Lolita M. Groves (ED) and Gerald E. Marsh (DIS).

10 Years

Randall P. Biang (EA), Donna R. Devine (ASD), Karen A. Kerwin (ITD), Tina M. Kilmer (PFS-FPE), Daniel J. Miller (DIS), Sharon A. Morelli (ASD), Simon R. Phillpot (MSD), Catherine M. Riblon (IPNS), Raymond L. Rucinski (ECT-CS) and Zhong-Xiong Wei (DIS).

5 Years

Jane Andrew (IPD-TCS), Albert Barcikowski (ASD), Kay Borman (EMO-WMO), Jon M. Bradley (RPS-SUP), Fred Brewer (ESH), Kent W. Burch (OD-PS), Thomas Carten (PFS-BM), Edmund Chang (ASD), Dannie Davis (PFS-US), Kevin Dunne (ASD), Joseph Error (ASD), Judy Frantini (PFS-VM), James Gleeson (ITD), Darryl Howe (HR), Daniel Huml (PFS-BM), Justin Jones (ASD), John A. Lazarz (CMB), Neil MacDonald (PFS-BM), Peter Maurella (PFS-BM), Corrie G. Patterson (TD-DES), Robert Pfile (OCF-PRO), Ralph Schultz (ECT-CS), Sushil Sharma (ASD), Richard A. Stewart (OD), Connie J. Tessmer (OD), Douglas Tynan (TD), Glenn Willes (PFS-BM) and Glenn H. Wittman (EMO).

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Deadline Information

Story ideas, comments and suggestions are welcome. The Argonne News office is in Building 201, room 2Q-02 (OPA-201). The fax number is ext. 2-5274. Send E-mail to Argonne News editor Dave Jacque.

Seminar listings: Send by inter-office mail to Evie Fagan, Building 201, room 2U-09 (OPA-201). Fax to ext. 2-5274, or send by E-mail.

Classified ads: Please limit ads to 25 words. Send by inter-office mail to Evelyn Fagan, Building 201, room 2U-09 (OPA-201). A drop box is located at the Argonne News office.

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