The Douglas fir terpene α-pinene was shown to inhibit the growth of a variety of bacteria and a yeast. Other terpenes of the Douglas fir, including limonene, camphene, and isobornyl acetate, were also inhibitory to Bacillus thuringiensis . All terpenes were inhibitory at concentrations normally present in the fir needle diet of Douglas fir tussock moth larvae. The presence of such terpenes in the diet of these insects was found to strongly influence the infectivity of B. thuringiensis spores for the Douglas fir tussock moth larvae. The terpene α-pinene destroyed the cellular integrity and modified mitochondrial activity in certain microorganisms.

No abstract

Species-specific primers for use in the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were designed to differentially amplify DNA from the common dairy lactobacillus species Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus delbrueckii, Lactobacillus helveticus, and Lactobacillus acidophilus. A method for rapid extraction of bacterial DNA from dairy products was developed. The sensitivity of bacterial DNA extraction from food and subsequent amplification by PCR was 100 cells total. Lactobacillus DNA was extracted and identified from commercial yoghurts, acidophilus milk, and cheeses. The methodology allows the presumptive identification of dairy lactobacilli in less than 6 hours.

The inactivation of Bacillus thuringiensis spores and spores treated with two protectants, one proteinaceous and the other a commercial product, Shade, at wavelengths of the near-ultraviolet and visible spectra and at 254 nm is described. Determination of the inactivating wavelengths may be used to establish an efficient sunlight protective system for B. thuringiensis when used as a microbial insecticide.

No abstract