Cheyenne Tetzlaff, “Exploring the Prevalence of Anatoxin-a in Waters of the United States”
Mentor: Todd Miller, Public Health

Anatoxin-a is a type of toxin formed from the cyanobacterium Dolichospermum.  This toxin was nicknamed Very Fast Death Factor because even in small concentrations it can cause death upon ingestion. Bodies of water nationwide are now being monitored due to the incredibly dangerous nature of Anatoxin-a. Testing for the toxin is done by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) of water samples. In general, the antigens of the sample attach to the wells of a plate so when the matching antibody is added the enzyme linked to it helps remove any unbound antibodies. From this point, a color solution can be added to read the absorbance which indicates the quantity of antigen in the sample. It is anticipated that Anatoxin-a and similar toxins will soon become a more pressing issue. Therefore, samples with high toxin concentration must be noted to be monitored and have warnings issued.