“…The enzyme was cloned and has been biochemically studied to degrade pesticides and also other organophosphorus compounds such as nerve agents (Dumas et al, 1989;Hoskin et al, 1995;Lai et al, 1995;Mulbry et al, 1986;Vanhooke et al, 1996). Since the efficient decontamination of organophosphorus nerve agents, such as O-isopropyl methylphosphonofluoridate (sarin) and O-ethyl-S-(2-diisopropylaminoethyl) methylphosphonothiolate (VX), has been greatly needed as a countermeasure against chemical terrorisms such as the sarin gas attacks in Japan in 1994 and 1995 (Seto et al, 2000), many groups, including ourselves, have developed genetically manipulated OPH to degrade nerve agents (Gopal et al, 2000;Hill et al, 2003;Jeong et al, 2014;Nakayama et al, 2014;Reeves et al, 2008). Organophosphorus nerve agents are relatively unstable in alkaline conditions, and, therefore, strong alkaline liquids have been used for the decontamination.…”