The action by a deranged person or terrorist has proven that there is indeed a real threat of a biological warfare attack. Such an attack could be conducted through the release of biological warfare agents such as Bacillus anthracis. This Major Qualifying Project used the bacterium Bacillus Subtilis as a surrogate for B. anthracis to determine the efficiency of pulsed visible white light as an inactivating agent of the resistant bacterium spore. An efficient all-or-nothing assay for similar irradiation experiments was developed. The findings of this project indicate that pulsed white light contributes greatly to the inactivation of the resistant spores formed by B Subtilis.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Kakouros, Stavros

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• 03B010M

Advisor

• Crusberg, Theodore C.

Year

• 2003

Date created

• 2003-01-01

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Biology & Biotechnology

Rights statement

• In Copyright