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Suggested Citation:"Index." National Research Council. 2011. Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI's Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax Letters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13098.
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Index

A

agar, 89, 113, 167

American Media, Inc. (AMI), 26, 56–57, 60, 62, 65, 67, 76

American Society of Microbiology (ASM) Bio Defense Meeting Presentations, 178

Amerithrax investigations, 25–26

analytical techniques used on evidentiary material, 57, 58–59t

collection and analysis of clinical and environmental samples and cross contamination, 60, 176–77

clinical and epidemiological samples, 60–62, 64

crime scene environmental samples, 64–66

letter material and cross contamination, 67–70

samples from overseas site identified by intelligence, 66–67

federal coordinated response and assignment of laboratory work, 55–57

See also specific topics

Ames Ancestor sequence, 103

Ames strain B. anthracis, 6–7, 31, 32, 44, 103, 129, 169

Ames strain DNA, 8

Ames strain identification, FBI documents regarding, 162–63

Ames strain samples, subpoena protocol for collection and submission of, 126–30, 132, 144–47

amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), 98

anthrax mailings, 40–41

size and granularity of material in letters, 79–80

trajectory and outcomes of, 61–62, 62f

anthrax mailings case

background, 25–26

chronology of, 26, 30–31

timeline of key events, 28–30t

timeline of scientific events in, 48–52t

anthrax program, 66

Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), 56, 57, 66, 79, 81–84, 95

B

Bacillus sp.

B. anthracis, 1, 37, 44–45, 97

as biological weapon, 40–41

biology, 37–38, 44–45

chemical and physical properties, 177

clinical aspects, 38–40

early history of Ames strain of, 44

identification of B. anthracis strain, 97–100

isolates (see morphotype isolates)

modes of transmission, 39

phylogeny, 41–44

worldwide distribution of lineages of, 43, 43f

B. cereus, 42, 84, 88

B. subtilis, 84, 96, 121–22, 169–70

contamination of New York samples with, 65, 104–6

genetic diversity and phylogenetic characterization of, 171

Suggested Citation:"Index." National Research Council. 2011. Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI's Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax Letters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13098.
×

in New York Post letter, 96, 105, 121–22

whole genome assembly of B. subtilis isolate, 170–71

B. subtilis screening, 171–72

bacterial growth conditions and processing methods, features of, 87–89

bioterrorism investigations, 53, 54

Blanco, Ernesto, 26

blood agar, 89, 113, 167

Brokaw, Tom, 26

C

carbon-14 (14C) dating, 165–66. See also radiocarbon dating

Center for Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (CAMS), 90

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 126

Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Sciences Unit/ Chemical Biological Science Unit (CBSU), 71

chemical analysis

committee findings, 93–96

methods for, 81, 81t

See also specific topics

Chemistry Unit, FBI Laboratory, 165

Committee on Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI’s Investigation of the 2001 Bacillus anthracis Mailings

biographical information on, 193–204

charge to, 27

committee process, 33–35

findings, 4–23t, 70–74, 121–23

formation, xi

recommendations, 10, 70–74

See also specific topics

cross contamination. See under Amerithrax investigations

D

Daschle, Tom, letter received by, 26, 28t, 30–31, 58–59t, 68, 79–80, 82, 87, 113–22. See also specific topics

“deep sequencing,” 101, 150

Defence Research Establishment Suffield (DRES), 69

Department of Justice (DOJ)

Amerithrax Investigative Summary, 93, 147

scientific conclusions, 11–23t, 32–33

diatrizoate, 38

detection of, 77, 87–89, 96

dilution experiments, 188–89

DNA, 8, 102

Dugway Proving Ground (DPG), 78, 95–96, 168–69

E

edema factor (EF), 39

Ekaterinburg. See Sverdlovsk outbreak

envelope measurements, 92–93

enzymes produced by B. anthracis

F

FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), 9

documents provided by, 161–79

declassified reports, 177

scientific conclusions and committee findings, 4–23t, 32–33

scientific investigations, 31–32 (see also Amerithrax investigations)

See also specific topics

FBI hazardous materials (HAZMAT) teams, 64, 68

FBI Repository (FBIR), 32

creation of, 126–30

FBI Repository (FBIR) samples

comparison of material in letters with, 125–26

analyses based on resampling RMR-1029 and interpretation of results, 140–44

committee findings, 144–51

See also specific topics

statistical interpretation of the evidence and analyses of, 132–34

G

genetic engineering, 100, 102–4, 163

genetic markers in New York Post letter (powder), 115t, 116–22, 148–49

Suggested Citation:"Index." National Research Council. 2011. Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI's Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax Letters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13098.
×

genome assembly of B. subtilis isolate, 170–71

genome sequencing, 101, 163–64

of morphotype isolates, 114–19

See also Institute of Genomic Research

genotypes, 139, 139t

A1 and A3, 119, 172–73

B and D, 119–20, 173–75

development and application of assays for, 119–21

E, 120–21, 175–76

genetic assays to test for the four, 130

mutation, in FBIR samples, 133–34, 133t, 134t

observed and expected distribution of positive signatures for the four, 137, 138t

in RMR-1029, 125, 130–32, 138, 139t, 140–42, 145–48

H

hazardous materials (HAZMAT) teams, 64, 68 heme, 89, 167

I

inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES), 81–83, 94

inhalational anthrax, 26, 28–29t, 30, 31, 39, 40, 44–45, 60–62, 64, 97

Institute of Genomic Research (TIGR), 32, 102–5, 115, 117–20

Institute of Infectious Diseases. See U.S. Army Research Institute of Infectious Diseases

Ivins, Bruce, 26, 140–42, 145

J

Justice Department, U.S. See Department of Justice

K

Keim, Paul, 99–100

L

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), 79, 86, 90

Leahy, Patrick, letter received by, 30, 68, 69, 76–80, 88–92, 96, 109, 113–22

powder on, 63f

silicon content, 82–84, 85f, 87, 94, 95

lethal factor (LF), 39

letter material, silicon and other elements in, 80

elemental analysis, 81–84

letter powder

Leahy, 62, 63f, 64

New York Post, 62, 63f, 64

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), 100

M

mass spectrometry (MS), 88–90

media component analysis, 89

meglumine, 38

detection of, 77, 87–89, 96

morphological variants in evidentiary material, identification and characterization of committee findings, 121–23

development and application of assays for genotypes, 119–21

selection criteria for genetic variations used in screening, 113–14

See also morphotypes

morphotype isolates, whole genome sequencing of, 114–19

morphotypes, 5–6

background information on, 107–9

defined, 106

detection and characterization of, 109–13

phenotypic characteristics, 113, 113t

genetic characterization of, 116, 116t

reasons FBI was interested in, 106–7

multiple-locus VNTR analysis (MLVA), 98, 99

N

nano time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (nano-SIMS), 86

National Academies, xii–xiii, 35

National Academy of Sciences (NAS), xi, 56

National Research Council (NRC), xi, 1, 26

New York City letters, 26, 60–62. See also American Media, Inc.

Suggested Citation:"Index." National Research Council. 2011. Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI's Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax Letters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13098.
×

New York Post letter (powder), 62, 63f, 64, 68, 85f, 94–95

B. subtilis in, 96, 105, 121–22

genetic markers in, 115t, 116–22, 148–49

SEM-EDX analysis of, 83–85, 94–96

P

plasmids, 39

polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, 102

polymorphism(s)

amplified fragment length, 98

single nucleotide, 115–18

postal workers, 61

protective antigen (PA), 39

R

radiocarbon dating, 181–82

of B. anthracis samples, 90

of letter received by Patrick Leahy, 95–96

See also carbon-14 (14C) dating

RenoCal, 88, 168

RMR-1029 (spore-containing flask), 32, 74, 77, 85, 88, 96, 149, 150

analyses based on resampling, 140–44

genotypes in, 125, 130–32, 138, 139t, 140–42, 145–48

results obtained by resampling from, 142, 143t

RMR-1029 spores, derivation of, 130–32

RMR-1030 (spore-containing flask), 85n

S

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), 83, 84, 164–65

scanning electron microscope. See SEM

science

FBI’s uses of, 35–36

qualifiers of certainty in biological sciences, 53, 55

and scientific investigation, as part of law enforcement investigation, 47, 53–55

“Select Agents” program, 126

SEM (scanning electron microscope), 79, 81,

SEM-EDX (scanning electron microscope with energy-dispersive X-ray) analysis, 79, 81–86

of Leahy powder, 85f

of New York Post letter, 83–85, 94–96

Senate letters, 26, 30–31

silicon analysis, 7–8, 12t, 84–87, 94–96. See also under letter material

silicon measurements in evidentiary and surrogate samples, 82, 82t

single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), 115–18

Soviet Union. See Sverdlovsk outbreak

spatially resolved elemental analysis, 83–84

spo0A gene, 108–9

spo0F gene, 117

spore preparation

estimates of media volume required for, 77, 77t

and purification, 75–78

time needed for, 8

spores

biology, 37–38, 44–45

derivation of RMR-1029, 130–32

estimated ranges of total number of, 76, 76t

resilience, 37–38

stable isotope analysis, 90–93, 166–67

forensics potential, 183–84

Stable Isotope Ratio Facility for Environmental Research (SIRFER), 90–93

Statistical Analysis Report (FBI), 135–36

committee assessment of, 185–91

representativeness, randomness, and independence, 136–40, 185–86

Stevens, Robert, 26, 28t, 60

subpoena protocol for collection and submission of Ames strain samples, 126–30, 132, 144–47

surrogate preparation and purification, 78–79

Sverdlovsk outbreak, 41

T

TaqMan technique, 105, 106

Technical Review Panels, 56

Suggested Citation:"Index." National Research Council. 2011. Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI's Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax Letters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13098.
×

U

U.S. Army Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), 56–57, 66, 109, 131, 140–41, 161–62

USDOJ. See Department of Justice

V

variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) analysis, 98, 99

volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), 89–90

W

water samples, stable isotope analysis of, 92

Suggested Citation:"Index." National Research Council. 2011. Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI's Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax Letters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13098.
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Suggested Citation:"Index." National Research Council. 2011. Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI's Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax Letters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13098.
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Suggested Citation:"Index." National Research Council. 2011. Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI's Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax Letters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13098.
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Suggested Citation:"Index." National Research Council. 2011. Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI's Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax Letters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13098.
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Suggested Citation:"Index." National Research Council. 2011. Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI's Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax Letters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13098.
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Suggested Citation:"Index." National Research Council. 2011. Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI's Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax Letters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13098.
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Suggested Citation:"Index." National Research Council. 2011. Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI's Investigation of the 2001 Anthrax Letters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/13098.
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Less than a month after the September 11, 2001 attacks, letters containing spores of anthrax bacteria (Bacillus anthracis, or B. anthracis) were sent through the U.S. mail. Between October 4 and November 20, 2001, 22 individuals developed anthrax; 5 of the cases were fatal.

During its investigation of the anthrax mailings, the FBI worked with other federal agencies to coordinate and conduct scientific analyses of the anthrax letter spore powders, environmental samples, clinical samples, and samples collected from laboratories that might have been the source of the letter-associated spores. The agency relied on external experts, including some who had developed tests to differentiate among strains of B. anthracis. In 2008, seven years into the investigation, the FBI asked the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to conduct an independent review of the scientific approaches used during the investigation of the 2001 B. anthracis mailings.

Review of the Scientific Approaches Used During the FBI's Investigation of the Anthrax Letters evaluates the scientific foundation for the techniques used by the FBI to determine whether these techniques met appropriate standards for scientific reliability and for use in forensic validation, and whether the FBI reached appropriate scientific conclusions from its use of these techniques. This report reviews and assesses scientific evidence considered in connection with the 2001 Bacillus anthracis mailings.

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