Enzymatic production of peracids using perhydrolytic enzymes

1. A method for decontaminating or disinfecting a locus contaminated with one or more pathogens including an infective prion or prion particle comprising

a) providing a set of peracid reaction components, said components comprising:

1) at least one substrate selected from the group consisting of:

i) esters having the structure

 wherein R 1 ═C1 to C10 straight chain or branched chain alkyl optionally substituted with an hydroxyl or a C1 to C4 alkoxy group and R 2 ═C1 to C10 straight chain or branched chain alkyl group, (CH 2 CH 2 —O) n H or (CH 2 CH(CH 3 )—O) n H and n=1 to 10;

ii) glycerides having the structure

 wherein R 1 ═C1 to C10 straight chain or branched chain alkyl optionally substituted with an hydroxyl or a C1 to C4 alkoxy group and R 3 and R 4 are individually H or R 1 C(O); and

iii) amides having the structure:

 wherein R 5 and R 6 ═H or a C1 to C5 straight chain or branched alkyl group;

2) a source of peroxygen that provides a concentration of at least 500 mM hydrogen peroxide upon combining said reaction components;

3) at least one enzyme catalyst having perhydrolase activity, wherein said enzyme catalyst is selected from the group consisting of lipases, proteases, and mixtures thereof; and

4) at least one prion-degrading protease wherein one or more of the prion-degrading proteases may be the same as the enzyme catalyst providing the perhydrolase activity in (a)(3);

b) combining said reaction components at a pH of 2.5 to 7.5, whereby a concentrated peracid solution is produced having a peracid concentration of at least 10 ppm within at least about 5 minutes to about 2 hours of combining said reaction components;

c) optionally diluting said peracid solution produced in step (b); and

d) contacting a locus contaminated with a microorganism, a virus, a prion or prion particle, or a combination thereof with the aqueous peracid solution produced in step b) or step c) whereby said locus is disinfected and said prion particle is degraded.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the locus is contacted with the aqueous peracid solution produced in step b) or step c) within about 48 hours of combining said reaction components.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the locus is contacted with the aqueous peracid solution produced in step b) or step c) within about 24 hours of combining said reaction components.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said at least one protease comprises a mixture of at least two proteases.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said mixture of at least two proteases comprises Pronase and Proteinase K.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein said mixture of at least two proteases comprises Alcalase and Neutrase.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the pH is 3 to 7.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein the pH is 4 to 6.5.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the peracid concentration is at least 100 ppm.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the peracid concentration is at least 500 ppm.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the peracid concentration is at least 1000 ppm.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the peracid concentration is at least 5000 ppm.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the reaction components further comprises at least one surfactant.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said at least one surfactant is sodium dodecylsulfate.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of contacting said locus with at least one surfactant.

16. The method of claims 1 , 13 , or 15 wherein the method further comprises the step of heating said locus to a temperature of at least 80° C. for a period of time from at least 1 minute to 48 hours before or after contacting said locus with said aqueous peracid solution.