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= @ USAMRIID- “a . Fort Detrick ne - Frederick, MD 21702-5011 BIC April 8, 1994 ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED HERETH IS UNCLASSIFIED DATE la-lO-2008 BY 60324 uc baw/rs/mjs Dear [| | enjoyed meeting and talking with you at the recent conference on Biological Defense Research at UMBC. As requested | am sending you i) a photostatic copy of our 1991 ASM poster, and ii) photostatic copies of articles relating to the anthrax epidemic in Zimbabwe and to the transmission of anthrax by insects, and iii) other pertinent articles. My previous research experience includes biodegradation studies of a molluscicide used to disrupt the transmission cycle of schistosomes (as an undergraduate at the University of Cincinnati), studies on the modulation of diphtheria toxin action on mammalian cells (as a graduate student, also at the University of Cincinnati), research into mechanisms of pathogenesis of Chlamydia psittaci (as a postdocteral fellow at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill), and studies on Vibrio cholerae at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda (as a teaching and research associate). | came to USAMRIID in December, 1980. Research into B. anthracis and anthrax had really just started at USAMRIID when | got there. b7E Our initial studies (1980-1985) were heavily weighted in the direction of basic research. It was during this period that the toxin plasmid{—SS—S~—SS and ther capsule plasmid were identified, and the molecular mode of action of edema toxin ( was elucidated. We also set out to learn more about the mechanism of action of lethal toxin (what are the ratios in vivo o . Current studies by researchers include identification of auxiliary virulence factors (the primary virulence factors are, of course, toxin and capsule), development and improvement of diagnostic systems, and delineation of the reasons for differences in virulence between certain strains of B. anthracis. My main research continues to be the development and testing of prototype vaccine candidates. | wanted to point out that lethal factor and edema factor are not as protectively immunogenic as protective antigen, but they do elicit antibody production. (Please see the enclosed Infection and Immunity, 52:454-458, and Infection and Immunity, 52:509- 512, Clinical Immunology Newsletter 9:30-32.) Again, | enjoyed talking to you at the conference. | hope the enclosed information