Adaptations of Listeria Monocytogenes in Cold Environments

Adaptations of Listeria Monocytogenes in Cold Environments

Presenter(s)

Margaret Bailey

Comments

9:00-10:15, Kennedy Union Ballroom

Description

Listeria Monocytogenes is a bacterium which adapts and multiplies quickly under cold temperatures. L. monocytogenes infections, called listeriosis, oftentimes only cause a mild sickness in immunocompetent individuals, but to high-risk populations, listeriosis can result in a more severe sickness and sometimes death. The adaptability of L. monocytogenes under cold temperatures makes the regulation and control of the bacteria in cold storage challenging. Through my research, I will be investigating the factors that contribute to the effectiveness of L. monocytogenes in cold temperatures. My first objective was to observe the surface modifications of L. monocytogenes in cold temperatures. I did this by examining the cell shape of L. monocytogenes at three different temperatures for three different time increments. It was seen that the rod shape of L. monocytogenes has become more circular in colder temperatures. Furthermore, we investigated how this circular shape may affect how white blood cells attack L. monocytogenes. My second objective was to determine the fitness of L. monocytogenes in cold temperatures. I measured the fitness of this bacterium by its sensitivity to lysozyme and bacteriocin. The results from my Berry Summer Thesis Institute research will help us understand how L. monocytogenes is effectively growing in cold temperatures. These findings can then be used to create new preventative measures against L. monocytogenes, which will protect many people from potentially becoming infected by L. monocytogenes.

Publication Date

4-23-2025

Project Designation

Honors Thesis

Primary Advisor

Dorian Borbonus, Yvonne Y. Sun

Primary Advisor's Department

Biology

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Institutional Learning Goals

Scholarship

Adaptations of Listeria Monocytogenes in Cold Environments

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