# US 2008/0187907 A1 · Catalytic Production of Biomakers From Biological Materials > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2008/0187907 A1 - Document ID: US20080187907A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 10/590,545 - Filed: 2005-02-25 - Published: 2008-08-07 - Earliest claimed: 2004-02-26 - Inventors: Calvin H. Bartholomew; Zhijun Jia; Phillip R. Smith; Aaron Nicholas Nackos; Milton L. Lee; Edgar D. Lee - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20080187907A1 ## CPC - C12Q 1/04: Determining presence or kind of microorganism; Use of selective media for testing antibiotics or bacteriocides; Compositions containing a chemical indicator therefor {(C12Q1/6897 takes precedence)} - G01N 33/92: involving lipids, e.g. cholesterol {, lipoproteins, or their receptors (steroid hormones G01N33/743)} - G01N 2333/32: from Bacillus (G) - C12Q: MEASURING OR TESTING PROCESSES INVOLVING ENZYMES, NUCLEIC ACIDS OR MICROORGANISMS (immunoassay G01N33/53); COMPOSITIONS OR TEST PAPERS THEREFOR; PROCESSES OF PREPARING SUCH COMPOSITIONS; CONDITION-RESPONSIVE CONTROL IN MICROBIOLOGICAL OR ENZYMOLOGICAL PROCESSES - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract An apparatus and method for detecting a biological material, such as bacterial spores (e.g. Anthrax) which reacts non-volatile biomarker precursors to volatile precursors by heating the biological material in the presence of a catalyst. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for identifying biological material containing volatile and/or non-volatile biomarker precursors, the method comprising: contacting the biological material with a catalyst; heating to a catalytic temperature to form volatile biomarkers; detecting and identifying the biomarkers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein the biological material contains bacterial spores. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein the biological material contains one or more of spores, bacteria, virus, and toxin. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein the biological material contains one or more spores selected from Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus thuringiensis, and Bacillus subtilis var Niger. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein the biomarker precursors include one or more of, fatty acids, proteins, carbohydrates, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA), lipids, and dipicolinic acid. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein the contacting is in a liquid phase or a gas phase. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein the volatile biomarkers include one or more of picolinic acid, and fatty acid methyl esters, and the catalyst is an acid/base catalyst. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein the catalyst is a derivatization catalyst to esterify the biomarker precursors. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein the catalyst is a superacid catalyst and the volatile biomarkers are formed by derivation of fatty acids. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein the catalyst is a superacid catalyst and the volatile biomarkers are formed by methylating fatty acids. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein the catalytic temperature is less than temperatures required for pyrolysis of the biological material. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein the catalytic temperature is less than 300 degrees centigrade. ### Claim 13 A method for identifying biological material containing non-volatile and volatile biomarker precursors, the method comprising: contacting in liquid phase the biological material with a super acid catalyst; heating to a catalytic temperature to methylate the non-volatile biomarker precursors to form methylated-ester biomarkers; detecting and identifying the methylated-ester biomarkers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) A method as in claim 13 wherein the non-volatile biomarker precursors comprise fatty acids and the methylated volatile biomarkers comprise fatty acid methyl esters. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) A method as in claim 13 wherein the non-volatile biomarker precursors comprise dipicolinic acid and the methylated volatile biomarkers comprise a methyl ester of dipicolinic acid. ### Claim 16 (depends on 13) A method as in claim 13 wherein the catalyst is tungstophosphoric acid (H3WP12O40). ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) A method as in claim 13 wherein the biological material contains one or more spores selected from Bacillus anthracis, Bacillus thuringiensis, and Bacillus subtilis var Niger. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein the catalyst is a decomposition catalyst to break down biomarker precursors. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein the catalyst is a metal decomposition catalyst and volatile biomarkers are formed by breaking carbon-carbon bonds. ### Claim 20 A method for identifying biological material containing non-volatile biomarker precursors, the method comprising: contacting in gas phase the biological material with a solid metal decomposition catalyst; heating to a catalytic temperature to degrade non-volatile biomarker precursors to form volatile degradation products; detecting and identifying the volatile degradation products. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) A method as in claim 20 wherein the non-volatile biomarker precurors comprises one or more of fatty acids, protein, peptidoglycan, and DNA. ### Claim 22 (depends on 20) A method as in claim 20 wherein the catalyst comprises one or more noble or base metals. ### Claim 23 (depends on 20) A method as in claim 20 wherein the catalyst comprises one or more of Pt, Ni, Pd, and Rh. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein the detecting and identifying the biomarkers comprises analytical chemistry techniques selected from gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, and ion trap mass spectrometry. ### Claim 25 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein contacting with the catalyst comprises contacting with decomposition catalyst to break down the biomarker precursors and contacting with a derivatization catalyst to esterify the biomarker precursors. ### Claim 26 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein the heating comprises contacting with a heated metal mesh. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) A method as in claim 1 wherein the heating and the contacting with a catalyst are both accomplished by contacting with a heated metal mesh having a catalytically active surface. ### Claim 28 An apparatus for identifying biological material containing non-volatile and volatile biomarker precursors, the apparatus comprising: a reaction zone with a catalyst constructed and configured for contacting the biological material with the catalyst and heating the biological material to a catalytic temperature to form volatile biomarkers; collection for collecting the biomarkers for detection and identification. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) An apparatus as in claim 28 wherein the reaction zone comprises first and second contacting and heating zones, the first zone comprising a decomposition catalyst to break down the biomarker precursors; the second zone comprising a derivatization catalyst to esterify the biomarker precursors. ### Claim 30 (depends on 28) An apparatus as in claim 28 wherein the collection zone comprises one or more of gas chromatography systems and mass spectrometry systems. ### Claim 31 (depends on 28) An apparatus as in claim 28 wherein the reaction zone comprises a metal mesh that functions as the heater. ### Claim 32 (depends on 31) An apparatus as in claim 31 wherein the metal mesh has a catalytically active surface and functions as the catalyst. ### Claim 33 (depends on 31) An apparatus as in claim 31 wherein the mesh is single-layered or multilayered or foam-like. ### Claim 34 (depends on 31) An apparatus as in claim 31 wherein the mesh in constructed to distribute liquid samples across the heated surface.