In today's globalized world, Bacillus atrophaeus has become a topic of great relevance and interest for various industries and societies. Since its impact on the economy, politics, culture and even people's daily lives, Bacillus atrophaeus has acquired significant importance worldwide. As time progresses, Bacillus atrophaeus continues to be the subject of debate and analysis, creating both opportunities and challenges for those involved in its study and understanding. In this article, we will explore different aspects related to Bacillus atrophaeus, its influence in different areas and how its evolution has marked a before and after in contemporary history.
"Bacillus subtilis var. niger" (Migula 1900) Smith et al. 1946
Bacillus atrophaeus is a species of black-pigmented bacteria. Its type strain is NRRL NRS-213.B. atrophaeus strains have been used extensively in biomedicine as indicator strains for heat- and chemical-based decontamination regimens. Most of the strains in use are derivatives of a lineage of B. atrophaeus that originated at Camp Detrick in the 1950s, where many modern biocontainment procedures were developed.
B. atrophaeus has historically been known by several other names, including B. globigii (the origin of its military moniker "BG") and B. subtilis var. niger. Modern phylogenetic analyses using multiple genetic methods have placed B. atrophaeus close to B. subtilis.
Its original and still most prominent use is as a surrogate organism for pathogenic B. anthracis, beginning in the U.S. bio-weapons program, as its pigmentation readily facilitated discrimination from non-pigmented background organisms in environmental samples.
Subsequent genomic and phenotypic analysis of strains derived from the Camp Detrick isolates revealed that they had been deliberately selected to exhibit elevated rates of sporulation.
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