SwRI is providing chemistry support for the U.S. Department of Defense Military Working Dog Veterinary Services to determine the feasibility of training military working dogs to detect extremely small quantities of chemical warfare agents. The support includes synthesis of chemicals, chemical characterization of odor signatures, preparation of training aids, and workplace safety monitoring. Dogs have a sense of smell estimated to be 1,000 times more acute than humans and can often detect minute quantities of chemicals. This feasibility study uses a substitute chemical that is a licensed veterinary drug. The Institute is in its second year of a contract to provide bioanalytical chemistry support for clinical trials of antisense biopharmaceuticals.
Antisense drugs interrupt the process by which disease-causing proteins are produced.
Analysis involves using capillary gel electrophoresis to separate metabolites for detection. With the resulting data, researchers can monitor how the human body processes the drug in order to assure safety and regulate dosages during experimental human trials. SwRI assisted a team fighting an underground coal mine fire in Mexico by setting up sophisticated laboratory equipment near the burning mine when field monitoring equipment at the site lacked the diversity of capabilities needed. The SwRI team had to mobilize, within 48 hours, two laboratory-size gas chromatographs at the remote location to test a wide range of components in gas samples. The analyses were used to determine the chemical composition of gases given off by the smoldering coal.