* McClatchy should nominate Greg Gordon’s Amerithrax -subtilis piece for a Pulitzer
Posted by Lew Weinstein on May 5, 2011
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http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/04/20/112520/was-fbi-too-quick-to-judge-anthrax.html
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Posted by Lew Weinstein on May 5, 2011
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http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/04/20/112520/was-fbi-too-quick-to-judge-anthrax.html
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This entry was posted on May 5, 2011 at 6:59 am and is filed under Uncategorized. Tagged: *** 2001 anthrax attacks, *** Amerithrax, *** FBI anthrax investigation, Greg Gordon, McClatchy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.
DXer said
In Mirage Man, in an Appendix after the Epilogue, David Willman writes:
“How did Bacillus subtilis, a contaminant that was not present in the parent flask of RMR-1029, get into the attack anthrax?”
He answers: “A speck of dust or a simple sneeze could have introduced it.” (p. 348)
DXer said
FS: David Willman, The Mirage Man: Bruce Ivins, the Anthrax Attacks, and America’s Rush to War.
I am authorized to sell copies at cost plus actual shipping (you can specify the manner of shipping). While supplies last.
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/non-fiction/david-willman/mirage-man/#review
“Much of the narrative reads like a brief for the prosecution, but in the process of trying to get to the bottom of the anthrax attacks, Willman makes clear that many involved in the investigation acted incompetently, maliciously or irresponsibly, including cocksure but ignorant members of the national media and FBI officials, who seem to have settled on the guilt of another obscure scientist, thus doing harm to the investigation by limiting its purview.”
DXer said
The documentary evidence to be uploaded over the course of the next week shows that the Ivins Theory is just Hatfill redux.
DXer said
Dr. Ivins’ researched subtilis with the fellow who first received the Ames and then went to work for the CIA:
Immunization against Anthrax with Aromatic-Dependent (Aro- ) Mutants of
Bacillus anthracis and with Recombinant Strains of Bacillus subtilis
Producing Anthrax Protective Antigen
Bruce E Ivins; Susan L Welkos; Gregory B
Knudson; Stephen F Little
1989 English Internet Resource 35 p. Ft. Belvoir
Defense Technical Information Center
The safety and efficacy of five prototype, live
anthrax vaccines were studied in Hartly guinea pigs and CBA/J and A/J
mice. Two of the strains, Bacillus anthracis FD111 and FD112, are
Aro-mutants derived by transposon mutagenesis UM23-1. B. subtilis
strains PA1 and PA2 contain a recombinant plasmid, pPA101 or pPA102
respectively, that carriers the gene from B….
Access: http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA216171
Title: Immunization against Anthrax with
Aromatic-Dependent (Aro- ) Mutants of Bacillus anthracis and with
Recombinant Strains of Bacillus subtilis Producing Anthrax Protective
Antigen
Author(s): Ivins, Bruce E.
Welkos, Susan L.
Knudson, Gregory B.
Little, Stephen F.
Corp Author(s): ARMY MEDICAL RESEARCH INST OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES
FORT DETRICK MD.
Publication: Ft. Belvoir Defense Technical Information Center
Year: 1989
Description: 35 p.
Language: English
Abstract: The safety and efficacy of five prototype, live
anthrax vaccines were studied in Hartly guinea pigs and CBA/J and A/J
mice. Two of the strains, Bacillus anthracis FD111 and FD112, are
Aro-mutants derived by transposon mutagenesis UM23-1. B. subtilis
strains PA1 and PA2 contain a recombinant plasmid, pPA101 or pPA102
respectively, that carriers the gene from B. anthracis encoding
protective antigen (PA). B. subtilis DB-104 transformed with pPA101.
All five strains were less virulent in guinea pigs and A/J and CBA/J
mice than the toxinogenic nonencapsulated B. anthracis veterinary
vaccine Sterne strain. A/J and CBA/J inbred mice represent mouse
strains that are innately susceptible and resistant, respectively, to
the Sterne strain. These differences in susceptibility are due to
differences in ability to produce complement component 5. In guinea
pigs immunization with PA1 or PA2 vegetative cells or PA7 spores
protected 95% or greater from an intramuscular spore challenge of the
virulent, ‘vaccine-resistant’ B. anthracis Ames strain. Strain PA2
vegetative cells and strain PA7 spores were as effective as the Sterne
strain in Sterne-resistant CBA/J mice. Immunization with FD111 or FS112
vegetative cells fully protected guinea pigs from challenge.
Immunization with FD111 cells protected up to 100% of CBA/J mice and up
to 70% of A/J mice Keywords: DNA; Clones.
Access: http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA216171
DXer said
As published:
Infect Immun. 1990 February; 58(2): 303-308
Immunization against anthrax with aromatic compound-dependent (Aro-) mutants of Bacillus anthracis and with recombinant strains of Bacillus subtilis that produce anthrax protective antigen.
B E Ivins, S L Welkos, G B Knudson and S F Little
Division of Bacteriology, U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, Frederick, Maryland 21701-5011.
ABSTRACT
The safety and efficacy of five prototype, live anthrax vaccines were studied in Hartley guinea pigs and CBA/J and A/J mice. Two of the strains, Bacillus anthracis FD111 and FD112, are Aro- mutants derived by Tn916 mutagenesis of B. anthracis UM23-1. Bacillus subtilis PA1 and PA2 contain a recombinant plasmid, pPA101 or pPA102, respectively, that carries the gene from B. anthracis encoding synthesis of protective antigen (PA). The final strain, B. subtilis PA7, was isolated in this study from B. subtilis DB104 transformed with pPA101. All five strains were less virulent in guinea pigs and A/J and CBA/J mice than the toxinogenic, nonencapsulated B. anthracis veterinary vaccine Sterne strain. A/J and CBA/J inbred mice represent strains that are innately susceptible and resistant, respectively, to the Sterne strain. These differences in susceptibility are due to differences in ability to produce complement component 5. In guinea pigs, immunization with PA1 or PA2 vegetative cells or PA7 spores protected greater than or equal to 95% from an intramuscular spore challenge with the virulent, “vaccine-resistant” B. anthracis Ames strain. Strain PA2 vegetative cells and strain PA7 spores were as effective as the Sterne strain in Sterne-resistant CBA/J mice, protecting 70% of the mice from Ames strain spore challenge. Immunization with FD111 or FD112 vegetative cells fully protected guinea pigs from challenge. Immunization with FD111 cells protected up to 100% of CBA/J mice and up to 70% of A/J mice.
Infect Immun. 1990 February; 58(2): 303-308
DXer said
The former Zawahiri associate supplied virulent Ames by Bruce Ivins published DARPA-funded research on subtilis that was submitted on August 2001. Was testing done of the lab where that was done?
A rapid staining technique for the detection of the initiation
of germination of bacterial spores
T. Hamouda1, A.Y. Shih1 and J.R. Baker, Jr
Division of Allergy, Department of Medicine, and Center for Biological Nanotechnology, University of Michigan
Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA 1Current affiliation: NanoBio Corporation, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
2001/258: received 30 August 2001, revised 10 October 2001 and accepted 17 October 2001
http://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:AwDKKuM6hOUJ:nano.med.umich.edu/publications/HamoudaLettAppMicrobiol2002.pdf+NanoBio+subtilis+Hamouda&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESitF149jmQaR6QZ0dSNtJHKS_2W01JtvK7Uy2ZpEocZwB1FohJQbkR4H8EO060k1Kat01ricsoe8xwBMpp7GYFmfvunObeNvGsmJqI3Zj-zqyByZr5-54TGV-RFGQrOy5EQcEVD&sig=AHIEtbSu02oIjHX9h_UxgSMuDSKTWY20SQ
DXer said
I contacted the authors about this some years ago. TH did not respond. AS did not respond. JB confirmed their work with subtilis. He confirmed that the work with virulent Ames supplied by Bruce Ivins was done at USAMRIID.
DXer said
Last year, when I called Michael Hayes, who worked with TH alongside Bruce Ivins and Patricia Fellows and Mara Linscott, he said “You don’t want to know.”
Did Pat and Bruce socialize with TH when they would visit Lansing?
DXer said
FBI lab reports on anthrax attacks suggest another miscue
By Greg Gordon | McClatchy Newspapers
Read more: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2011/05/19/114467/fbi-lab-reports-on-anthrax-attacks.html#ixzz1MpvbxjeN
DXer said
This a good summary of the issue. This Greg Gordon must be hard worker to cover such a wide range of issues with such aplomb.
I obtained an interview with the quoted PhD expert who summarized the Amerithrax investigation in this exclusive taped interview:
http://jackytappet.tripod.com/scots/chase.mp3
Old Atlantic said
This video raises an important issue, is subtilis pronounced tile or till in the middle? Which do biologists do? How would a Latin teacher say it? We can only hope they are different. This is ripe for schism. Tilers v tillers. The last frontier of ignorance.