Chemical Warfare Defense
Guild BioSciences, often in concert with its parent company Guild Associates, is continuously pursuing opportunities in Chemical and Biological Defense and related biotechnology initiatives through various funding agencies. The descriptions below represent a snapshot of some current programs.
Chemical Agents Decontamination
Computer model of an OPH Enzyme
Guild Associates, the parent company of Guild BioSciences, has a successful history of developing critical products for chemical and biological weapons defense. The military’s standard immediate chemical decontamination material, M100 Sorbent, was first developed by Guild Associates and has been in production for nearly 10 years. Guild BioSciences also has worked with DARPA and DTRA to develop a unique recombinant organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) enzyme that, as of the current research, has been confirmed to be a 25x improvement as compared to the wild-type enzyme in degrading the nerve agent VX. Guild BioSciences is currently pursuing improvements to the enzyme to further increase effectiveness and operational robustness. This enzyme will also be very effective in neutralizing organophosphate pesticides, potentially having applications in agriculture or toxic industrial chemical remediation.
M98 Carbon Filter Set (HDT Global)
Carbon Filter Residual Life Indicator
Guild BioSciences is developing a residual life indicator (RLI) to accurately measure the lifespan of carbon air filters used to remove chemical and biological agents from incoming conditioned air. These filters are used by the military on tanks, forward-operating bases, US Navy ships, and critical stateside military facilities. This technology has been explored often, but was never robust enough for adoption. Guild BioSciences is on the cusp of changing this with an innovative new RLI approach based upon electrochemical methods.
Guild BioSciences is interested in collaboration to continue research or commercialize products. Please contact us to set up a discussion.
Click Here to Contact the Principal Investigator
Listed below are the abstracts and links to chemical warfare defense publications by Guild BioSciences scientists.
Schofield, D.A. and DiNovo, A. 2010. Generation of a mutagenized organophosphorus hydrolase for the biodegradation of the organophosphate pesticides malathion and demeton-S. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 109(2):548-557.
Schofield, D.A., Westwater, C., Barth, J. L. and DiNovo, A. A. 2007. Development of a yeast biosensor-biocatalyst for the detection and biodegradation of paraoxon. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 76(6):1383-94.
