Endospores and mechanisms of resistance

 Image created by Tim Sandle

Endospores present a concern in controlled environments due to their resistance and indefinite survivability. The production of a spore is part of a sophisticated stress response. Here, the bacterial genome is copied and transferred into the safety of a spore (sporulation).

The spore remains dormant until environmental conditions improve. When conditions are favorable, the spore will germinate (generally rapidly) and become a functioning, vegetative cell.

This week’s article looks at what endospores are, how they are formed, and their relative resistance as part of improving our understanding of contamination control.

See:  https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/resistance-so-futile-endospores-mechanisms-tim-sfaxe/  

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

Risk of microbial spores in cleanrooms

The risks posed by microbial spores pose to cleanrooms in terms of their survival mechanisms and, in the case of fungi, ease of dispersal, are substantial. One means to address this is through the use of a proven sporidical agent. This is the subject of a new article by Tim Sandle.

The article considers the use of sporicidal disinfectants, examining different types and considering the range of factors that affect sporicide efficacy. Importantly, the selection of sporicidal agents is not straightforward. Several types of sporicidal agent are extremely corrosive to stainless steel, plastic and soft metals as well as being a potential health hazard to operators. For this reason, such agents tend to be used sparingly alongside other disinfectants.

Reference:

Sandle, T. (2017) Risk of microbial spores to cleanrooms: Part 2: Selection of sporicidal disinfectants, Clean Air and Containment Review, Issue 29, pp14-16

For further details see: Spores

See also:



Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle