Why here? Why now? Protein-triggering bacteria spore formation characterized

A protein that enables bacteria to shut down into dormant spores under extreme conditions has been discovered. Sporulation is an effective survival mechanism, a state of dormancy, that some types of bacteria can enter into.

While many bacteria can tolerate harsh environments (like endolithic microorganisms, obtaining their energy and nutrients from rocks), the most extreme environments require sporulation to maintain survival. The process of sporulation enables bacteria to become very resistant to heat and radiation, creating life capsules for bacteria to survive in uninhabitable places including the most extreme places on the planet, such as under the permafrost, in the depths of the ocean or outer space (as some space missions have shown).

Discovering a new protein involved in sporulation in a group of bacteria could further our understanding of bacteria's ability to survive and potentially open up new avenues for antimicrobial therapies.

In this week’s article, the new research into the sporulating trigger protein is highlighted as well as an overview of some general aspects of bacterial sporulation. 

See: LinkedIn article

Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle, Pharmaceutical Microbiology Resources (http://www.pharmamicroresources.com/)

The Risk of Bacillus cereus to Pharmaceutical Manufacturing

A review of warning letters U.S. Food and Drug Administration indicates that contamination events associated with Bacillus species represents a relatively high proportion of microbiological related citations. During the period March 2013 to August 2014, 7 warning letters relating to contamination from spore-forming bacteria were issued. Extending the review back to 2007, it is noteworthy that the most common microorganism associated with contamination is Bacillus cereus.

This article considers some of the inspectorate findings relating to Bacillus contamination and goes on to consider the implications for the control of pharmaceutical products manufacture that arise from these regulatory observations. The discussion has a focus on Bacillus cereus, given its relative ubiquity, and extends to the general risks that arise from spore-forming microorganisms and the risk-mitigating actions that can be taken.

This is the basis of a new article by Tim Sandle for American Pharmaceutical Review. The article is available to be viewed in full on-line. Go to: APR.

Sandle, T. (2014) The Risk of Bacillus cereus to Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, American Pharmaceutical Review, 17 (6): pp-pp