Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the U.S. Army's Dugway (Utah) Proving Ground said their methods, based on DNA analysis, are essential steps toward creating a reliable reference standard for anthrax detection and decontamination.

Since the bacterium can survive for decades in a stable spore state, the Department of Homeland Security has been working with NIST to develop anthrax spore reference materials. Such materials could be used as controls in laboratory studies of anthrax to calibrate spore detection equipment and to assess the efficiency of spore decontamination methods.

Because sample stability is a key requirement for reference materials, the NIST and Army researchers compared different methods for measuring the concentration, biological activity and stability of laboratory-grade Bacillus anthracis spores under different storage conditions.

The results of the research are to appear in an upcoming issue of the Journal of Applied Microbiology.