Bioaerosol Dispersal Models and the In Silico Design of a Synthetic Strain of Bacillus subtilis with Stringent Growth Regulation

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dc.contributor.advisorPopov, Serguei
dc.contributor.authorRiojas, Marco A.
dc.creatorRiojas, Marco A.
dc.date.accessioned2015-02-12T02:57:00Z
dc.date.available2015-02-12T02:57:00Z
dc.date.issued2014
dc.description.abstractA critical component of biodefense research is the modeling and simulation of the spread of Bacillus anthracis spores. Of the three primary approaches used to study the dispersal of such bioaerosols - mathematical modeling, physical simulation, and biological simulation - the direct dispersal of biological simulants offers the most accurate results. However, the dispersal of viable simulants risks colonization of undesired environments, such as immunocompromised persons within exposed populations. During its Cold War biological weapons research program, the US government dispersed biologically viable simulants, exposing human subjects (often unbeknownst to them) to these ostensibly safe but potentially pathogenic organisms. An analysis of these open-air tests illustrates three improvements to ensure that future biodefense research is conducted ethically: reduced pathogenicity of the biological simulant, obtaining informed consent (either standard or de facto) from potentially exposed populations, and ensuring that the unique concerns regarding military bioethics are addressed for any military service members who may be exposed.
dc.format.extent405 pages
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1920/9156
dc.language.isoen
dc.rightsCopyright 2014 Marco A. Riojas
dc.subjectPolitical Science
dc.subjectMolecular biology
dc.subjectPublic policy
dc.subjectBacillus anthracis
dc.subjectBacillus subtilis
dc.subjectBioaerosol dispersal
dc.subjectBioethics
dc.subjectSimulant systems
dc.subjectSynthetic biology
dc.titleBioaerosol Dispersal Models and the In Silico Design of a Synthetic Strain of Bacillus subtilis with Stringent Growth Regulation
dc.typeDissertation
thesis.degree.disciplineBiodefense
thesis.degree.grantorGeorge Mason University
thesis.degree.levelDoctoral

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