The purpose of this research project is to study the growth characteristics, antibiotic susceptibility and resident latum in a large, filamentous, Gram positive procaryotic organism found in close association with the fecal (dung) materials of ungulates (i.e. cattle). These organisms are not known to be pathogenic to man or lower animals. Their large size and complex ultrastructural attributes render them novel subjects of investigation. This research project would: 1) compare the growth properties of C. latum with a reference strain, ATCC 15219, using several media, 2) study sensitivity using drug impregnated disks along with the determination of minimal inhibitory concentrations (e.g. penicillin); and 3) screen for the presence of endogenous temperate bacteriophage using ultra-violet light irradiation and plaque screenings. Previous work suggests the presence of temperate phage in the organisms.
