New biofilm mechanism in Bacillus cereus could reveal vulnerabilities in food poisoning bacterium

Article excerpt

Scientists from the Department of Microbiology at the University of Malaga, who are also members of the Institute of Subtropical and Mediterranean Horticulture "La Mayora" (IHSM), have discovered a previously unknown mechanism that allows the bacterium Bacillus cereus, which is responsible for food poisoning and human infections, to protect itself against antibiotics and adverse conditions. The study, published in Science Advances, reveals how these bacteria form biofilms, highly organized communities that act as a protective shield.