Enzymatic Decontamination of C/B Threat Materials: From Concept to Commercialization

Abstract

The ability of enzymes to hydrolyze and detoxify organophosphorus compounds goes back nearly 60 years to when Mazur published work with mammalian tissues conducted during World War II (Mazur, 1946). He determined that enzymatic activity in a variety of tissues could catalytically detoxify diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP). More recently, a variety of enzymes with activity against G- and V-type nerve agents as well as organophosphorus pesticides have been identified from numerous sources, purified and characterized. A review of these enzymes can be found in a recent review (DeFrank and White, 2002). With several of these enzymes now available in industrial quantities, the concept of a limited capability enzyme-based decontaminant has reached fruition.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 17, 2004
Accession Number
ADA449477

Entities

People

  • Christopher S. Penet
  • Joseph J. Defrank
  • Steven P. Harvey
  • Tu-chen Cheng
  • Vipin K. Rastogi

Organizations

  • Edgewood Chemical Biological Center

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Abstracts
  • Amino Acids
  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemistry
  • Command And Control
  • Crystal Structure
  • Elements
  • Enzymes
  • Fire Fighting
  • Materials
  • Microbiology
  • Molecular Weight
  • Nerve Agents
  • Organophosphorus Compounds
  • Pesticides
  • Phosphorus
  • Vehicles

Readers

  • Environmental Engineering.
  • Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry
  • Neurotoxicology