Looking for an undergraduate interested in doing research which involves generating and screening mutant clones for hemolytic activity and secretion of the protein of interest using Western Blots. Goal is to identify or find any mutants that have no hemolytic activity but do secrete the protein of interest. In interested contact Brian Vanness at 796-9052 or stop by 5086 in the Health Science Center after 3 pm anyday. Until recently, the food industry has tackled the problem of food spoilage by using chemical additives to fight harmful bacterial infections and reduce the loss of food supplies. The idea of fighting bacteria with bacteria has just begun to be widely researched within the past decade.
Many bacteria produce natural byproducts of growth called bacteriocins.
The byproducts act as antimicrobial agents, therefore inhibiting the growth of other bacteria. The major problem with using bacteria alone to food spoilage is that the bacteriocins produced are narrow spectrum antibiotics and tend to only kill bacteria that closely resemble themselves. The ingredients found in a certain medium determine how well or poorly a cell will grow. The specific needs of the cells have to be met in order to assure optimal growth and production of growth byproducts, such as bacteriocins. Carbon, energy, and nitrogen sources, along with any other essential growth factors have to be considered.