US Government as Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Patricia Worsham

Arthur M Friedlander

Bruce Ivins

Susan L Welkos

Joseph W Farchaus

A method of making a vaccine for anthracis that inolves a bacterial expression system and production and use of protective antigen (PA) against . The PA immunogen is useful in a vaccine against human anthrax. The PA can be produced by an asporogenic organism which produces the desired antigen, which is then harvested from the supernatant.

Method of making a vaccine for anthrax

This invention relates to a bacterial expression system for production of protective antigen (PA) against,. Recombinant asporogenic,that are derived from &Dgr;Sterne-1(pPA102) and show inability to bind the dye when grown on Congo Red Agar can be screened and asporogenic strains isolated using methods of the invention. organisms of the invention lacking spore-forming function may be killed by heat shock at temperatures as low as 60&deg; C. for 60 minutes. Hence, contamination of the environment with viable spore-forming organisms is easily avoided and decontamination is easily accomplished.

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Jefferson, MD, United States of America

Patricia Worsham