Enzymatic production of peracids using perhydrolytic enzymes

A method for decontaminating or disinfecting a locus contaminated with one or more pathogens including an infective prion or prion particle comprising

• a) providing a set of peracid reaction components, said components comprising:
• 1) at least one substrate selected from the group consisting of:
• i) esters having the structure
• wherein R1═C1 to C10 straight chain or branched chain alkyl optionally substituted with an hydroxyl or a C1 to C4 alkoxy group and R2═C1 to C10 straight chain or branched chain alkyl group, (CH2CH2—O)nH or (CH2CH(CH3)—O)nH and n=1 to 10;
• ii) glycerides having the structure
• wherein R1═C1 to C10 straight chain or branched chain alkyl optionally substituted with an hydroxyl or a C1 to C4 alkoxy group and R3 and R4 are individually H or R1C(O);
• and
• iii) amides having the structure:
• wherein R5 and R6═H or a C1 to C5 straight chain or branched alkyl group;
• 2) a source of peroxygen that provides a concentration of at least 500 mM hydrogen peroxide upon combining said reaction components;
• 3) at least one enzyme catalyst having perhydrolase activity, wherein said enzyme catalyst is selected from the group consisting of lipases, proteases, and mixtures thereof;
• and
• 4) at least one prion-degrading protease wherein one or more of the prion-degrading proteases may be the same as the enzyme catalyst providing the perhydrolase activity in (a)(3);
• b) combining said reaction components at a pH of 2.5 to 7.5, whereby a concentrated peracid solution is produced having a peracid concentration of at least 10 ppm within at least about 5 minutes to about 2 hours of combining said reaction components;
• c) optionally diluting said peracid solution produced in step (b);
• and
• d) contacting a locus contaminated with a microorganism, a virus, a prion or prion particle, or a combination thereof with the aqueous peracid solution produced in step b) or step c) whereby said locus is disinfected and said prion particle is degraded.