Theproceedingsof the 10th Symposium on Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB10) are published today inMicrobial Cell Factories. The LAB10 Symposium brings together experts, every three years, to share scientific knowledge ofLactobacilli. These bacteria share an intimate history with humans, having been ever-present in our food and forming part of our normal gut microbiota. Dubbed “friendly” and “good” by advertizers,Lactobacilliare natural candidates for industrial and medical use.
Guest edited by Colin Hill, Michiel Kleerebezem and Jan Kok, the proceedings include fundamental molecular biology, physiology and genomic studies ofLactobacilli. For example,O’ Donnell and colleaguesshow that the metabolism of differentL. ruminisstrains (found in the gut of cows, pigs and humans) is made flexible by variation in carbohydrate utilization genes.Lactobacilliare perhaps best known within the food industry andVogel and colleaguesinvestigate the mechanism of evolution ofL. sanfranciscensisthat allows it to predominate in sourdough bread. Since many species are already established as food grade bacteria, they also present safevectors for medical usesuch as the delivery of therapeutic proteins and DNA vaccines.
It is clear from these collected works that diverse research into lactic acid bacteria is booming.Microbial Cell Factorieswould like to wish the LAB collaboration many congratulations on their 10th Symposium and we are excited to see what the next meetings will bring.
Helen Whitaker
Journal Development ManageratBioMed Central
Helen is part of the Biological Sciences publishing team at BioMed Central. She obtained her PhD in molecular ecology from the University of Glasgow, UK. Her post-doctoral studies in aquaculture genetics took her from Scotland to South Africa, before joining BMC in 2008.
Latest posts by Helen Whitaker(see all)
- Biotechnology for a bio-based economy- 5th June 2019
- Sustainable energy at the American Chemical Society Spring meeting- 11th April 2018
- Biotechnology for Biofuels – Special Issue on Life Cycle Analysis- 17th May 2017
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