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There is bad understanding of how Listeria monocytogenes, a food poisoning bacteria, survives in cold hostile environments once thought to kill bacteria or at least prevent them from growing. The cell membrane is the barrier that protects food poisoning bacteria from preservatives and the environment. This research determines how membrane properties regulate the sensitivity of the bacteria to preservatives, acidity, and cold.
We believe that the physical state of thecell membrane regulates antimicrobial sensitivity .Changes in membrane composition modify membrane fluidity.Membrane fluidity determines membrane permeability and sensitivity to those food preservatives which act by violating themembrane's protective properties. This model: Composition determines Fluidity determines Permeability determinesSensitivity to Preservatives; will be tested through the following specific objectives: I) prove that changes in membranecomposition (i.e. makeup) change membrane fluidity in Listeria monocytogenes cells grown under different conditions; 2)show that changes in fluidity regulate membrane permeability using model membrane systems; 3) demonstrate that sensitivity to preservatives in laboratory models corresponds to sensitivity of L. monocytogenes cells in the real world. Abetter understanding of how the bacteria survive our attempts to kill them will provide new concepts that can be used toincrease the effectiveness of current preservatives and processes, and thus, improve food safety.