Campylobactor Research with Microaerobic Workstations

The following words were provided by Microbiology International 

Cultivation of microaerophilic organisms from environmental niches such as Campylobacter species and Helicobacter pylori requires precise calibration of oxygen levels and other growth parameters. Microbiology International, North American distributor for Don Whitley Scientific, have been installing anaerobic and microaerobic incubation chambers for more than 20 years, and would like to introduce some of the research being carried out around the world. Click here to view our Microaerobic Workstations.

The complex interactions of microbial communities populating the human gastrointestinal tract with their host and with invading pathogens are paramount to safeguarding not only a healthy gut but also our general health. Microaerophilic bacterial species, such as Campylobacter jejuni, can cause gastro-enteric infections due to their ability to survive and grow in lower oxygen environments, which they encounter in the human gastro-intestinal tract. At the Ottawa Institute of Systems Biology, Dr. Alain Stintzi researches topics as diverse as iron homeostasis and oxidative stress and the competitive advantage of metabolizing L-Fucose in Campylobacter jejuni. Using a Don Whitley Scientific microaerobic workstation, Dr. Stinzi states that “One objective of our research is to understand how enteric pathogens such as Campylobacter jejuni acquire essential nutrients, adapt to the harsh conditions of the intestine and interact with the host’s microbiota to cause disease.”

At Ohio State University, Dr. Jeffrey Lejeune’s research is focused on prevention of diseases caused by food-borne pathogens in plants and animals, including C. jejuni, E. coli O157, and Clostridium difficile. His work on antibiotic resistance in Campylobacter and other enteric pathogens has prompted the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation to recruit him to provide technical support and guidance in an international group working on antibiotic resistance. Don Whitley Scientific anaerobic and microaerobic workstations , sold in the US by Microbiology International, provide precise gas control for a sustainable low oxygen environment. Up to four gasses can be combined to create the ideal atmosphere for fastidious microorganisms.

In the UK, Dr. Andrew Grant at the University of Cambridge is investigating the Campylobacter jejuni secretome and diarrhoeal disease in a gnotobiotic piglet model, using the MACS VA500 and more recently, the M95 Microaerobic Workstation. His work to elucidate host-pathogen interaction and virulence strategies will yield new options for therapy and vaccination. Don Whitley Scientific will be there for him, and our other researchers, every step of the way.