Archive for Category: Strain of the Month

Thiomargarita namibiensis

Thiomargarita namibiensis was first discovered in 1997 in marine sediments off the continental shelf of Namibia is known as the world’s largest bacterium​1​. This bacterium belongs to the Class Gamma-proteobacteria and has a diameter of 0.1–0.3 mm (100–300 μm). However, some reach up to a size of 0.75 mm...

Streptococcus mutans

General Characteristics Streptococcus mutans is a gram-positive cocci bacteria that can grow under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. It is commonly found in the human mouths and is known to be highly associated with tooth decay which greatly affects an individual’s health. S. mutans was firstly described as caries...

Mycobacterium bovis (BCG vaccine)

Mycobacterium bovis is a gram-positive, rod-shaped bacterium with anti-oxidant characteristics living in aerobic environment. It infects humans and cattle causing bovine tuberculosis​1​. Technically, the scientific name for M. bovis is M. tuberculosis as this species turned out to be a later heterotypic synonym of Mycobacterium tuberculosis ​2,3​. However, the...

Yersinia pestis

Yersinia pestis is rod-shaped, gram-negative, non-spore-forming and non-motile Coccobacillus bacteria. It was isolated by a French bacteriologist Alexandre Yersin​1​ and a Japanese bacteriologist Kitazato Shibasaburo almost at the same time in 1894. Y. pestis became a well-known bacterium after it was identified to be the causative agent of plague,...

Clostridium botulinum

Clostridium botulinum is a gram-positive, rod-shaped spore-forming organism that grows in an anaerobic environment. The main feature of this bacteria mostly found in soil is the production of botulinum neurotoxin, which is fatal to the body. Exposure to this toxin causes botulism, which shows symptoms of various paralysis and,...

Wolbachia Pipientis

Wolbachia pipientis is an α-proteobacterium endosymbiont, an intracellular gram-negative bacteria, which was first identified in 1924 by Hertig and Wolbach​1,2​. These microbes are widespread among nematodes and arthropods. They are predominantly transmitted vertically from mother to the offsprings but also occasionally transmitted horizontally between species. In doing so, they...

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC53103)

Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (ATCC 53103, also known as LGG), is a strain of L. rhamnosus and is one of the most well-known probiotics strains. It was isolated in 1983 from the intestinal tract of a healthy human being by Barry R. Goldin and Sherwood L. Gorbach​1​. LGG has several...