Molecular Microbiology
Key staff: Dr Alistair Bishop
Bacteria are ubiquitous and can have beneficial and harmful effects on humans. Two organisms of biotechnological interest are Bacillus thuringiensis and Pasteuria penetrans. These are spore-forming bacteria and are beneficial in that they are pathogenic to certain invertebrate pests of agriculture and, in the case of B. thuringiensis, to insect vectors of some diseases such as malaria. In spite of its biotechnological exploitation, little is known about the ecology of B. thuringiensis and how it affects its usefulness as a biocontrol agent. In addition, new isolates of P. penetrans and B. thuringiensis with new activities against insect pests, are being found.
Among the problems posed by bacteria are the increasing difficulty of treating infections with antibiotics and the contamination of food with disease-causing organisms. Micro-calorimetry is a useful tool to investigate the activity of antibiotics and possible new combinations to treat difficult infections. With food now coming to us from all parts of the world, the control of food-borne disease is a complex problem. The new field of nano-biotechnology offers the potential to identify spoilage and pathogenic bacteria at the site of production, which would help maintain food quality and safety.
Recent projects
- Cloning and expression of a new toxin from B. thuringiensis active against mosquito larvae.
- Ecology of B. thuringiensis and P. penetrans in the agricultural environment.
- Use of micro-calorimetry to develop combinations of antibiotics to treat difficult infections.
- Micro-fluidic amplification of bacterial DNA for identification of food-borne disease.
Publications
Bishop, A. H., Gowen, S. R., Pembroke, B., and Trotter, J. R. (2007). Morphological and molecular characteristics of a new species of Pasteuria parasitic on Meloidogyne ardenensis. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 96, 28-33.
Bizzarri, M. F., and Bishop, A. H. (2007). The Recovery of Bacillus thuringiensis in vegetative form from the phylloplane of clover (Trifolium hybridum). Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 94, 38-47.
Bizzarri, M. F. and Bishop, A. H. The ecology of Bacillus thuringiensis on the phylloplane: colonisation from soil, conjugation and interaction with larvae of Pieris brassicae. Microbial Ecology. (Available online.)
Bizzarri, M. F., Bishop, A. H., Dinsdale, A. and Logan, N. A. (2008). Changes in the properties of Bacillus thuringiensis after prolonged culture in a rich medium. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 104, 60–69.
Bizzarri, M. F., Prabjakar, S. and Bishop, A. H. Multiple-locus sequence typing analysis of Bacillus thuringiensis recovered from the phylloplane of clover (Trifolium hybridum) in vegetative form. Microbial Ecology. (Available online.)