Statistical Considerations in Designing for Biomarker Detection

The purpose of this project is to develop a statistical method for use in rapid detection of biological agents using portable gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC/MS) devices. Of particular interest is 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid (dipicolinic acid, or DPA), a molecule that is present at high concentrations in spores of Clostridium and Bacillus, the latter of which includes the threat organism Bacillus anthracis, or anthrax. Dipicolinic acid may be useful as a first-step discriminator of the biological warfare agent B. anthracis. The results of experiments with B. anthracis Sterne strain and Bacillus thuringiensis spores lead to a conceptual model for the chemical phenomena that are believed to occur between Calcium, DPA and its esters, water, acid, and alkali during treatment of spores by a novel analytical procedure. The hypothesized model for chemical phenomena is tested using a compound study in the form of a mixture experiment.

Name thesis:degree_name

MS

Grantor dc:publisher

Brigham Young University - Provo

Author dc:creator

• Pulsipher, Trenton C.

• mixture experiment
• biological agent detection
• Statistics and Probability

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/1020

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:scholarsarchive.byu.edu:etd-2019