Mechanisms of Resistance in Microbial Spores

Bacterial spores possess extraordinary resistance against destruction by heat and other agents, so extreme safeguards must be taken to prevent spore- caused infections and food spoilage. A determination of the physicochemical bases and physiological mechanisms accounting for sporal heat resistance is the goal of this project. The project involves collaboration by teams of investigators headed by Philipp Gerhardt at Michigan State University and by Robert E. Marquis at the University of Rochester. The titles of six published research reports convey their content: heat resistance of bacterial spores correlated with protoplast dehydration, mineralization, and thermal adaptation; heat shock affects permeability and resistance of Bacillus stearothermophilus spores; low heat resistance of B. sphaericus spores correlated with high protoplast water content; spectrophotometric determination of refractive index increment for bacterial cells; heat resistance correlated with DNA content in B. megaterium spores; compact structure of cortical peptidoglycans from bacterial spores.