222003892
Greetings fellow List.ly folk :)
The fermenting bacterium I have chosen is Bacillus subtilis. As unoriginal as may be, but there's so much more to this bacterium that I, for one, was oblivious to. This bacterium is used in the fermentation of a food product known as Natto which happens to be a traditional Japanese soybean delicacy that has been around for centuries.
This bacterium made me realize that knowledge about the bacterial world is infinite and I'm glad to share a part of it with everyone.
The natto has a strong smell that is to some degree resemblant to aged cheese. The food is served cold and consumed with rice, additional ingredients like onions could also be included in this food.
Originally named Vibrio subtilis in 1835, this organism was renamed Bacillus subtilis in 1872. Other names for this bacteria also include Bacillus uniflagellatus, Bacillus globigii, and Bacillus natto. Bacillus subtilis bacteria were one of the first bacteria to be studied. These bacteria are a good model for cellular development and differentiation (Entrez Genome Project).
Producing natto starts by selecting soybeans in good condition and washing them to remove impurities. Thereafter, they're soaked in water for 10-12 hrs in preparation for fermentation. Once they have been drained, they're steamed for 20 min, creating a fitting environment for cultivating the bacteria. B. subtilis spores are inoculated followed by fermentation occurring at 40 degrees Celsius for 16-18 hrs. The natto is cooled and refrigerated below 10 degrees Celsius for 24 hrs developing a sticky texture.
B. subtilis are gram-positive, rod-shaped and facultative aerobes. They're found in soil environments that are at room temperature. During sporulation, they release antibiotics as a defense and survival mechanism. They contain a highly effective protein secretion system making them useful in cell factories for the synthesis of chemicals, enzymes, and antimicrobial compounds used in agriculture and medicine. They're extremophiles, producing endospores, and thus can withstand severe conditions.
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In this mini-review, we first summarize the basic genetic manipulation tools and expression systems for this bacterium, including traditional methods and novel engineering systems. Secondly, we briefly introduce its applications in the production of chemicals and enzymes, and summarize its advantages, mainly focusing on some noteworthy products and recent progress in the engineering of B. subtilis.
B.subtilis isn't associated with any direct risks or hazards and is not classified as a human pathogen, it is GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe)-approved by the FDA. Clinical trials performed on _B.subtilis _ strains have displayed no harm to humans, and instead have shown advantages related to gastrointestinal health. As safe as some strains may be, certain strains exhibit some relation to the cause of hemolytic enterotoxin, making these strains inappropriate for human consumption.
Despite the commercial rise of probiotics containing Bacillaceae spp., it remains important to assess the safety of each strain before clinical testing. Herein, we performed preclinical analyses to address the safety of Bacillus subtilis BS50.The BS50 genome contains several gene clusters involved in the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, but many of these antimicrobial metabolites (e.g., fengycin) are common to Bacillus spp. and may even confer health benefits related to gut microbiota health.
